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Opeth - Still Life



9.1 | 2222 votes |
Release date: 18 October 1999
Style: Extreme progressive metal

Owners:

2771 have it
152 want it
5 trade it


01. The Moor
02. Godhead's Lament
03. Benighted
04. Moonlapse Vertigo
05. Face Of Melinda
06. Serenity Painted Death
07. White Cluster

Top 20 albums of 1999: 1
Top 200 albums of all time: 17
Featured in "Getting Into: Opeth"

Line-up
Mikael Åkerfeldt - vocals, guitars
Peter Lindgren - guitars
Martin Lopez - drums
Martín Méndez - bass

Additional info
Recorded at Maestro Musik and Studio Fredman studios during the Summer of 1999.
Produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt.
Sound settings and additional engineering by Isak Edh & Fredrik Nordström.
Mixed by Fredrik Nordström & Opeth
Mastered at The Mastering Room by Goran Finnberg.
Booklet design by Travis Smith and Opeth.
Photos by Harry Välimaki and Travis Smith.

All music & lyrics written by Åkerfeldt.

Remastered version by Jens Borgen was released in 2008 through Peaceville Records which included reworked artwork, 5.1 surround sound, and a video of "Face Of Melinda" taken from The Roundhouse Tapes.

Staff review by
Deadsoulman
Rating:
10
Thanks to Still Life, I have become an Opeth fan, simply because it has all I ask: at the same time violent and calm, heavy and melodic, metal and acoustic, the long songs, the wonderful singing, the perfect musicians, the sublime quality of the songwriting... I still wonder how can one not give the highest rating to an Opeth album, and especially to this one, which is for me their best.

Read more ››
published 18.09.2003 | Comments (30)

Staff review by
Herzebeth
Rating:
9.0
Technicality, Progression, Complexity, a lot of solos, and some other good things describe Opeth's music, Still Life is one of those albums that everyone loves, that everyone talks about, so I decided to buy it, actually I have this album since 2000 but anyway that does not matter.

This album is generally good, of course for those persons that consider Opeth's music as Death Metal this album will be hideously boring and dull, but dudes Opeth is not only death metal, in fact the best thing in Opeth is their versatility and flexibility in the music they create, of course also the complexity and everything else is brilliant, but the main thing is their adaptability.

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published 21.01.2005 | Comments (18)

Guest review by
Xaphiris
Rating:
10
I don't know a lot of bands who, like Opeth, progress so much after each album and stay so good. Alongside the brutality of death metal, which is the fuel of Opeth, there is a very strong progressive side which are of past generations, old and even obscure rock and metal bands from he '70s. Their progression was short lived, but thanks to Mike Akerfeldt, their soul lives on in Opeth.

Read more ››
published 10.08.2006 | Comments (19)

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Comments page 2 / 2

Comments: 50   Visited by: 2737 users
22.12.2015 - 20:10
Fuck yesss
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15.01.2016 - 01:05
Rating: 10
This album is perfect in every sense i'm not an old fan of opeth, i discovered them about 3 years ago, but they blew my mind instantly. Ghost of perdition was my first song, and this album in particular is the one i've been listening non-stop. I was lucky enough to save the money and i got to saw them live 18th of July in Argentina it was awesome
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27.01.2016 - 21:31
Maco
Pvt Funderground
Faaaaaaaaaaar from perfect. It lacks the consistence of Blackwater Park and the dark atmosphere of Morningrise. It's still very good though.
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Crackhead Megadeth reigns supreme.
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27.01.2016 - 21:49
Rating: 9
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Staff
Written by Maco on 27.01.2016 at 21:31

Faaaaaaaaaaar from perfect. It lacks the consistence of Blackwater Park and the dark atmosphere of Morningrise. It's still very good though.

I'm starting to Think this is superior to Blackwater Park. Some tracks from BWP have some sections I dont really care about while I love mostly everything going on here.
Then again, I gave them both a nine so what the heck.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass

Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.

