Opeth - Still Life review
| Band: | Opeth |
| Album: | Still Life |
| Style: | Extreme progressive metal |
| Release date: | October 18, 1999 |
| Guest review by: | Xaphiris |
01. The Moor
02. Godhead's Lament
03. Benighted
04. Moonlapse Vertigo
05. Face Of Melinda
06. Serenity Painted Death
07. White Cluster
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.
Still Life is a grand masterpiece due to it's clean expression. The title is well given. Each track is a monumental painting done on the most unusual of media. It's as if you were looking at a mirror. Gazing at it, you can see yourself in the world. From the serene hues of nocturnal romance and desire to the grimmest stains of hatred, revenge, and bloodlust, the artist's palette covers all the colours the mind can think of, not necessarily the ones the eye can see. Upon shedding the first tears to this masterful sound, the blurry sight reveals a lot to the weary soul, cleansing the heart with impecable tunes and channeling the anger straight out of the mind with storming death metal riffs. My only regret about this album is not being able to write more about it. Though portraying both Genesis and Nemesis I really can't say that it's tragic. No. It is all in all natural. Emerging from times immemorial and sinking deep into times to come, the struggles of the soul from universal myth and folklore are depicted by the oscilation between the heavy parts and the mellow parts. Experimentation with jazz, progressive rock and renaissantic styles made the album the band's most technical one ever. With elevating guitar solos and the worlds best death metal vocals bound together by magic, even those not blind can hear perfection in the sound of this magnificent death metal classic.
The album is a good hour's listening. My favorite songs include: The Moor, Face Of Melinda and Moonlapse Vertigo. The band's line-up is that which is considered to be the classic Opeth line-up: Akerfeldt, Lindgren, Mendez and Lopez.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 10 |
| Songwriting: | 10 |
| Originality: | 10 |
| Production: | 10 |
Written by Xaphiris | 10.08.2006
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Rating:
10
10
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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 ›› |
Rating:
9.0
9.0
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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. Read more ›› |
Comments
Comments: 19
Visited by: 140 users
| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Staff Posts: 9718  |
amazing album, 'The Moor' is worth the $20 alone, the guitar sounds with the fretless guitars creates a really eerie atmosphere in this one. Probably my favorite Opeth album.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| Lucas Mr. Noise Elite Posts: 13427  |
My favorite is Benighted, but I like the rest of this album as well. Definitely not a 10 though. 
---- SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what?  "The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama
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| Bitch Boy Posts: 1353  |
It's a very good album, yes, but as Nervel said, it isn't a perfect 10 album. My favorite song is "Godhead's Lament".
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| Warman Erotic Stains Posts: 7695  |
Not their best album, but of course... it's frickin' fantastic!!! The Moor is probably their best song so far.  Good review.
---- 
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| BloodTears ANA-thema Elite Posts: 11835  |
I deserves more than a 10! lol it deserves everything! It's stunningly beautiful.
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| Elio Red Nightmare Posts: 4920  |
is this their best album?yes. does it deserve a 10?of course it does! 
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| TheBigRossowski Posts: 1357  |
God damn, fucking re-releasals! They always add so much shit and then the fans who purchase this shit always want the new, updated, cooler verion-shit. Where do I find it? lol.
---- That rug really tied the room together, did it not? 
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Staff Posts: 9718 |
Written by TheBigRossowski on 19.05.2009 at 20:37 Listen man, I'm sure theres a reason you brought your dirty undies, but is a 5.1 mix of the same album (which you may already own) really necessary?
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| TheBigRossowski Posts: 1357 |
Written by Doc G. on 20.05.2009 at 02:44 Yeah, but I'm a fan, Dude! I can't control that urge to own it! Plus, it's got ONE extra video, lol. I know, you're right, but I will probably still ending up ordering it...
---- That rug really tied the room together, did it not?
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374  |
Written by [user id=105293] on 13.07.2011 at 16:41 Does it come in a digibook format right? o___o
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
Written by [user id=105293] on 13.07.2011 at 18:26 Well, my sis got Blackwater Park on digibook format and I was hella jelaous. So I should get this as well.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by [user id=105293] on 13.07.2011 at 23:56  many women are into Opeth so it shouldn't be too hard to find one  Btw I find it a shame nothing was ever recorded by Opeth with their very first vocalist.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| X-Ray Rod Skandino Staff Posts: 18374 |
Written by [user id=105293] on 13.07.2011 at 23:56 No  Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 14.07.2011 at 00:59 I think I agree with you but it's just for the sake of curiosity.
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by X-Ray Rod on 14.07.2011 at 03:47 I am still wondering what he sounds like singing, cause when I spoke to him at Roadburn he was all drunk and didn't come across as if he could growl or sing at all
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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