CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Watershed

by: Opeth

Release Date June 03, 2008
This album is sweet. If you like Opeth, you must have it. It seems like Opeth can't produce a bad album. I am more than pleased after buying and hearing anything from Opeth. I have My Arms, Your Hearse, Blackwater Park, Still Life, Deliverance, and Ghost Reveries in addition to Watershed. Everything you have come to love about Opeth is here on this album, but it manages to sound original throughout. There are several really neat audio effects used sparingly and effectively to enhance their sound. I have come to really appreciate the contrast between the clean light vocals and the death vocals. It is extreme, but not out of place. Everything fits. And boy can they be heavy. They'll blow your doors off. Excellent work here, and worthy ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Watershed

by: Opeth

Release Date June 03, 2008
Opeth is without a doubt my favorite band of all time. I was looking forward to Watershed a great deal. Unfortunately, it left me in the same frame of mind as Deliverance. I realize I'm in the minority of Opeth fans in saying this, but Deliverance was my least-favorite album of theirs. At least, until Watershed came out -- it now takes the bottom spot. Production is great, augmented instrumentation (strings, oboes) are a nice touch, Mikael's clean singing continues to impress. But the simple fact is that Martin Lopez is a god among men and no one can possibly replace him, period. Other reviewers have commented on the album's lack of focus and I agree. I'm all for being eclectic and embracing diverse influences, but the entity being influenced must have ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Still Life

by: Opeth

Release Date April 15, 2008
The first Opeth song I ever heard was Harvest. I heard it as part of a random collection of songs that came packaged with a magazine. I'd never heard of Opeth but loved Harvest. Of course I had no idea then that Harvest doesn't give a good impression of what Opeth really does. Harvest is only half of Opeth.

Before that, I wasn't a fan of metal at all, and surely not death metal. The genre was completely foreign to me and not even something I wanted to explore. Still, this was the time of Napster so I got a few more Opeth songs from Blackwater Park to see what else they had. Needless to say, they didn't compare to Harvest much and I wasn't much interested at first. It sounded like noise and screaming. Not to mention the songs were really long. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Blackwater Park [Vinyl]

by: Opeth

Release Date September 02, 2008
Grunt vocals are a very divisive issue now with death metal outfits - many fans of the thundering riffs are sick of the cookie-monster-with-gas shtick, while others are huge fans. Opeth has taken this genre and welded it together with classic rock, jazz, acoustic segments and alternating soft and harmonizing vocals to offset the grunting.
Granted, Mikael Akerfeldt does his share of grunting, but he also supplies plenty of real singing, making the growling more of an atmospheric touch than a cornerstone. Which is essential, because Akerfeldt is an incredible songwriter and musician, who seemlessly delivers heavy riffs and ultra cool jazz soloing, swooping guitar tonalities that recall some of Jimmy Page's string bending wizardry from "Dazed and ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Damnation

by: Opeth

Release Date April 22, 2003
Strangely, this is the first review I've done of an Opeth record even though I own 5. Part of it, like all Opeth releases, is that it takes a bit of time for the album to sink in and thanks to the ever-shifting changes in tempo, dynamics and song lengths, sometimes it takes awhile before you really "get" an Opeth release. Released after their 6th release, "Deliverance" which was one of their heaviest records, in comes "Damnation" which is one of their more softer, introspective and dare I say it, gorgeous releases. While some songs are just simply good, others are their best of their whole career.

Windowpane: With its eerie guitar chord intro, the album opens and leads into a gorgeous track complete with 2 great guitar solos and an effective bridge at ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

Morningrise

by: Opeth

Release Date June 17, 2003
This is arguably Opeth's most melodic record. This is also, in my opinion, their best work (although many people think Still Life or Blackwater Park should get that spot).

The first four songs on this record contain so many melodies, tempo changes, acoustic interludes, killer bass, great drumwork, and anything else you'd want off of a progressive melodic metal band. Black Rose Immortal is arguably the best song they've composed; the 20 minute track flows smoother and tastes better than the finest wine. The final track is purely acoustic but has killer melodies nonetheless.

The only "problem" with this record is that people may find the bass at times intrusive. It's by no means in the background, but it melds so well with the guitar lines that ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

My Arms, Your Hearse

by: Opeth

Release Date October 14, 2003
Opeth are very unique featuring a wide array of musical genre compacted in a
powerful yet at times delicate metallic manor.

This album alone holds all the potential of their previous albums and is a great starting basis for a new comer. The songs are rather on the long side, so you easily get your moneys worth in length. The quality holds faithful the entire duration too, indicating an even better buy.

I was blindsided when a metal head and a pianist rec amended me this album. While it is metal it doesn't strictly follow the tested true formula, and in fact pioneers itself to jazzy, classical, and acoustic arrangements. The album is very progressive and while songs look long on paper seem short, because they are so good!

Well worth ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

Damnation

by: Opeth

Release Date September 02, 2008
Opeth are very unique featuring a wide array of musical genre compacted in a
powerful yet at times delicate metallic manor.

This album alone holds all the potential of their previous albums and is a great starting basis for a new comer. The songs are rather on the long side, so you easily get your moneys worth in length. The quality holds faithful the entire duration too, indicating an even better buy.

I was blindsided when a metal head and a pianist rec amended me this album. While it is metal it doesn't strictly follow the tested true formula, and in fact pioneers itself to jazzy, classical, and acoustic arrangements. The album is very progressive and while songs look long on paper seem short, because they are so good!

Well worth ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

Blackwater Park

by: Opeth

Release Date July 23, 2002
In my initial approach to metal with non-clean vocals, I was very turned off. The vocals, to me, were an enormous distraction, that made the music underneath difficult to enjoy.

And then I found Opeth. This album is a stunning mix of clean and death vocals, over a similarly stunning mix of brutal metal and soothing, almost lullaby-esque melodies. This leads to a very compelling album. I've always described this band's work as "If Pink Floyd played metal...," because their compositions are incredibly complex, well thought out, and performed to perfection. Always changing, and never boring, Opeth have really set an incredibly high bar with Blackwater Park...one that even they will have difficulty reaching.

Where possible, I do recommend picking up the ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

Ghost Reveries

by: Opeth

Release Date August 30, 2005
I think what this band is trying to do is bridge the gap between progressive rock, and death metal on this album. At times it sounds like prog rock, at other times death metal.

A fan of prog rock and death metal would probably like this. However if only one of those is your preferred genre, you'll probably hate it.

I myself think they show a lot of talent as musicians, but they aren't legendary. If you want a legendary guitarist, listen to Dream Theater or Symphony X for your prog rockers. For you death metal people, I'd suggest some Deicide.