Band:	Opeth
Album:	My Arms, Your Hearse
Style:	Extreme progressive metal
Release date:	November 05, 1998
A review by:	Dream Taster

01. Prologue
02. April Ethereal
03. When
04. Madrigal
05. The Amen Corner
06. Demon Of The Fall
07. Credence
08. Karma
09. Epilogue
10. Circle Of The Tyrants [Celtic Frost cover] [2000/2003 re-release bonus]
11. Remember Tomorrow [Iron Maiden cover] [2000/2003 re-release bonus]

Opeth. That's already a guarantee for a splendid musical opus! With such geniuses on guitars - Mikael Akerfeldt and Peter Lindgren - Opeth create in their third album powerful and dazzling death metal music. But it would be unfair to attribute Opeth's music to death metal. In fact, anyone who tries to classify Opeth in a particular metal style, ends up with a headache. That's almost impossible to do that. One of the important points is that acoustic parts are so incredible that each song is worth any other 'pure death' album. As a result, you don't need to be interested in death metal to enjoy Opeth [I'm not particulary fond of death metal however that band is now one of my favorite!]. My Arms, Your Hearse is actually Opeth's first album with the current line-up, including new drummer Martin Lopez and new bass player Martin Mendez. This release is a great musical step for the band as the recording is clearly better than on Orchid and Morningrise. Huge work done by the band, of course, but also by Fredman studios and Fredrik Nordstrom. Good job dudes!

If we try to catch the essence of My Arms, Your Hearse, the synthesis is hard to believe: every song is a must! After the usual intro 'Prologue', you directly enter in Opeth's musical madness with the outstanding 'April Ethereal'. One of these pieces of metal you'll never forget. Rage but beauty, anger but elegance... Sincerely the first time I listen to that song [it was also the first time I was listening to Opeth] I thought that I was dreaming because that was exactly the music I've always wanted to hear one day. And... No, I wasn't dreaming but I was listening to these guys! Anyway, track 3: 'When'. Ok, I'm out of words here... Just love that song or die. All that you can imagine is in that song. I think that it's one of the most complete songs they've ever done. 'The Amen Corner' with its superb beginning, which is unequalled so far. The violence of 'Demon of the Fall', the beauty of 'Credence', the captivating 'Karma' and My Arms, Your Hearse ends with the traditional outro 'Epilogue'. A trip to heaven, that's what this album is. No more, no less.

If the album Blackwater Park remains as Opeth's masterpiece so far [waiting for Deliverance!], My Arms, Your Hearse also deserves the maximal rating. I personally think that this record is equal to Blackwater Park. You want me to conclude? Well, every metalhead on earth MUST have this album. If you're tired of your standards or if you just want to discover new horizons in the metal world, or simply if you don't want to miss the best band for its creativity, listen to Opeth. You won't regret it. Listening to My Arms, Your Hearse, I can say that perfection has now a name: Opeth.