OPETH “Deliverance” /CD/

Re-release of the debut full-length studio album by legendary Swedish Progressive Death Metal band.
Few bands have managed to capture the essence of their own art already in their very first recorded effort. Describing the music of Opeth is yet another difficult assignment, as the Progressive Death Metal label, which is often attached to their style, is far from incorrect but equally far from descriptive. The band’s Death Metal roots are obvious in their approach to intricate riffing and sudden tempo changes, although they never reach what the average listener would call fast paces; to this basic formula, Opeth add a huge does of melodic taste in the form of countless harmonies, tasteful acoustic passages and occasional clean vocals. This isn’t that much explanatory either, but then again, a band whose songs have an average duration of ten minutes needs to be experienced to be fully appreciated. This is a collaboration of so many different genres and styles of music that it is nearly unclassifiable. There are definitely elements of Death Metal, Traditional Metal, Doom Metal, Progressive Rock and even Jazz. There are definitely more elements, but Opeth takes all of these different styles and molds them together seamlessly. Exceedingly heavy riffs turn into Death Metal crunch, which then turns into a haunting acoustic passage, almost as if it was completely natural to bend a multitude of genres into a new sound. The musicianship is excellent. One should notice the difficulty of the riffs that are played immediately, especially if they’re a guitar player as well. The songwriting is excellent; everything seems to have its place. Each track on this album is exceptional on its own.
Opeth showed the world that they were the masters of Progressive Death Metal. “Orchid” is a true work of art from a band, that made excellence as its standard quality share!
Re-edition contains bonus track "Into The Frost Of Winter".
Tanglade Ltd./Candlelight/Spinefarm Records, 1995/2016 (CANDLE724765). Made in EU.


Tracklist:
1. In Mist She Was Standing 14:09
2. Under The Weeping Moon 09:52
3. Silhouette 03:07
4. Forest Of October 13:05
5. The Twilight Is My Robe 11:01
6. Requiem 01:11
7. The Apostle In Triumph 13:01
Bonus Track:
8. Into The Frost Of Winter 06:20
Total playing time: 71:46 min.

Re-release of the fifth full-length album by the cult Swedish Progressive Doom/Death Metal band.
Opeth managed to take control of their instruments and give birth to flowing, depressive, reverent music. The music in here goes beyond following timing, notes, keys, and flow. When writing the music, it seems as though all those elements were disregarded, and Mikael just allowed for beautiful music to flow out of his mind that reflected true beauty.
 You will have trouble finding another album with the same impact as this one. If you buy this album to sit down and relax with nothing else going on and listening to it start to finish, and you will be shocked! So, is it a masterpiece? Yes!! Is it a varied album? Definitely yes!! Is it really deserves 100%? Absolutely, it deserves much more than 100%, it deserves your attention and money!!!
Music For Nations/SonyBMG Music Entertainment (UK) LTD, 2001/2003/2006 (82876829122). Made in Germany.
 

Tracklist:
1. The Leper Affinity     10:22 
2. Bleak     9:15 
3. Harvest     6:01 
4. The Drapery Falls     10:53 
5. Dirge For November     7:53 
6. The Funeral Portrait     8:44 
7. Patterns In The Ivy     1:52 
8. Blackwater Park     12:07
Total playing time: 67:07


Samples:  http://www.last.fm​​​​​​

Special Edition of the tenth full-length studio album by the cult Swedish Progressive Rock/Metal/Jazz/Fusion band.
The album was recorded in early 2011 at Atlantis/Metronome Studios in Stockholm and produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt, engineered by Janne Hansson, and mixed by Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson). The album signals a departure from the musical style of Opeth's past albums, being one of only two albums by the band not to feature Åkerfeldt's signature Death growls (the other being "Damnation"). "Heritage" finds the Swedish band abandoning Death Metal: no growled vocals, no blistering fast power riffs and no blastbeats.
“Heritage” is easily Opeth's most musically adventurous recording. Written primarily by vocalist/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt, these ten songs are drenched in instrumental interludes, knotty key and chord changes, shifting time signatures, clean vocals, and a keyboard-heavy instrumentation that includes Mellotrons, Rhodes pianos and Hammond organs (ironic since keyboardist Per Wiberg left the band after "Heritage" was completed).
Opening with the title track, a haunting solo piano instrumental, it careens into the explosive "The Devil's Orchard", with spectacular, arpeggiatic guitar work by Fredrik Åkesson and matching drums by Martin Axenrot. With a huge, swirling B-3 in the backdrop, it melds Progressive Metal to Prog Rock, with Åkerfeldt's clear, clean singing. "I Feel the Dark" marries Åkerfeldt's classical guitar to piano, flute, a droning Martin Mendez bassline, and double-timed, quietly tense drum kit work. "Slither" sounds like Motörhead meeting early-'70s Deep Purple. "Nepenthe" begins as a ballad but shifts toward Jazz-Rock in the instrumental break before finding its way back to a middle ground with sparse instrumentation and taut dynamics. "Haxprogress" draws real inspiration from King Crimson; Mellotrons and nylon-string guitars give way to Åkerfeldt's crooning, thundering bass-lines, and syncopated drums. At eight-and-a-half minutes, "Famine" is the album's most abstract cut, with guest Alex Acuña adding Latin percussion to the mix, creating spaciousness in a long intro before giving way to colliding Prog Rock at the seam where King Crimson's "Larks Tongues in Aspic, Pt. 2" meets Jethro Tull's "Thick as a Brick." "The Lines in My Hand" is the set's most aggressive cut, with a deeply satisfying guitar crunch. "Folklore," with its myriad instrumental and vocal parts, complex melody, and breakbeats, comes off as an eight-minute suite before closing with another Jazz- and Rolk-inflected instrumental entitled "Marrow of the Earth."
Love it or hate it, "Heritage", for its many excesses (and stellar conception and execution) is a brave album. It opens the door for Opeth to pursue many new directions and reinvent themselves as a band.
Album has a critical and commercial success, and sold 19,000 units in the United States in its debut week, charting at number 19 on the Billboard 200.
Approached with an open mind, "Heritage' will certainly prove a rewarding listen for most experienced fans of the band, an album containing all the signature twists & turns that has become Opeth's trademark, albeit in a way totally new for the band. "Heritage" is arguably the band's 10th magnum opus in it's now 20 plus year career and without a doubt represent the grandest vision yet captured on an Opeth album!
Special Edition features 3D cover and bonus DVD with 5.1 mix of entire album, two bonus tracks and making of the album documentary!!
Roadrunner Records, 2011 (RR7705-2). Made in Germany. First press.


