Opeth - Watershed

[zgodt]

By most standards, its a decent album. By Opeth standards, a grave disappointment.

Consider: there's not a single riff on the album as good as, say, the outro riff of Harlequin Forest from Ghost Reveries. And Harlequin Forest is no better than the 5th best song on Ghost Reveries. And Ghost Reveries is not as good as, say, Deliverance or Blackwater Park... you see where I'm going with this...

It's good, well-made metal. But for Opeth, it's surprisingly conventional on the whole. It has its moments, of course. None of it's bad. And these are first impressions (bought the album today, on my 3rd listen now). So maybe it will grow on me... but it seems to be lacking in spirit. Too safe, and too slow, and too pretty for Opeth.

What ya'll think?

[powerslave_85]

I honestly didn't find myself listening to it much beyond the first few times. I think you're right in saying it's a little too safe. Other than "Heir Apparent," which is probably the heaviest thing they've ever done, it treads the usual ground in the usual way. It'll probably still make my year-end list, but that's because there hasn't been a whole lot this year to get excited about.

[Derelict]

Good album, but I can't say I would put Watershed in front of any other Opeth album.

[DethMaiden]

I liked it a lot, honestly, but I appreciate the swing toward the mellower stuff that it demonstrates on the whole. I loved Damnation and Ghost Reveries, and this feels like a marriage of the two.

[SomewhereInTime72]

I actually like it a shitload more than Ghost Reveries. It probably wont be album of the year or anything, but it'll still rank high. Everything through "Burden" is perfect, but the last two songs drag a little bit. It's still all good though.

Edit: By "Burden" I meant "Porcelain Heart", got the track order a bit confused.

[DethMaiden]

Album of the year is looking doubtful for me too, what with the Fleet Foxes album raping and pillaging everything else I hear. :D

[ADD]

Didn't really like it, but I think its just cuz I don't dig their style anymore. If they played more 'Damnation' style music I'd listen again though.

[crimsonslaughterpark]

I am a big fan of opeth but there albums always seem to take a while to grow on me. This album is no exception. I am not too big into this ablum. I think its one of there middle of the pack albums. Solid.

[andrew_metalhead]

Good album. I love Lotus eater specially. The song was pure fun when I saw them playing it live.

[SomewhereInTime72]

This album has actually grown on me massively since then, and might actually end up being my album of the year. I absofuckinglutely love Burden.

[DethMaiden]

It's in fifth for me right now. I got to thinking earlier about how while albums that are unlike anything I've heard are taking my top spots, much of my list is filled in by bands I'm intimately familiar with who put out albums that sound like them, but with a few new subtle nuances. Amon Amarth and Opeth are certainly among these.

[overkiller]

Well, that's it, folks. Hell has frozen over--I've somehow managed to like Opeth again. After years of professing bitter hatred for them and regret over the error of my younger days (when I was almost as much an Akerfeldt worshipper as Brad :D), both fueled by the anti-Opeth dogma mindlessly regurgitated by UltraBoris's interweb-disciples, I decided to give them another chance with a completely open mind, and I'm really glad I did. Over the course of a few weeks I slowly remembered, not without struggling, why I used to love this band. Now, that's not to say I'm not still highly critical of Opeth; I still think much of their early stuff (Orchid, most of Morningrise, some of My Arms, Your Hearse) is mostly boring and really highlights their weakness for aimlessness and incoherence. Even their best albums (Still Life and Blackwater Park) have weak moments. But when they're on, they're fucking on.

Now, as to the album in question: It's damned good. It may not be on the level of Still Life or Blackwater Park, but it most certainly holds its own as an Opeth album, and is better than Ghost Reveries (which also has great material, but leaves much to be desired). Watershed sees a changed band, but one that is still unquestionably Opeth. The increased focus on the band's prog-rock influence is well-executed and not overly stuffy or cheesy, and while purists may lament the loss of Lindgren and Lopez (okay, yeah, the drumming on Watershed is inferior, but still), the shredding solos from Akesson (I think a good example is on "Hessian Peel", though I could be mistaken), and slick, surgically precise drumming from Axenrot gives the album's heavier moments more of a straight-up "metal" feeling, if you can catch my meaning. The balance between the softer prog elements and the heavier parts here is very impressive, and is arguably better than what they show on their disjointed early material, about which I complained above. The whole album has a terrifyingly unified atmosphere, despite sounding at times like Pink Floyd ("Burden") and at others like, say, Swallow the Sun ("Porcelain Heart"). This is what Opeth should be about, and when they do it right, as they have here, the results are wonderful.

[TonyD]

Now, that's not to say I'm not still highly critical of Opeth; I still think much of their early stuff (Orchid, most of Morningrise, some of My Arms, Your Hearse) is mostly boring and really highlights their weakness for aimlessness and incoherence. Even their best albums (Still Life and Blackwater Park) have weak moments. But when they're on, they're fucking on.


