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Opeth - Pale Communion



7.7 | 890 votes |
Release date: 20 August 2014
Style: Progressive rock

Owners:

593 have it
100 want it


01. Eternal Rains Will Come
02. Cusp Of Eternity
03. Moon Above, Sun Below
04. Elysian Woes
05. Goblin
06. River
07. Voice Of Treason
08. Faith In Others
09. Solitude [Black Sabbath cover] [live] [special edition bonus]
10. Var Kommer Barnen In [Hansson De Wolfe United cover] [live] [special edition bonus]
11. Atonement [live] [Japanese bonus]
12. Demon Of The Fall [live] [Japanese bonus]

Featured in "Getting Into: Opeth"

Additional info
Recorded at Rockfield Studios, Monmouthshire, Wales, Junkmail Studios, Stockholm, Sweden, No Mans Land Studios, Hemel Hempstead, UK and Angel Studios, London, UK.
Produced by Mikael Akerfeldt.
Co-production by Opeth and Tom Dalgety.
Mixed by Steven Wilson and Mikael Akerfeldt.
Engineered by Tom Dalgety.
Mastered by Pascal Byrne.

"Solitude" - Recorded live at Stockholm Sodra Teatern in April 2012.
"Var Kommer Barnen In" - Recorded live at Stockholm Sodra Teatern in April 2012.

All Lyrics Written by Mikael Akerfeldt.

Artwork designed by Travis Smith.
Artwork concept by Mikael Åkerfeldt.

Staff review by
R'Vannith
Rating:
N/A
Opeth have softened their sound. This is old news, and this is also an old sound. Pale Communion is their sophomore in a retrograde and vintage style of progressive rock, yet it remains poised with their distinctive craftsmanship. The question arises as to whether this record builds upon the band's efforts in Heritage. It does.

Read more ››
published 20.08.2014 | Comments (61)

Guest review by
WayTooManyCDs
Rating:
8.7
My favorite band is Opeth; I was on the bandwagon around the days of My Arms, Your Hearse and have never jumped off. When it comes to an album like Pale Communion there is an important question I've had to ask myself: do I like Opeth because they're a metal band or do I like Opeth because of the way they play their music? Is it the heavy death metal growls that make them so great or the overall vibe they create with their experimentation? In the end, I find it is the latter that is true for me in both cases.

Read more ››
published 31.05.2016 | Comments (6)

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Comments page 5 / 7

Comments: 204   Visited by: 1984 users
20.08.2014 - 07:04
whatsacow

I feel like this is the current bandwagon for bands like this. It's just sad that out of Riverside's and Steve Wilson's version of the same album, Opeth's is the most bland and uninspired.
----
When God made up the golden rule, do you think he noticed that it condones rape?
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20.08.2014 - 09:46
Rating: 6
ke ke

Better than Heritage so it's second worst opeth album.
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20.08.2014 - 10:08
Rating: 5
PocketMetal

I don't care if they wanna do prog rock, the problem is they can't do it right. This is just underwhelming and I know many bands, new and old, who can do A LOT better. Pain of Salvation changed their sound, but they delivered ... Opeth just failed miserably. I don't think this is better than Heritage, Heritage still had some identity of its own, this is just being bad at copying others.
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20.08.2014 - 11:22
Rating: 8
Hex_Omega
Gem Seeker
A missing link between Watershed and Heritage. Probably their worst album for me... but it's still quite good.
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20.08.2014 - 14:39
Rating: 4
Orion79

Great band of elevator prog
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20.08.2014 - 15:31
Rating: 7
Death

Another weird-ass album from Akerfeldt, which he shouldn't have released under Opeth's title.
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20.08.2014 - 15:57
Rating: 8
The Philosopher

It's better than Heritage (easily), Damnation and Watershed.
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20.08.2014 - 15:57
ManiacBlasphemer
Black Knight
I am not a general fan of prog rock (or anything prog with few exceptions), but I also find this album to be totally uninspired. This album does not good songs, but moments of awesomeness that are unfortunately covered by uninspied and lack of creativity in the song-writing department. While it is slightly better than Heritage, that does not say much about the quality of this work. TPC is just a useless and pointless attempt at redefining a sound that had pretty much no vulnerabilities and this is proven by the string o over 6 great albums this band managed to release.

Akerfeldt needs a damn long... loooooong break I fear.
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21.08.2014 - 17:57
quisableed
Account deleted
Written by ManiacBlasphemer on 20.08.2014 at 15:57

I am not a general fan of prog rock (or anything prog with few exceptions), but I also find this album to be totally uninspired. This album does not good songs, but moments of awesomeness that are unfortunately covered by uninspied and lack of creativity in the song-writing department. While it is slightly better than Heritage, that does not say much about the quality of this work. TPC is just a useless and pointless attempt at redefining a sound that had pretty much no vulnerabilities and this is proven by the string o over 6 great albums this band managed to release.

