this is an older version of the cd. one of the earlier pressings
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CD Reviews
Opeth's musical journey begins here.
Lord Chimp | Monkey World | 01/10/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When I first heard Opeth, I was mystified. The single, clear thought that swam through my head was, "What the--!?" "In the Mist She was Standing," the first track on the debut Orchid, explains my reaction. Glorious but heavy guitars (care of Mikael Akerfeldt and Peter Lindgren), a deft & tuneful bass accompaniment (Johan de Farfalla), the complex drumming (Anders Nordin), and the fierce growls and enigmatic poetry (again, Akerfeldt) makes it all seem like ordinary death/black metal. Strikingly melodic, yes. Intense, definitely. Poetic, of course. But otherwise conventional.But listen more. The song is 13-minutes long. The band's apparent demeanor changes moods on a dime by dropping the heaviness for beautiful acoustic passages and softly sung vocal sections (this is done often). It's consistently very melodic. The lyrics are dark and romantic, not violent or Satanic. There's also the cover, with its nice pink flower. Quite a contrast from the blood-splattered, diabolic art of many bands in the metal section, eh? "What the--!?"Few debut albums are written and recorded with such maturity and sophistication that they sound years beyond the incipient factors normally ascribed to a band's first release. Orchid is by far one of the most astonishing debut albums I've ever heard. The finesse and tightness embodying the band's progressive music this early in their careers is just unbelievable. I would have never guessed it was a debut if I hadn't known beforehand. I can't name many bands whose debut is this interesting...and even fewer whose debut is so original. The band has grown, obviously (their 2001 release Blackwater Park exemplifies their progress over the years), but this is still an astonishing release. Remember, it's a debut! I don't think anyone can call this death metal or black metal. It's metal, yep, but otherwise it's impossible to pigeonhole. I agree with another reviewer that it is "Opeth Metal." The music is heavy, but melodic. It is never brutal or abrasive like, say, Cannibal Corpse (which I hate and it makes me nauseous). There are no blastbeats, no Satanic lyrics about eating babies (yes, I'm stereotyping). This is just good, melodic progressive metal -- twin guitar harmonies, heavy riffs, reams of acoustic passages, and a blend of death/black vox and low, chilling clean vox. At this stage in their careers, Opeth's songwriting style is fairly unique. Their approach makes the beginning and end of each song almost arbitrary. Since each Opeth song is a sequence of musical "scenes," the album could almost pass as one full song. Usually I would criticize a band for this lack of structure, but Opeth never loses my interest. I guess they must be doing something right. They've got a very different & good thing going on here. (Starting on Still Life, their fourth album, they would start to introduce conventional things like "choruses" [what? choruses?] into their songs.) However, if any debut characteristic is to be found, it's the production. It's still pretty good, but sometimes the soft vocals are too quiet and the bass isn't as rumbling. But that's the only complaint I have...not bad for a first album.It's hard to discuss individual songs because there aren't really any that stick out more than others, and they are all pretty similar. Well, "Silhouette" is different...just a short piano piece. Everything else (except the interlude "Requiem") is pretty long, usually around the 10-minute mark, full of the band's characteristic diversity -- the acoustic sections, the heavy parts, the eclectic vocals....and the absolute beauty of it all. The lyrics are usually abstract musings on love. Combined with the music, they are romantic and often sad. The music often has a medieval touch influencing the melodies.Look, I'll level with you here. I'm trying to make this album sound good so you buy it. It's truly incredible, but heck if I can eloquently convey this band's supreme greatness. It's impossible to dissect the goodness of Opeth's debut and articulate it. The best reviews for this album are those that express enthusiasm for the music without explaining all the songs. I don't do that too well...but it feels right to add my voice to the chorus of acclaim this band is getting.Listening to Opeth is like falling in love with a woman who is beautiful in both body and mind. You are drawn to her exquisite appearance, but it takes time to really gain a full appreciation for the depth of her character. Over time, love grows, and the relationship gets more rewarding. Opeth is like that...it starts good, and gets much better over time. This is not a band that you listen to for a while then forget...it is an enduring experience, and a promise of reward. Listening to Orchid and enjoying it is like a gift that offers ineffable delight.The true spirit of great music is here."
