Opeth

 

Another Friday with writer’s block, but my Opeth hoodie provided the inspiration – plus I checked my records and verified that I have not yet blogged about this band…per se.  So I can take a break waxing poetic yet again about the PONTIAC FIREBIRD FORMULA 350 and bore everyone about this band from Stockholm, Sweden.

They started out as somewhat of a thrash band with “Cookie Monster” vocals, until singer/guitarist Mikael Akerfeldt either discovered prog bands or finally decided to blend those elements into Opeth’s repertoire.  In fact, they have a full-blown prog album, Damnation, which is still my favorite, though Watershed was the first album I bought.   Live, Akerfeldt is highly humorous and entertaining.  An interview with him turned me on to British 70s prog band Camel, and he is also a big fan of Deep Purple.  The artwork for their show at the Royal Albert Hall in London was done up like DP’s Concerto, and I have a Come Taste the Band (DP Mark IV with Tommy Bolin) tribute shirt. 

Studio Discography:  Orchid (1995); Morningrise (1996); My Arms, Your Hearse (1998); Still Life (1999); Blackwater Park (2001); Deliverance (2002); Damnation (2003); Ghost Reveries (2005); Watershed (2008); Heritage (2011); Pale Communion (2014); Sorceress (2016); In Cauda Venenum (2019).  Still Life is the earliest album I have – never got around to getting the first three.  They are long overdue for a covers album.

As the years progress they get more like a prog band and less of a Cookie Monster band, which is fine by me.  Maybe I’m getting older, but my tolerance for the same old thrash, especially with unintelligible, “Cookie Monster” vocals which winds up being just a bunch of angry noise, gets less and less.  Here’s a band which mixes in prog elements to change things up, and they have a singer who can actually sing. Of the big 4 thrash bands, Joey Belladonna (Anthrax) has the best voice, followed by Dave Mustaine (Megadeth), James Hetfield (Metallica), and finally Tom Araya (Slayer), but even he is singing and you can understand the vocals.  Anyone less intelligible than Araya I zone out about, and unfortunately that does include some of Opeth, particularly the earlier material.  Anyhow.     

I’ve seen them live, five times between 2008 and 2020 (yes, this year).  The band consistently plays well, and Akerfeldt’s humor, as previously noted, is much appreciated.   Be prepared to hear earlier material with about one song from Damnation.      

And if you love buying band merchandise, you’ll love Opeth.  The US webstore doesn’t have a whole lot, but the UK/Europe store – which will ship to MAGA-Land, though the shipping costs are a little higher and you may wait a little longer to receive your stuff – has a MUCH larger selection.   Whoever does their merch is highly imaginative.  Their variant on Sweden’s national team soccer jersey (yellow and blue, of course) is excellent, though as yet I’ve resisted the urge to spend $100 on it. 

Storm Corrosion.  Steven Wilson, the main guy from Porcupine Tree and a producer for prog bands, did a joint project with Akerfeldt – if you like Opeth, you’ll probably enjoy this as well.