OPETH "Orchid" /Digisleeve CD/

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​​​​​​

First re-release of the sixth full-length album by the cult Swedish Progressive Death Metal band.
Following up a nearly ubiquitous critical smash such as 2000's "Blackwater Park" might seem like a daunting proposition for most bands, but Sweden's Opeth has made a career out of proving it is not just any other band, wowing observers with its boundless creativity and seemingly effortless brilliance. With producer (and Porcupine Tree leader) Steve Wilson once again on hand to assist in Opeth's quest to remain true to its origins while progressing ever forward, the band's sixth volume, "Deliverance" offers no great departure by established standards, but rather continues exploring the possibilities of this very fruitful relationship. And sure enough, for all of its continued aggression and overall compliance with Death Metal's key elements - blastbeat drumming runs, Mikael Akerfeldt's frequently croaked vocals and eternally bleak lyrics - "Deliverance" is altogether more subtle than any of its predecessors, approaching listeners with haunting nuances and masterful dynamics rather than overwhelming them with sheer mass and complexity.
Dominated as always by imposing ten-plus minute musical movements, this is creative evolution driven to perfection. Both opener "Wreath" and the ensuing title track eschew traditionally crushing Death Metal riffs for no less pummeling, hammered staccatos delivered with near-Industrial precision. The culmination of this quest for fluidity, third movement "A Fair Judgement" is not only the album's most accessible number, it's arguably also the best. Clearly the evolutionary successor to previous dam-bursting experiments such as Still Life's "Face of Melinda" and "Blackwater Park" 's "The Drapery Falls", its striking harmonies are borne out with a stately, elegant grace punctuated by what is sure to be one of the year's most beautiful guitar solos. A two-minute acoustic interlude called "For Absent Friends" allows for a short break prior to the album's two equally challenging but rewarding final epics, the incredibly multifaceted "Master's Apprentices" and the especially violent "By the Pain I See in Others".
All in all, some naysayers could very well label "Deliverance" as something of a "Blackwater Park" redux, but this would be a shortsighted reaction given the album's remarkable individual achievement. The fact remains that Opeth is still quite without peer in its contribution to advancing the cause of Heavy Metal in the new millennium, and in that light, "Deliverance" stands as yet another work of towering vision from this incredible band!!
"Deliverance" peaked on Top Heatseekers at No. 16 and the Top Independent Albums chart at No. 19, making it the first Opeth release ever to chart. Opeth also won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance after releasing the album.
Music For Nations/Sony BMG Music Entertainment (UK) Ltd., 2002/2006 (82876832732). Made in Germany.


Tracklist:
1. Wreath 11:10
2. Deliverance 13:36
3. A Fair Judgement 10:23
4. For Absent Friends 2:17
5. Master's Apprentices 10:32
6. By The Pain I See In Others 13:50
Total playing time: 61:48


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