A bold band strikes out against a narrow-minded metal scene
G. Wachman | Minneapolis, MN United States | 01/14/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Orchid is an amazing and successful debut, but should not have been unexpected considering the brilliance and maturity of Opeth. At this point Opeth came out of nowhere: no demos were needed to sign this band to Candlelight. All that was needed was a rehearsal tape. This release shows why. I never would have guessed that this was a debut album. The songs are complex and mature, the melodies are well thought out and emotional, and the production is flawless. This description ultimately doesn't do justice to the music, though. As many people say, you need to hear an Opeth album to believe it. This is my second favorite Opeth album, after the new "Still Life". The albums are years apart and really have no business being compared to each other, so I won't. Orchid strikes out against two increasingly sterile and bland genres: death metal and black metal. Many say it is a combination of the two, but it isn't. The sound is simply reminiscent of the two genres. The guitars are beautifully harmonious and clear, utilizing a "black metal sound", but really have nothing to do with black metal. Some parts of the songs use the fast, but technical aspect of death metal, but again, in no way represent death metal itself. Opeth define their own genre here, and revel in it. The music soars with delight sometimes, and at others is simply depressing. They are masters of achieving emotion through music and lyrics. It's hard to know if you're going to like this album. I've noticed that most, if not all fans of Opeth avoid trends and popular bands. If you're that type of person and you enjoy acousic guitar, black/death metal, and have an open mind, I'd suggest trying this album out. It's the beginning of an incredible band, and at the same time a testament to their genius."
ATTENTION...THIS IS A RARITY OF MODERN MUSIC!!
marks_33914 | Coral Gables, FL United States | 06/12/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"First of all, THIS IS NOT BLACK METAL PEOPLE!! The guitars are not black metal, the subject matter is not black metal, I suppose you could consider it gothic at most. As a matter of fact, this is hardly metal. This is neo-classical composition, and it is far too rich to be called "just metal". Not that I'm not a fan of bands like Morbid Angel and Death because I am and I really respect their music. What sets Opeth apart from death metals acts like Morbid Angel and Death (very progressive though they may be) is that their albums, or their early albums at least are not brutally harsh, and they focus 100% of the content on melody and harmony. I'm the first one to agree that Eric Rutan's solo on "God of the Forsaken" (Morbid Angel, Gateways to Annihilation)) is extremely beautiful and melodic. On the other hand, every second of Orchid is melodic and beautiful, as opposed to just 30 some odd seconds of it. I've come to the conclusion that the level of richness and intensity of this recording is on the same level, if not beyond in some ways, that of the classical composers. After all, it's rather arrogant to say that our modern musicians and composers are not up to par with those of the past. Anyway, with all of that ranting and raving aside, Orchid as well as Morningrise are two breath taking and moving albums. The material here is truely of a different breed. What's interesting about these early Opeth albums, and their recent albums for that matter, is that there are few real "guitar solos", much in the way that classical composition was not based so much on "solos" as it was on the overall effect of the composition. There is, however, a constant harmonic interplay between each of the tonal instruments. What really tempts people to classify this as Death Metal, or Black Metal is the atonal aspect of the music. It's a fact, the majority of the vocals on this album, and on Morningrise, are of a variety that could be considered to be either Death Metal vocals or Black Metal vocals, or a derivative of the two. This alone does not make Opeth a Death Metal band, or a Black Metal band, or even a metal band for that matter. The atonal vocals are used to great effect. Interestingly, these are truely my favorite death vocals, very resonant (I really like that)...and from a band that isn't really even a death band. The real treat though is clearly the excelent clean vocals. Warm and folkie, they emphasize the warm (and very un-death-metal) feel of the album. I suppose that the lyrics could be construed, by some stretch of the imagination, as being somewhat along the lines of some Black Metal lyrics. Even still, Opeth's lyrics are much too abstract, and poetic to be lumped in with those of bands like Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir. Anyway, I'm not too terribly concerned with lyrics...I'm not a poet, I'm a musician. As far as comparison to Morningrise, Orchid is much more accessible and instantly pleasing. On the other hand, I've found that Morningrise is properly developed to a greater degree than Orchid, although it is a bit more challenging to listen to