Search - Opeth :: Watershed (w/DVD)

Remarkably Consistent - Opeth Triumps Again

Dan Solera | Chicago, IL USA | 06/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Leave it to Opeth to surprise us with every new album. Riding on the momentum built by their last two albums and recent successful tours, the Swedish quintet released in May their ninth studio album, "Watershed". Known for their wall-of-sound compositions and overall crushing tone, the album starts off with "Coil", a 3-minute acoustic song featuring diverse instrumentation, Mikael kerfeldt's softer side, and a cameo by female vocalist Nathalie Lorichs. It's quite a bold move for a progressive death-metal band, but it pays off as it leads into the merciless "Heir Apparent", arguably an upcoming single.



From there we are treated to a diverse tapestry of sound, most of which we can call "vintage" Opeth, with several surprises thrown in the mix. The band had received some criticism on their previous studio album, 2005's "Ghost Reveries", namely that their trademark loud-to-soft transitions were becoming too forced. Whether or not they chose to acknowledge this criticism is moot, but the transitions in this album are much more fluid and graceful. Songs like "Hessian Peel" grow slowly from folk-inspired acoustic passages to the chthonic assault that makes Opeth such a powerful force. Along the way the band makes use of flutes, ("Porcelain Heart"), and strings to great dramatic effect ("Burden").



Though their 70's-prog influences are still shining in this album, the Swedes are far from going soft. "Heir Apparent" and "The Lotus Eaters" contain some of the roughest, fastest riffage heard since "My Arms, Your Hearse". This is no surprise - kerfeldt has been saying for a long time that it was a worthy successor to the album, released a decade ago. In between, it is clear how tightly the band has honed their craft. Even with a lineup change, replacing longtime guitarist Peter Lindgren with Frederik Akkeson and drummer Martin Lopez with the apty-named Martin Axenrot, there is a definite sense of consistency in the band's catalog. The dynamic, and often frantic, balance between intense and soothing, is still there, but not as deliberate and self-aware as it was in "Ghost Reveries".



With "Watershed", Opeth have created an eponymous album that vastly exceeded my expectations. Much like prog-metal peers Symphony X and their release of 2007's "Paradise Lost", they have perfected their style and created a remarkable work of power, consistency, and beauty. Though not perfect, as exemplified by the album's lackluster closer ("Hex Omega"), it is a solid musical statement, driven by kerfeldt's intricate and disciplined songwriting. Whether you're a fan of the dark side of distorted metal or the serene landscape created by lush acoustics, Opeth will deliver."

My second Opeth disappointment

Owen T. Cunningham | Simsbury, CT USA | 09/03/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"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 some innate cohesion, which Watershed doesn't. I've done my duty by purchasing and listening to it a dozen or so times, but to be honest I doubt it will make an appearance in my CD player more than once a year. I hope they get back on track with their next release because as I said at the outset, they are absolutely my favorite band."

Cutting edge and fresh as always

pulsardrone | Wyoming | 02/18/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a huge fan and couldn't wait for this album, but I have to admit it had to grow on me. After reading a lot of previews and interviews this was supposed to be the heaviest and darkest Opeth album ever, so I was surprised at the amount of mellower material. There are noticeably less of the death vocals even in the heavier songs. As with most of their albums, there's definitely a balance between the heavier and mellower stuff. Nonetheless, this is an album of extremes, and Heir Apparent is one of heaviest and most brutal songs Opeth has ever done. That particular song is just immense in its intensity and its definitely one of my favorites out of their entire catalog. As usual, Opeth throw some curveballs, with the female vocals in the opening song and a jazz breakdown in the middle of the Lotus Eater, which sounds almost like something that could be a on a Mars Volta record. After the Lotus Eater, the album takes a slower turn for a while and then gets pretty interesting toward the end with the last two songs. Hessian Peel is one of those long Opeth tunes that incorporates everything they do (clean and death vocals, mellow and distorted parts) and the heavier parts have some mindblowing riffs around the middle of the song. The last one, Hex Omega, is another sort of different Opeth tune and, to me, has an almost Tool kind of vibe to it. Its a good closer.



The bonus DVD edition is highly recommended. The extra songs are good, especially Derelict Hands, which is an Opeth original that's easily good enough to be on the main album, the Robin Trower cover is very cool, and the scandinavian folk song is kinda neat, but not my favorite. The surround mix of the main album is pretty good and the footage of the band working on the album (with interviews) is definitely worth watching. The fact that you can only play the bonus songs from the DVD is a pain, but you can always download them in mp3 format if you want to listen to the whole thing all the way through. I don't know if this album would be the best introduction to Opeth, and I wouldn't say its their best, but its another awesome addition to their body of work and I doubt there is another metal band as cutting edge."