Haste & Opeth
Terribly sorry but today I seem to have time for nothing. Slept for a while and then went out in order to get some oxygen in my blood, now I have to start learning vocabulary for the German essay I'll be writing tomorrow... Two weeks late. Yahoo. I also have to revise the whole derivation2-whatever math course for Friday, and the other teachers aren't leaving me alone so I have a strange feeling I might not be on much this week. I'll be going to Helsinki on Saturday anyway, to see Mirelle and Taksu (unless Taksu wants to chicken out?). Mirelle promised to accommodate me til Sunday. Anyone else wanna meet me up over there?
On the other note, I've spent some time with two Opeth albums and thought I'd write something about them, besides that I kinda promised David I would. Last weekend I finally found the time and inspiration as well, though I'll add my thoughts on Damnation later. No idea when that will be but I'll arrange time after the two tests of Friday. Deliverance has to be returned to the library on Thursday, yay more duties!
Deliverance
The lyrics are difficult to understand without reading them from somewhere. This album was perfect for bus trips to school after I'd casually checked it out at home a few times. The songs get better every time, though they're a little too long. Some instrumental parts could have been left out, in my humble opinion, but I might change my mind when I've heard them a hundred times more. The bottom line is that Opeth is not background music.
1. Wreath
The beginning makes me feel a little anguished. As soon as it gets to the first clearly repeated part (from where he says "endless night" til "distorted faith in myself"), I start liking it. The following growling lines are kind of neat... Somehow repellent, yet attractive at the same time. Oddness. I really enjoy the vague clean vocals that come in later ("still seeking, all watching" and so on). Odd lyrics, this is not a song I would listen to when I want inspiration for thoughts. Enjoyable as a musical piece though.
2. Deliverance
Is the purpose to drive people away before the song has even properly started? It gets peaceful, clean singing sounds good there... The vocalist is wheelly talented. These lyrics give me something more, though they're rather unsettling. And I don't even fully get it. Nevertheless, these guys obviously have potential for clever texts as well. The tempo changes after the fifth minute for a while (the same rhythm is repeated later), becomes more standard, and sounds appropriate that way. I can't tell where there's a chorus or anything but there are some clear patterns, which makes the track possible for me to listen. "The devil guides the way" and the next lines... Stuck in my head all day when I once took the album to school. This is a technically fascinating song.
3. A Fair Judgement
Too quiet if the bus is driving on Hämeenkatu street in Tampere... Pleasantly slow though. Definitely anti-monotonous vocals; varying ways of using the voice of the singer, and a few others apparently. The fact that the instrumental parts are louder&harder than the rest of the song feels extraordinary to me, but it seems to work. This track showed me why Metal Archives describes Opeth as progressive metal... The sound turns into something completely different towards the end. Nice and powerful. The lyrics are somewhat fitting.
4. For Absent Friends
I must admit I initially didn't expect to hear anything so serene played by Opeth. Imagine lying on soft grass in the sun on a drowsy day in summer... For Absent Friends. Exactly. No wonder it is so short, only two minutes or so.
5. Master's Apprentices
This song I loved from the first second. A capturing rhythm. Impressive harsh vocals, cool contrast to when he sings properly. In fact the whole track is full of contrasts. So schizophrenic that I almost took back the love-at-first-hearing statement! No, these tricks are entertaining, I could spend a lot of time listening to it. When the growling steps back in picture, it sort of surprises me, but adds up to the uniqueness of the song. Ten minutes is hardly enough, one couldn't express all that in a shorter time.
6. By the Pain I See in Others
There's a chord in the background in the beginning that causes me to wait for something radical... Can't name it. Extremely varying rhythm, from unpleasant to nice. Very strange lyrics. Certain drum parts remind me of Puritania by Dimmu Borgir... Around the third minute. If I had to choose a track from the album that I like less than the others, it would be this one. This one is closer to what I call noise than the rest. Nearly fourteen minutes of it... Luckily the little details save it and I'm interested enough to hear it all. Disturbing in that it's really good at one point and almost unbearable when the sound changes. I think I have to sum it up by saying it's worth a listen and at times more than that, but you need to be on a patient mood.
Damnation
Acoustic album. Shorter and more quiet tracks. Not too boring, not too aggressive. I liked listening to it. It was all right even as background music, though as I say here, at times I forgot I was listening to music. It deserves to be focused on a little more. Perhaps singing along where it's possible?