initially. Morningrise is very cozy, where as Orchid is a bit cooler and crisper, although still warm and comforting. Both albums have a sense of distinct creativity. On Morningrise, I really like how short lyrical phrases were delivered in death vocals, and then immediately repeated in clean vocals... AWESOME!! Nothing shocked me more on Orchid than the combination of double-pedal bass drum with accoustic guitar...quite a shock the first time you hear it. One thing that I found interesting about these compositions is their production. Both guitars are pan-ed completely dead left and dead right respectively. E.G., if you are listening with only one speaker in stereo, you will not hear the other guitar at all (that's how I discovered that one of the speakers on my grandfather's stereo was broken, lol). Anyway, this relates to the composition in that one guitar seems to take on a dominant melodic role, where as the other guitar seems to play a supportive harmonic role. Often times though, the two guitars seem to switch roles in the middle of a melodic phase. For example, at one moment, the melody seems to be carried by the RIGHT guitar, and the next moment, the melody is in the LEFT guitar. A MIND BLOWING MUSICAL EXPERIENCE, if you can't imagine what I'm trying to describe. In conclusion, this is a very intense album (as is Morningrise, and I reallize that it's unnecesary to mention that album again). Don't misinterpret what I'm saying. This is rather heavy music, but not in such an overbearing way, as most metal tends to be. I honestly and whole-heartedly have a strong love for this band and for their work. I feel that they are clearly on a different level than the majority of modern artists. I strongly recommend this album to anyone who has an adventurous musical heart, and I feel that Orchid is the best introduction to Opeth. I guarantee that you'll love this album if you're a lover of music, and I also guarantee that you'll shortly become addicted and need Morningrise in your collection as well. I also recommend this to listeners who are not fans of heavy metal. This is just too good to pass up..."
Hard to explain emotions
ka0z | Forest Hills, NY | 08/02/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Well, I do agree with most people saying Opeth is neither Black, nor Death, nor Gothic, nor whatever genre of Metal there is. But I say this, Opeth is metal. It may be Classical Metal, if there's such thing, however it would be really close minded to try to classify Opeth to one single genre. Metal predominates, this is heavy music. But you can see jazz, blues, 70s, etc influences. The accoustic passages are nothing short of beautiful. Opeth did nothing more and nothing less than to create its own niche in (metal) music, where it fits perfectly.The first Opeth album I heard was Morningrise. After years, I still believe that it's their best. However, I haven't heard Orchid until I've gotten My Arms Your Hearse, and Still Life. I thought, aw well, usually debuts are half baked, nothing good. Man, was I wrong. I was so wrong, and I can't forgive myself that I willingly deprived myself of discovery of this gem for such a long time. It's hard to describe Orchid. It's hard to describe Opeth'ian music (if not impossible). I'm very biased towards Opeth, I really can't see anything wrong in any, I repeat, any song. Orchid is beautiful. The soft side of Orchid is stunning. Akerfeldt delivers astonishing clean vocals, not to mention his Death growl. If I hadn't known this is a debut album, I wouldn't ever guess/think it is. The song structure is so mature, composition is awesome, the instruments are played with such musicmanship its hard to understand how is it possible to coordinate and such flawless flowing melodies. Every time I listen to Opeth, I find something new that I didn't disover before. The only downside to Opeth is that it takes a few listens to become addicted to their music. It's like peeling an onion, first it seems like a rugged, strange surface, but after each layer (listen) you can see the beauty. Only, onions aren't beautiful, but its the best analogy I could find :)Off topic: I find it very sad that Johan DeFarfalla (bass on Orchid, Morningrise) and Anders Nordin (drums on Orchid, Morningrise) left the band after their sophomore release. I know that Martin Mendez (bass replacement for DeFarfalla), and Martin Lopez (drums replacement for Nordin) are both excellent musicians, but I miss that bass sound, which is so predominant with DeFarfalla, I've never heard bass be so elegant before, just listen to Morningrise, and you'll see what I mean. And the drums are _excellent_ on both albums where Nordin participated, while the "new" drummer can replicate it flawlessly, there was still a different touch before. Opeth never released another 2 albums that could equate to Orchid and Morningrise. The sequence for best Opeth albums for me is: Morningrise, Orchid, MAYH, Blackwater Park, Still Life. But Opeth is Opeth, everything they do, shines.In short, buy Orchid. Stunning work. There won't be another, so don't waste time, get it and immerge yourself in Opethian world of sorrow, death, beauty, sadness and tears. Long live Opeth."