You said it man. Nobody fucks with the Jesus.

[Blitzkrieg Witchcraft]

I prefer Ghost Reveries as a whole, but Watershed has some great songs on it. Namely The Lotus Eater.

[DethMaiden]

Well, that's it, folks. Hell has frozen over--I've somehow managed to like Opeth again. After years of professing bitter hatred for them and regret over the error of my younger days (when I was almost as much an Akerfeldt worshipper as Brad :D), both fueled by the anti-Opeth dogma mindlessly regurgitated by UltraBoris's interweb-disciples, I decided to give them another chance with a completely open mind, and I'm really glad I did. Over the course of a few weeks I slowly remembered, not without struggling, why I used to love this band. Now, that's not to say I'm not still highly critical of Opeth; I still think much of their early stuff (Orchid, most of Morningrise, some of My Arms, Your Hearse) is mostly boring and really highlights their weakness for aimlessness and incoherence. Even their best albums (Still Life and Blackwater Park) have weak moments. But when they're on, they're fucking on.

Now, as to the album in question: It's damned good. It may not be on the level of Still Life or Blackwater Park, but it most certainly holds its own as an Opeth album, and is better than Ghost Reveries (which also has great material, but leaves much to be desired). Watershed sees a changed band, but one that is still unquestionably Opeth. The increased focus on the band's prog-rock influence is well-executed and not overly stuffy or cheesy, and while purists may lament the loss of Lindgren and Lopez (okay, yeah, the drumming on Watershed is inferior, but still), the shredding solos from Akesson (I think a good example is on "Hessian Peel", though I could be mistaken), and slick, surgically precise drumming from Axenrot gives the album's heavier moments more of a straight-up "metal" feeling, if you can catch my meaning. The balance between the softer prog elements and the heavier parts here is very impressive, and is arguably better than what they show on their disjointed early material, about which I complained above. The whole album has a terrifyingly unified atmosphere, despite sounding at times like Pink Floyd ("Burden") and at others like, say, Swallow the Sun ("Porcelain Heart"). This is what Opeth should be about, and when they do it right, as they have here, the results are wonderful.

:D If you rank this album higher than me, I will shit my pants.

[JRA]

Well, that's it, folks. Hell has frozen over--I've somehow managed to like Opeth again. After years of professing bitter hatred for them and regret over the error of my younger days (when I was almost as much an Akerfeldt worshipper as Brad :D), both fueled by the anti-Opeth dogma mindlessly regurgitated by UltraBoris's interweb-disciples, I decided to give them another chance with a completely open mind, and I'm really glad I did. Over the course of a few weeks I slowly remembered, not without struggling, why I used to love this band. Now, that's not to say I'm not still highly critical of Opeth; I still think much of their early stuff (Orchid, most of Morningrise, some of My Arms, Your Hearse) is mostly boring and really highlights their weakness for aimlessness and incoherence. Even their best albums (Still Life and Blackwater Park) have weak moments. But when they're on, they're fucking on.

Now, as to the album in question: It's damned good. It may not be on the level of Still Life or Blackwater Park, but it most certainly holds its own as an Opeth album, and is better than Ghost Reveries (which also has great material, but leaves much to be desired). Watershed sees a changed band, but one that is still unquestionably Opeth. The increased focus on the band's prog-rock influence is well-executed and not overly stuffy or cheesy, and while purists may lament the loss of Lindgren and Lopez (okay, yeah, the drumming on Watershed is inferior, but still), the shredding solos from Akesson (I think a good example is on "Hessian Peel", though I could be mistaken), and slick, surgically precise drumming from Axenrot gives the album's heavier moments more of a straight-up "metal" feeling, if you can catch my meaning. The balance between the softer prog elements and the heavier parts here is very impressive, and is arguably better than what they show on their disjointed early material, about which I complained above. The whole album has a terrifyingly unified atmosphere, despite sounding at times like Pink Floyd ("Burden") and at others like, say, Swallow the Sun ("Porcelain Heart"). This is what Opeth should be about, and when they do it right, as they have here, the results are wonderful.


To bad Hell only freezes over when I decide to get Operation: Mindcrime. :D

[DethMaiden]

Why are the only ways Hell can freeze over resultant of taking my recommendations? :snivel:

[JRA]

Why are the only ways Hell can freeze over resultant of taking my recommendations? :snivel:


Cos Satan likes it steamy. Besides, I picked up Heartwork. Quit your bitching. :D

[SomewhereInTime72]

Cos Satan likes it steamy. Besides, I picked up Heartwork. Quit your bitching. :D

I didn't see Satan and I was wondering why the fuck you were saying "CoS likes it steamy." for about five minutes here.

[JRA]

I didn't see Satan and I was wondering why the fuck you were saying "CoS likes it steamy." for about five minutes here.

Well he did mention his love for Cleveland Steamers at one point. :D