Tracklist:

CD:
1. Heritage 2:03
2. The Devil's Orchard 6:39
3. I Feel The Dark 6:41
4. Slither 4:03
5. Nepenthe 5:40
6. Häxprocess 6:57
7. Famine 8:32
8. The Lines In My Hand 3:49
9. Folklore 8:19
10. Marrow Of The Earth 4:19

DVD:
1. Heritage (5.1 Mix) 2:03
2. The Devil's Orchard (5.1 Mix) 6:39
3. I Feel The Dark (5.1 Mix) 6:41
4. Slither (5.1 Mix) 4:03
5. Nepenthe (5.1 Mix) 5:40
6. Häxprocess (5.1 Mix) 6:57
7. Famine (5.1 Mix) 8:32
8. The Lines In My Hand (5.1 Mix) 3:49
9. Folklore (5.1 Mix) 8:19
10. Marrow Of The Earth (5.1 Mix) 4:19
11. Pyre 5:35
12. Face In The Snow 4:05
13. Making Of Heritage 11:14

Total playing time: 134:58

​​​​​​​

The tenth full-length studio album by the cult Swedish Progressive Rock/Metal/Jazz/Fusion band.
The album was recorded in early 2011 at Atlantis/Metronome Studios in Stockholm and produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt, engineered by Janne Hansson, and mixed by Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson). The album signals a departure from the musical style of Opeth's past albums, being one of only two albums by the band not to feature Åkerfeldt's signature Death growls (the other being "Damnation"). "Heritage" finds the Swedish band abandoning Death Metal: no growled vocals, no blistering fast power riffs and no blastbeats.
“Heritage” is easily Opeth's most musically adventurous recording. Written primarily by vocalist/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt, these ten songs are drenched in instrumental interludes, knotty key and chord changes, shifting time signatures, clean vocals, and a keyboard-heavy instrumentation that includes Mellotrons, Rhodes pianos and Hammond organs (ironic since keyboardist Per Wiberg left the band after "Heritage" was completed).
Opening with the title track, a haunting solo piano instrumental, it careens into the explosive "The Devil's Orchard", with spectacular, arpeggiatic guitar work by Fredrik Åkesson and matching drums by Martin Axenrot. With a huge, swirling B-3 in the backdrop, it melds Progressive Metal to Prog Rock, with Åkerfeldt's clear, clean singing. "I Feel the Dark" marries Åkerfeldt's classical guitar to piano, flute, a droning Martin Mendez bassline, and double-timed, quietly tense drum kit work. "Slither" sounds like Motörhead meeting early-'70s Deep Purple. "Nepenthe" begins as a ballad but shifts toward Jazz-Rock in the instrumental break before finding its way back to a middle ground with sparse instrumentation and taut dynamics. "Haxprogress" draws real inspiration from King Crimson; Mellotrons and nylon-string guitars give way to Åkerfeldt's crooning, thundering bass-lines, and syncopated drums. At eight-and-a-half minutes, "Famine" is the album's most abstract cut, with guest Alex Acuña adding Latin percussion to the mix, creating spaciousness in a long intro before giving way to colliding Prog Rock at the seam where King Crimson's "Larks Tongues in Aspic, Pt. 2" meets Jethro Tull's "Thick as a Brick." "The Lines in My Hand" is the set's most aggressive cut, with a deeply satisfying guitar crunch. "Folklore," with its myriad instrumental and vocal parts, complex melody, and breakbeats, comes off as an eight-minute suite before closing with another Jazz- and Rolk-inflected instrumental entitled "Marrow of the Earth."
Love it or hate it, "Heritage", for its many excesses (and stellar conception and execution) is a brave album. It opens the door for Opeth to pursue many new directions and reinvent themselves as a band.
Album has a critical and commercial success, and sold 19,000 units in the United States in its debut week, charting at number 19 on the Billboard 200.
Approached with an open mind, "Heritage' will certainly prove a rewarding listen for most experienced fans of the band, an album containing all the signature twists & turns that has become Opeth's trademark, albeit in a way totally new for the band. "Heritage" is arguably the band's 10th magnum opus in it's now 20 plus year career and without a doubt represent the grandest vision yet captured on an Opeth album!
Roadrunner Records, 2011 (RR7705-2). Made in Germany. First press.


Tracklist:
1. Heritage     2:05 
2. The Devil's Orchard     6:40 
3. I Feel The Dark     6:40 
4. Slither     4:03 
5. Nepenthe     5:40 
6. Häxprocess     6:58 
7. Famine     8:32 
8. The Lines In My Hand     3:49 
9. Folklore     8:19 
10. Marrow Of The Earth     4:19
Total playing time: 57:05