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25.04.2017 - 22:23
Rating: 10
Redel
Moderator
Masterpiece. Best Opeth, together with Morningrise.
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25.04.2017 - 23:50
Rating: 10
Daniell
_爱情_
Elite
The best Opeth album, with a few others close behind. "Godhead's Lament" is the best song ever, 11/10.
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25.04.2017 - 23:52
Rating: 10
Daniell
_爱情_
Elite
Written by X-Ray Rod on 27.01.2016 at 21:49

I'm starting to Think this is superior to Blackwater Park. Some tracks from BWP have some sections I dont really care about while I love mostly everything going on here.

there isn't a single redundant note on Still Life. An absolutely perfect album.
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26.04.2017 - 22:33
Rating: 10
Redel
Moderator
Written by Daniell on 25.04.2017 at 23:52

Written by X-Ray Rod on 27.01.2016 at 21:49

I'm starting to Think this is superior to Blackwater Park. Some tracks from BWP have some sections I dont really care about while I love mostly everything going on here.

there isn't a single redundant note on Still Life. An absolutely perfect album.

I second this.
Though, if I were forced to skip one track from this album, I would easily choose the final one.
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27.10.2019 - 22:51
Rating: 10
sogrom
Easily my favourite album
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26.08.2020 - 17:57
Rating: 8
qlacs
"The Quaker"
For me it can't keep up with the pacing of Blackwater Park. Still a great album. The intro to "The Moor" is probably one of the most hauntingly beautiful musical movements ever.
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15.03.2021 - 17:08
Rating: 9
tsd
This album has got it all - an enticing concept, compositions that stand for themselves, no foreign influences yet. The sheer sense of forboding and tension on the album is unmatched with anything Opeth ever produced.

Still Life marks the pinnacle of Opeth's career. Later albums, which clearly expanded the successful concept, tend to miss the balance, wallowing too much in prog rock for its own good. This one for instance is strikes a balance between the growls and clean vocals and is not yet marred by Akerfeldt's incessant whining, which is to become a stable on later albums. Guitar riffs are sharp and to the point. Drumming and bass work is commendable.

This is how a marriage of death metal and prog rock ought to look like. It may not be a 10 (no album of Opeth is that close to perfection), but it's quite deservedly a 9.
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04.05.2021 - 17:19
Rating: 10
nonZero
VERY nearly a perfect 10/10 - Benighted is just slightly weaker than the other songs (the solo feels a little out of place IMO).

9.9/10 for me.
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06.05.2021 - 05:14
Rating: 8
JavierPaper
The album is a masterpiece, but it is not so much to my taste.
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27.06.2021 - 12:20
Rating: 9
Not a huge fan of bands like Opeth, but this album grew on me, because of great gothic atmosphere and story.
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23.11.2021 - 09:18
Rating: 8
AndyMetalFreak
A Nice Guy
Contributor
Imho this is Opeth's best album, "Face Of Melinda" and "The Moor" are just fantastic!
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25.11.2021 - 20:44
Rating: 9
F3ynman
Nocturnal Bro
Contributor
An Opeth album I can get behind!

A mesmerizing tale of forbidden love, ending in madness, darkness, and death. It has a good dose of melancholy clean vocals and a flood of riffs!

My favorite tracks are "The Moor" and the last three songs: "The Face of Melinda", "Serenity Painted Death", and "White Cluster".

"Serenity Painted Death" I find especially great - the whole band reaches a climax in musical performance with powerful riffs, intricate solos, and a perfect mix of crushing death growls and sorrowful clean singing!
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29.11.2021 - 18:52
Rating: 8
Roman Doez
Hallucigenia
I always forget how awesome this release is
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04.02.2022 - 16:17
Rating: 9
Hellbound666
A beautiful album! Listened to it when it came out in 99, did not love it instantly. It grew on me within days, been an Opeth fan ever since.
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12.02.2023 - 19:50
Growing
This does not have quite the fantastic sound of Blackwater Park but the songwritting is definitely more accesible.
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27.07.2024 - 05:04
Rating: 9
Cynic Metalhead
Ambrish Saxena
I never able to connected with Opeth, but whenever I've revisited this, it always comes out to be the best Opeth album ever recorded. This is more closely associated to my nerves than any other records which are far off to my comfy.
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