1. Windowpane
Nice and peaceful... There's something about the rhythm of drums and what I think is a background guitar (though I have no idea!) that disturbs me, they're not harmonious... But as usually, there are little changes in melody and tempo that make this song as colorful as an Opeth song apparently should be. Oddly delicate-sounding vocals. And I somehow like the lyrics. In the end they don't say much to me about what the writer was thinking of, but I have the knack of finding a second meaning for most everything.
2. In My Time of Need
Well if I liked the lyrics of Windowpane, I must love these... Vocals seem to play a big part here. The chorus is quite catchy. Singing style changes. The instruments create different atmospheres but don't sort of attack on top of it all. In fact it sounds a bit like a so-called mainstream rock song... distantly reminds me of Red Hot Chili Peppers, partly because of the vocals.
3. Death Whispered a Lullaby
Silent beginnings. The chorus(?) doesn't sound as dark as the words make it look. It amazes me how clear Åkerfeldt's voice is, and the feeling he gets into it. Nice melody, kind of not major and not minor. This is a song during which I will forget I'm listening to music. I wouldn't say it's boring, but it's less inviting, less addicting than the others on this album. Instrumental parts... hmm... here's where you hear it's progressive metal.
4. Closure
Is this the odd chord that Orz was talking about? Tri-something? Its use in the beginning of this song sounds awesome. I don't like the song as a whole though. Not bad but not especially good either. Distracting background music, and when it disappears, it gets really quiet (turn the volume louder, naturally, but the difference in volume is what annoys me). Singing multiple melodies at the same time suits this song well, and the instrumental bit coming after that. The lyrics don't impress me, especially the first four lines. Made-up rhymes.
5. Hope Leaves
I enjoy the softness of the guitar in this track. The stuff they do with the vocals is stylish, though what he's singing is the same old story. Luckily you don't have to focus on that; the singing is simply cool. Rather shy background, doesn't really steal the show at any point.
6. To Rid the Disease
Depressing story. These melodies certainly aren't very usual... Good distinct drums, less intense singing outside the chorus. Simple background for the chorus, though it's not the same every time. I'd love to see a music video for this. A nice deeper part before the end, and then ominous piano until it stops... Good.
7. Ending Credits
Instrumental. Starts nicely. Relaxed. Oddly, I think the music in this piece would be perfect for a normal song with vocals and all... Okay, at least you have to concentrate on the instruments for once. They're played together in balance. It's easy to distinguish between sections of the song, which is always positive, it doesn't get all looong and porridgey. The track is not too long, anyway. Enjoyable.
8. Weakness
So quiet. Such a long 'silence'. Faint vocals but rather good lyrics, and the last sentence sounds poetic. I bet if I listened to this song at night, tired, I'd start hallucinating, or fall asleep. I remember this playing in the background while I was doing other things... it always stops me with its sheer silence. Yet it speaks all the time. Good choice for the last track of an album.
Edited 0605271520
On the other note, I've spent some time with two Opeth albums and thought I'd write something about them, besides that I kinda promised David I would. Last weekend I finally found the time and inspiration as well, though I'll add my thoughts on Damnation later. No idea when that will be but I'll arrange time after the two tests of Friday. Deliverance has to be returned to the library on Thursday, yay more duties!
Deliverance
The lyrics are difficult to understand without reading them from somewhere. This album was perfect for bus trips to school after I'd casually checked it out at home a few times. The songs get better every time, though they're a little too long. Some instrumental parts could have been left out, in my humble opinion, but I might change my mind when I've heard them a hundred times more. The bottom line is that Opeth is not background music.
1. Wreath
The beginning makes me feel a little anguished. As soon as it gets to the first clearly repeated part (from where he says "endless night" til "distorted faith in myself"), I start liking it. The following growling lines are kind of neat... Somehow repellent, yet attractive at the same time. Oddness. I really enjoy the vague clean vocals that come in later ("still seeking, all watching" and so on). Odd lyrics, this is not a song I would listen to when I want inspiration for thoughts. Enjoyable as a musical piece though.
2. Deliverance
Is the purpose to drive people away before the song has even properly started? It gets peaceful, clean singing sounds good there... The vocalist is wheelly talented. These lyrics give me something more, though they're rather unsettling. And I don't even fully get it. Nevertheless, these guys obviously have potential for clever texts as well. The tempo changes after the fifth minute for a while (the same rhythm is repeated later), becomes more standard, and sounds appropriate that way. I can't tell where there's a chorus or anything but there are some clear patterns, which makes the track possible for me to listen. "The devil guides the way" and the next lines... Stuck in my head all day when I once took the album to school. This is a technically fascinating song.