Akerfeldt needs a damn long... loooooong break I fear.

I am a huge progressive fan and I can say that Opeth has a completely different place in my view of music. (This view includes metal, jazz, blues) but I'm sorry. This is just a disappointment.
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21.08.2014 - 18:39
Rating: 9
Angry Chair

I urge people to listen to this several times atleast before they make judment. The first time i heard it i was majorly disspaointed and thought it was by far opeths worst album but since then it has grown on me soo much i would rate it 8.5 (very good) now. I feel some people hate it before they have even heard it
----
"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest."
- Denis Diderot
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21.08.2014 - 18:48
Rating: 8
raveneffect

Written by Angry Chair on 21.08.2014 at 18:39

I urge people to listen to this several times atleast before they make judment. The first time i heard it i was majorly disspaointed and thought it was by far opeths worst album but since then it has grown on me soo much i would rate it 8.5 (very good) now. I feel some people hate it before they have even heard it


You have to be reasonable: If I listen to something I dont really like, I'm probably not going to give it another spin unless I feel It needs a second one.
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21.08.2014 - 21:41
Rating: 7
Erik M.

Written by ke ke on 20.08.2014 at 09:46

Better than Heritage so it's second worst opeth album.


(my list agrees)
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22.08.2014 - 06:03
Rating: 8
Ace Frawley
The Spaceman
Written by ManiacBlasphemer on 20.08.2014 at 15:57

Akerfeldt needs a damn long... loooooong break I fear.


It's what he does for a living and he has a family to feed, plus I'm sure he gets enormous satisfaction out of being a musical creator and touring performer. It's probably more realistic that you just take a long break from listening to his music instead.
----
The sun shines over The Fool...
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22.08.2014 - 08:10
Rating: 8
The Galactician

Written by Ace Frawley on 22.08.2014 at 06:03

Written by ManiacBlasphemer on 20.08.2014 at 15:57

Akerfeldt needs a damn long... loooooong break I fear.


It's what he does for a living and he has a family to feed, plus I'm sure he gets enormous satisfaction out of being a musical creator and touring performer. It's probably more realistic that you just take a long break from listening to his music instead.


That gave me a good chuckle. Very well said.
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22.08.2014 - 11:45
Rating: 8
M C Vice
ex-polydactyl
Heritage 2.0?
----
"Another day, another Doug."
"I'll fight you on one condition. That you lower your nipples."
" 'Tis a lie! Thy backside is whole and ungobbled, thou ungrateful whelp!"
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22.08.2014 - 12:24
ManiacBlasphemer
Black Knight
Written by Ace Frawley on 22.08.2014 at 06:03

Written by ManiacBlasphemer on 20.08.2014 at 15:57

Akerfeldt needs a damn long... loooooong break I fear.


It's what he does for a living and he has a family to feed, plus I'm sure he gets enormous satisfaction out of being a musical creator and touring performer. It's probably more realistic that you just take a long break from listening to his music instead.


Slow down, what I meant was that he should take a break from Opeth and focus on other shit. I do not mind prog rock if it is good prog rock, but this is just a sorry-ass imitation of what early prog rock was. What he does for a living is making music, but he can make music outside of Opeth too. It is clear that he hit rock bottom with Heritage and this seems to be something that will be prolonged, as long as he delivers in this direction. You can tour without releasing anything as well. I already took a break after listening to TPC for like 4 times... though their albums prior to Heritage I will revisit. And I do think he needs a break. He has been making music and touring with Opeth ever since it was founded. I think he should just pause it a bit, focus on other things until creativity strikes again, if it does eventually. But delivering something like this is a complete waste. With this you only loose fans, not gain anything. And you loose a lot in terms of musical career too. It is fans that keep you going, not only your own satisfaction with the product you've forwarded.
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22.08.2014 - 14:04
Rating: 8
Ace Frawley
The Spaceman
Written by ManiacBlasphemer on 22.08.2014 at 12:24

Slow down, what I meant was that he should take a break from Opeth and focus on other shit. I do not mind prog rock if it is good prog rock, but this is just a sorry-ass imitation of what early prog rock was. What he does for a living is making music, but he can make music outside of Opeth too. It is clear that he hit rock bottom with Heritage and this seems to be something that will be prolonged, as long as he delivers in this direction. You can tour without releasing anything as well. I already took a break after listening to TPC for like 4 times... though their albums prior to Heritage I will revisit. And I do think he needs a break. He has been making music and touring with Opeth ever since it was founded. I think he should just pause it a bit, focus on other things until creativity strikes again, if it does eventually. But delivering something like this is a complete waste. With this you only loose fans, not gain anything. And you loose a lot in terms of musical career too. It is fans that keep you going, not only your own satisfaction with the product you've forwarded.


