Written by [user id=4365] on 25.08.2011 at 17:29

I wouldn't know where to being in convincing you, from the epic intro the glorious end. Just because is record is good doesn't mean it's good to everyone. I think everyone has bands they only like a particular era from, and it's that love that can prevent liking other eras of the same band.

You don't seem to get my question. It wasn't a request to convince me or anything. I was merely asking for some thoughts about the album that might be a little more insightful than the review.

About the album... I highly enjoy Heir Apparent (Probably one of their most brutal songs when it comes to how Mikael and the riffs sounds in the beginning) and The Lotus Eater (except the extremely bizarre and just plain random part 5:45-6:20). That's what I remember from the album, can't say I remember the rest since as you could guess, it's not an album I listen to regularly.

Written by X-Ray Rod on 25.08.2011 at 17:36


You don't seem to get my question. It wasn't a request to convince me or anything. I was merely asking for some thoughts about the album that might be a little more insightful than the review.

About the album... I highly enjoy Heir Apparent and The Lotus Eater (except the extremely bizarre and just plain random part 5:45-6:20). That's what I remember from the album, can't say I remember the rest since as you could guess, it's not an album I listen to regularly.

Any thoughts would merely be me stating how much I like it. I did however not particularly like this album when I first heard it. Now it's a record that requires no thought on my part. I put it on and before I know it it's finished (in a good way). Thinking about it now I'd take this over BwP any day.

Written by [user id=4365] on 25.08.2011 at 17:26

Well I'm too familiar with this record to be able to give any real insight into that, as to me I know this record quite literally like the back of my hand so naturally I feel the songs flow perfectly naturally. None of the songs on this album bore me (unlike the title track from BwP), in fact unlike a lot of albums I never skip to a particular song to just to listen to that, rather I feel like the whole thing is one long song (I'd be no good in telling what part if from what song).

Speaking of skipping songs, I almost always feel like skipping the first three songs to get to Burden, which is probably the only song for me that is perfectly thought-out, filled with emotion and does not feel incomplete. That track alone makes it an album worth having, but it puts the rest of it to shame, which is a shame.

Also, it is always interesting to see how much tastes can differ.

God, I almost hate it. The more I listen to it, the worse. And it's a pity, 'cause a couple of songs are really great ("Heir Apparent", "Burden"), but the rest is so vapid and average at best... I could say "The Lotus Eater" is a decent track too, with interesting ideas during the first minutes, but then we have that central part with horrendous (and most of all, pointless) jazzy-funky meandering which ruins it all. "Porcelain Heart" is so insipid and soulless, but at least it isn't as bad as "Hessian Peel", "Hex Omega" and the useless "Coil".
When this album doesn't suffer from lack of personality, tries too hard to sound interesting and very "progressive", but ends up being just tedious and annoying.

The strat of something new

Sorry for the late quote, but I couldn't help but notice that my thoughts about this are the exact opposite of yours

Written by [user id=39762] on 20.11.2011 at 13:35

I could say "The Lotus Eater" is a decent track too, with interesting ideas during the first minutes, but then we have that central part with horrendous (and most of all, pointless) jazzy-funky meandering which ruins it all.

This jazzy part rocks my world every single time !

Quote:
"Porcelain Heart" is so insipid and soulless, but at least it isn't as bad as "Hessian Peel", "Hex Omega" and the useless "Coil".

Coil is my favorite acoustic Opeth track and Hex Omega is one of the most wonderful closing tracks I've ever heard !

Quote:
When this album doesn't suffer from lack of personality, tries too hard to sound interesting and very "progressive", but ends up being just tedious and annoying.

I don't know about the personality thing, imo this holds much personality within it's variation, it's complicated yet very easy on the ears.

Written by InnerSelf on 01.03.2012 at 22:37

my thoughts about this are the exact opposite of yours.

Further proof that even (and especially) the great bands can be so divisive.

Written by [user id=39762] on 01.03.2012 at 22:51


Further proof that even (and especially) the great bands can be so divisive.

It is an odd album. I'm someone who prides myself on liking the most obscure of music and shunning the popular and that which inhabits the (comparative) mainstream but this album is one I would take to the grave, I remember well how much I disliked it at first yet here it is, one of the defining albums of my timeline. I've given up trying to understand people who don't see it the same way as me because clearly the same kind of logic cannot be applied.

Wonderful album, my favourite after Blackwater Park.

Probably the album that first captured my interest in this godly group (if Ghost Reveries didn't do that already, I don't remember). I love how more progressive Opeth is becoming here, there is an even larger presence of the mellotron, flute, organs, and so forth. Being the prog nerd that I am, this was truly an incredible listen.

Written by [user id=4365] on 02.03.2012 at 02:17
I've given up trying to understand people who don't see it the same way as me because clearly the same kind of logic cannot be applied.

This line... This is word-by-word of what I would use to describe my feelings for Acid Bath's debut.

I just bought the album today, completing discographies and shit. I'll probably give it a spin today and re-think what I feel about this album for the n-th time.

Written by Elio on 17.10.2010 at 00:59

Awesome album, but well, which Opeth album isn't great after all?

