I just got Opeth's 'Damnation' today. They are a Swedish death metal band, and I just can't stand the growling voice of Akerfeldt, but this one is mellow and acoustic, with little distortion at all and no growling! This album turned out to be my fav of 2003, better IMO than even the Mars Volta's debut. Opeth was joined by Porcupine Tree's Steve Wilson to make this album and he contributes some vocals, piano and mellotron to the music as well as Co-producing, mixing, and mastering the album. The tight songwriting is very evident on this album, with the instrumental sections not dragging on enough to be boring. The lyrics are poetic, varied and moving as well as using good vocabulary. Vocals (provided by Akerfeldt, who has a nice voice) are very good too. The melodies are mainly acoustic relying on scales and arpeggioes for melody lines. There are also some solos on this album too, with Mikeal Akerfeldt, who does lead guitar too, has some great melodic solos with an awesome tone! Drums are awesome, Lopez is one of the best drummers right now, and the bassist Mendez delivers some good grooves. The other guitarist is Lindgren, and he does a lot of sound effects and acoustic chords, etc. Well, if you want to d/l a song, my suggestion is the opener 'Windowpane'! Review forthcoming!
Cool.. I was going to get Blackwater Park (great album cover!) but since I'm not too keen on growling voices, either, I shall get Damnation, then.
Here's my review of Opeth's Damnation: After a short wait, Opeth releases Damnation, their seventh album and ‘sister’ to the heavy Deliverance. While I am not a death metal fan, I haven’t had the chance to check out the band many people are saying is the best band in metal these days. I heard that this album wouldn’t have any of the death metal growling. Progressive rock band Porcupine Tree’s Steve Wilson co-produced the album, mixed, mastered, and engineered it, while also doing backing vocals, piano, and keyboard sounds on the album. I decided to give it a try. When I bought Damnation, the album art is sure to give you a clue to the emotions that will be explored in the music. The colours are all black, white, and shades of grey. The front cover shows a little girl in a bleak Victorian bedroom, highlighting innocence and the picture somehow displays a sense of mourning. Yes, Damnation deals with feelings like loss, hopelessness, mourning, depression, and sadness. Musically and lyrically, Opeth displays these feelings more than satisfactorily; more like masterfully. The album opener is my personal favourite: ‘Windowpane’. A catchy opening riff, some great solos by Peter Lindgren, and the haunting voice of Mikael Akerfeldt, who also does guitar as well, dominate the song. ‘In My Time Of Need’ has a slightly more positive outlook, with the rhythm section of Martin Lopez (drums) and Martin Mendez (bass) shining on this track. ‘Death Whispers a Lullaby’ features lyrics from Steve Wilson himself; ‘Closure’ showcases some awesome acoustic melodies and some of the harder parts of the album (even a tiny bit of distortion). ‘Hope Leaves’ gets my vote for having the most beautiful melody on the album. ‘To Rid The Disease’ is my other favourite track, with a great vocal section by Akerfeldt followed by an instrumental section that features a guitar solo that turns suddenly to a haunting baroque piano melody, and I suddenly picture the cover with the little girl and it brings to life the grief that that photo intended. ‘Ending Credits’ is a pleasant three-and-a-half minute guitar solo/instrumental. The bonus track, ‘Weakness’ ends the album on an eerie, almost scary note, with just a mellotron melody and Akerfeldt murmuring ‘Weaker now, drawing fluid from me/You kill me/I’m not afraid of what you have just done/But what you’ve just become’. The album is one of sorrow and mourning, and you should get Damnation if you want mellow, artistic music, and witness the musical genius of Mikael Akerfeldt and Opeth in an album that is much more accessible. I recommend it to anyone. In closing, I found it interesting that Opeth could pull off an album like Damnation that is sombre but at the same time beautiful, soothing, and for the most part, tranquil. Like Rolling Stone magazine said: “Opeth…continually expands the definition of what metal can be.” Rating: *****