Career adviser to the stars.
----
The sun shines over The Fool...
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22.08.2014 - 16:52
Satyr73

Another disappointing album of this great band ... I do not know where Michael is shit, but this style of music will drive all their fans of the band. horror and disappointment
pp to the group if you read our posts: Guys, go back and retake YOU ORIGINAL MUSIC because it stops listening to you
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22.08.2014 - 23:58
Rating: 9
Angry Chair

Written by raveneffect on 21.08.2014 at 18:48

Written by Angry Chair on 21.08.2014 at 18:39

I urge people to listen to this several times atleast before they make judment. The first time i heard it i was majorly disspaointed and thought it was by far opeths worst album but since then it has grown on me soo much i would rate it 8.5 (very good) now. I feel some people hate it before they have even heard it


You have to be reasonable: If I listen to something I dont really like, I'm probably not going to give it another spin unless I feel It needs a second one.



Fair point.
----
"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest."
- Denis Diderot
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23.08.2014 - 00:06
Rating: 8
raveneffect

Written by Satyr73 on 22.08.2014 at 16:52

Another disappointing album of this great band ... I do not know where Michael is shit, but this style of music will drive all their fans of the band. horror and disappointment
pp to the group if you read our posts: Guys, go back and retake YOU ORIGINAL MUSIC because it stops listening to you


except that the band's popularity seems to be growing day by day. How about dem apples?
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24.08.2014 - 01:50
Rating: 6
Olber

So I gave the stream several listens and here's the thing : it's a good album, but I don't feel anything while listening to it. The reason I've been such a huge fan of Opeth is not only because their music is insanely good, but mostly because it stirs up all these weird emotions inside : joy, hatred, sadness, loneliness, amazement, etc. Here, I can see the musicianship, but I don't feel emotionally connected to the music at all, so I can't see myself listening to the album in the long run. So, not disappointed, but more like... indifferent.
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25.08.2014 - 14:40
Kinetic

I am very open minded about music. Progressive stuff is probably the thing I listen to the most and I'm surprised to find out that I dislike this album. Technically it is good (although NOT that good), but there is barely any emotion. At first I thought metal fans were pulling the trigger too fast but this time I have to agree. The change in their creative direction could at least be rightfully justified with good music within these genres and they have failed to do so.

"Faith in Others" is a good song though. I wish they could of built upon that. There are 2 or 3 that are decent but that's far as it goes.
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26.08.2014 - 09:31
Rating: 8
M C Vice
ex-polydactyl
Probably a bad idea to put the crap song 1st on the album.
----
"Another day, another Doug."
"I'll fight you on one condition. That you lower your nipples."
" 'Tis a lie! Thy backside is whole and ungobbled, thou ungrateful whelp!"
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26.08.2014 - 16:44
Rating: 5
infernalius

Disillusion.
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27.08.2014 - 02:20
Rating: 9
Frank Comstock

Really enjoyed it. Loving the new sound.
----
"You travel within the glory of my memories, insect. I can feel your fear as you tread the endless expanse of my mind. Make yourself comfortable... before long I will decorate my home with your carcass."
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27.08.2014 - 05:11
Rating: 7
copycat

It is known that the trend would continue where Heritage left, still a pretty enjoyable album, I'm not disappointed at all.
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27.08.2014 - 19:17
Rating: 9
Daniell
_爱情_
It's a grower. My initial 7 just turned into 8. The songs start to really shine after repeated listens.
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28.08.2014 - 05:09
Rating: 8
Ace Frawley
The Spaceman
Written by Daniell on 27.08.2014 at 19:17

It's a grower. My initial 7 just turned into 8. The songs start to really shine after repeated listens.


Yeah, it's growing on me as well. I certainly am enjoying this album more than Heritage. I gave that a 6, so at this stage I think this album will probably rate a 7 for me.
----
The sun shines over The Fool...
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28.08.2014 - 16:54
Rating: 6
Unhealer
Eclecticist
A 7 is a fair score I guess. There are some really good tunes, but the overall listen is just ok.
I believe I won't revisit this one too much, just like Heritage.
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28.08.2014 - 20:17
Rating: 7
God Alone

Not an absolute shit nor an enlightening listen like many claim; just a solid and consistent work, can't spot any big flaws apart from the fact that I don't find it more than just pleasing.

The main problem with this new shift of genre is that ten years from now I'll still be listening to the glorious Morningrise, while Heritage and Pale Communion and the following prog albums will be just... there.
Sorry, Mike. You're still a good songwriter, at times even very good. Just not good enough for the standards you had been establishing for 15 years.
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