Heritage.

This one is pretty good, but it's the worst except for Damnation and Heritage in my opinion.

I have learnt to love this much more than what I initially did. It can be great achievement for opeth especially I did not hear these great psychedelic moment in other pre-watershed opeth albums. I still think that the whole album sound a little incomplete and that would be my main complain about this one. Opeth definitely need to give up this prog rock sound they had on heritage and go back on albums like this or SL

One of Opeth's best. It sounds somewhat gothicy to me (the Wuthering Heights kind of gothic, not the mellow, boring one). I can't really put my finger on how I'd exactly describe it.
British, perhaps?

I think the general vibe I get from this album, is a wide open apocalyptic landscape. Barren desolates and radioactive fields.......around the same time fallout 3 was released lol. So it was a fitting combination, gaming and listening to Opeth for the first time.

Good times indeed

Some moments of brilliance, with Lotus Eater being a particular standout to me. Feels a little self-indulgent at times and the clean vocals are a bit of a turn-off, particularly the female cleans on the intro track. The inappropriate acoustic breakdowns completely disrupt the otherwise solid flow of aggression which makes it feel inconsistent, but I understand that's kind of their niche and generally what most Opeth fans enjoy so much about the band's sound.

Probably my least favorite of their metal era, although it's not a bad release. It's just not what I look for in an album.

Burden

Written by _deepblack on 07.09.2014 at 01:02
Burden

That is the name of one of the songs on this album.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 07.09.2014 at 01:04

Written by _deepblack on 07.09.2014 at 01:02
Burden

That is the name of one of the songs on this album.

I Know but i dont have anything more to cause the track says of all it \m/

This could become one of my favorite Opeth albums I think. I'm really digging the atmosphere on this one.

Good album, but after it I didn't actually think what next would sound ---

Written by [user id=142921] on 03.05.2015 at 17:46

They played Lotus Eater. Everyone in my area started dancing when the funky bit began. It was amazing.

That song is just incredible. The whole album is really fine but certainly my favourite track from the record. The blast beats and clean vocals mix is something people should try out more often - it sounds great here but I'm struggling to think of (m)any occasions where other bands have used it. And the funky bit is sweet as hell.

God, those first 4 tracks are just magic. After that I usually get bored, but doesn't take away from those 4 probably being the best 4 consecutive tracks in an Opeth album or at least tied with the first 4 songs from Blackwater Park. Would have made a perfect EP.

Written by Zap on 10.11.2015 at 18:37

God, those first 4 tracks are just magic. After that I usually get bored, but doesn't take away from those 4 probably being the best 4 consecutive tracks in an Opeth album or at least tied with the first 4 songs from Blackwater Park. Would have made a perfect EP.

Weird, I'd say Hessian Peel is maybe the best song on this one.

Written by [user id=4365] on 08.10.2016 at 13:28

Weird, I'd say Hessian Peel is maybe the best song on this one.

It's ok, but too long. The first few minutes and that random part about 8 minutes in ruin it for me. Actually gonna bump my score a bit though since even though the last 3 tracks aren't interesting to me they're still better than the worst stuff from its predecessor and this one has more good stuff in general.

Written by Zap on 08.10.2016 at 14:03

It's ok, but too long. The first few minutes and that random part about 8 minutes in ruin it for me. Actually gonna bump my score a bit though since even though the last 3 tracks aren't interesting to me they're still better than the worst stuff from its predecessor and this one has more good stuff in general.

I get the impression a lot of people are coming back to this one more positively after it seemed to disappoint so many. Still the best for me.

Written by [user id=4365] on 08.10.2016 at 15:12

I get the impression a lot of people are coming back to this one more positively after it seemed to disappoint so many. Still the best for me.

Actually I initially rated it very highly because of the first four songs but only later realized I rarely finish the entire thing. So I guess it's swinging up and down for me. (and now I'm imagining the person on the cover sitting on a seesaw instead of at a desk)

Also, I think I only started listening to Opeth around the time this album was released so it's hard to be disappointed in that case

Saw them live again this week and had to laugh pretty hard when Mikael introduced "Heir Apparent" saying "Back in the day I think I specifically wrote this song to be heavy, just to shut up some motherfuckers who were complaining" to which someone in the audience replied; "YOU SHOULD DO THAT AGAIN!"

Written by Zap on 19.11.2016 at 17:45

Saw them live again this week and had to laugh pretty hard when Mikael introduced "Heir Apparent" saying "Back in the day I think I specifically wrote this song to be heavy, just to shut up some motherfuckers who were complaining" to which someone in the audience replied; "YOU SHOULD DO THAT AGAIN!"

I love how the guy in the audience didn't mind admitting himself to be a complaining motherfucker

Written by Zap on 19.11.2016 at 17:45

Saw them live again this week and had to laugh pretty hard when Mikael introduced "Heir Apparent" saying "Back in the day I think I specifically wrote this song to be heavy, just to shut up some motherfuckers who were complaining" to which someone in the audience replied; "YOU SHOULD DO THAT AGAIN!"

Someone give that heckler a medal.