Opeth's debut exudes atmosphere
M. Ness | Vancouver, Canada | 10/19/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Opeth's debut album Orchid marked the beginning of this band's impressive journey into becoming one of the most promising metal bands of the 1990's! Their unique spin of progressive melodic death metal has earned them praise everywhere for good reasons!!! Like all other Opeth albums, one of the most important aspects is the unique blend of acoustic/electric guitars by guitarists Mikael Akerfeldt and Peter Lindgren. Orchid carries not only some of the most interesting guitar riffs of Opeth, but some of the best guitar riffs I've ever heard period. I cant see how one can deny the first few amazing riffs of In Mist She Was Standing or the beyond beautiful intro of Forest of October unless they are insistent on excessive palm muting and tremolo with more concerns of guitar speed than composition. What I appreciate most is that Opeth have their standard very heavy riffs and many outstanding progressive interlude riffs, which create an excellent atmosphere. Atmosphere is definitely something lacking in the music scene today. This album takes you through an epic journey that no other band could possibly replicate.
The acoustics tend to be a bit slower than later albums but I find it makes this album easily as good musically if not better. It sets an even more atmospheric setting that is enough to almost put one in completely tranquil state. As someone suggested earlier, this atmosphere can create quite a calm yet eerie setting. One other thing that I've noticed about the musicianship is that Orchid easily boasted one of their best rhythm line-ups with Anders Nordin on Drums and Johan de Farfalla on bass. The production isn't that great, but on a first album that is expected. The vast majority of vocals on this album are screamed/growled and Mikael's clean voice is great at this point but still developing. They would go on to expand his clean vocals on later albums. Despite the lack of clean vocals, the setting has made this one of their more beautifully dark albums.
The album starts with In Mist She Was Standing, which starts off with a couple of classic heavy, progressive Opeth guitar riffs and further develops with Mikael's aggressive vocals and acoustic atmosphere. Continues with more aggression, melodic beautiful guitar passages and acoustic beauty. In Mist She Was Standing is certainly one of Orchid's better tracks. Next is Under The Weeping Moon, not quite at the level of In Mist She Was Standing but a great song nonetheless. After the bass intro it has a great opening solo, follows with Opeth's usual brand of intensity and acoustic beauty. Give the long acoustic passages a chance to develop. You wont regret it! This brings us to Silhouette, an excellent piano interlude. Not too long, not repetitive and definitely performed by a skilled piano player and not worth skipping at all! That brings us to one of the most memorable Opeth openings in Forest of October! Its beyond me how people cannot appreciate the beautiful guitar introduction!!! Forest of October flows great after Silhouette. Forest of October is one of the best tracks on this album without a doubt.
Twilight Is My Robe is different because this song starts of with some hellacious growls and kick-your ass guitar riffs from the get go. Somewhat different in structure than some songs, still contains some really good melodic guitar harmonies and some of Mikael's more memorable acoustic passages and clean vocals. And the some decent bass work in the middle! : O Full marks! Requiem is their first acoustic interlude and although rather short, it's still a superb piece of acoustic material. Set the standard for future acoustic Opeth songs and is a great song to set up The Apostle in Triumph. The softest intro to any of their full songs on this album, two minutes of great acoustic patterns followed by a beautiful lead guitar melody that assures that the skip button is not needed! Opeth's least intense, most epic full song on this album and easily a standout. Many of their best melodic (distorted) guitar harmonies are found on this track. Recommendations include In Mist She Was Standing, Forest of October, The Apostle in Triumph and the impressive piano melody Silhouette. For an opening album, this is outstanding work and definitely worthy of being an Opeth masterpiece. Couldn't ask for more but Opeth seemed insistent on giving us even more! Couldn't be happier!"
Track Listings (7) - Disc #1
Todd B. from PASCOAG, RI 