3. A Fair Judgement
Too quiet if the bus is driving on Hämeenkatu street in Tampere... Pleasantly slow though. Definitely anti-monotonous vocals; varying ways of using the voice of the singer, and a few others apparently. The fact that the instrumental parts are louder&harder than the rest of the song feels extraordinary to me, but it seems to work. This track showed me why Metal Archives describes Opeth as progressive metal... The sound turns into something completely different towards the end. Nice and powerful. The lyrics are somewhat fitting.
4. For Absent Friends
I must admit I initially didn't expect to hear anything so serene played by Opeth. Imagine lying on soft grass in the sun on a drowsy day in summer... For Absent Friends. Exactly. No wonder it is so short, only two minutes or so.
5. Master's Apprentices
This song I loved from the first second. A capturing rhythm. Impressive harsh vocals, cool contrast to when he sings properly. In fact the whole track is full of contrasts. So schizophrenic that I almost took back the love-at-first-hearing statement! No, these tricks are entertaining, I could spend a lot of time listening to it. When the growling steps back in picture, it sort of surprises me, but adds up to the uniqueness of the song. Ten minutes is hardly enough, one couldn't express all that in a shorter time.
6. By the Pain I See in Others
There's a chord in the background in the beginning that causes me to wait for something radical... Can't name it. Extremely varying rhythm, from unpleasant to nice. Very strange lyrics. Certain drum parts remind me of Puritania by Dimmu Borgir... Around the third minute. If I had to choose a track from the album that I like less than the others, it would be this one. This one is closer to what I call noise than the rest. Nearly fourteen minutes of it... Luckily the little details save it and I'm interested enough to hear it all. Disturbing in that it's really good at one point and almost unbearable when the sound changes. I think I have to sum it up by saying it's worth a listen and at times more than that, but you need to be on a patient mood.
Damnation
Acoustic album. Shorter and more quiet tracks. Not too boring, not too aggressive. I liked listening to it. It was all right even as background music, though as I say here, at times I forgot I was listening to music. It deserves to be focused on a little more. Perhaps singing along where it's possible?
1. Windowpane
Nice and peaceful... There's something about the rhythm of drums and what I think is a background guitar (though I have no idea!) that disturbs me, they're not harmonious... But as usually, there are little changes in melody and tempo that make this song as colorful as an Opeth song apparently should be. Oddly delicate-sounding vocals. And I somehow like the lyrics. In the end they don't say much to me about what the writer was thinking of, but I have the knack of finding a second meaning for most everything.
2. In My Time of Need
Well if I liked the lyrics of Windowpane, I must love these... Vocals seem to play a big part here. The chorus is quite catchy. Singing style changes. The instruments create different atmospheres but don't sort of attack on top of it all. In fact it sounds a bit like a so-called mainstream rock song... distantly reminds me of Red Hot Chili Peppers, partly because of the vocals.
3. Death Whispered a Lullaby
Silent beginnings. The chorus(?) doesn't sound as dark as the words make it look. It amazes me how clear Åkerfeldt's voice is, and the feeling he gets into it. Nice melody, kind of not major and not minor. This is a song during which I will forget I'm listening to music. I wouldn't say it's boring, but it's less inviting, less addicting than the others on this album. Instrumental parts... hmm... here's where you hear it's progressive metal.
4. Closure
Is this the odd chord that Orz was talking about? Tri-something? Its use in the beginning of this song sounds awesome. I don't like the song as a whole though. Not bad but not especially good either. Distracting background music, and when it disappears, it gets really quiet (turn the volume louder, naturally, but the difference in volume is what annoys me). Singing multiple melodies at the same time suits this song well, and the instrumental bit coming after that. The lyrics don't impress me, especially the first four lines. Made-up rhymes.
5. Hope Leaves
I enjoy the softness of the guitar in this track. The stuff they do with the vocals is stylish, though what he's singing is the same old story. Luckily you don't have to focus on that; the singing is simply cool. Rather shy background, doesn't really steal the show at any point.
6. To Rid the Disease
Depressing story. These melodies certainly aren't very usual... Good distinct drums, less intense singing outside the chorus. Simple background for the chorus, though it's not the same every time. I'd love to see a music video for this. A nice deeper part before the end, and then ominous piano until it stops... Good.
7. Ending Credits
Instrumental. Starts nicely. Relaxed. Oddly, I think the music in this piece would be perfect for a normal song with vocals and all... Okay, at least you have to concentrate on the instruments for once. They're played together in balance. It's easy to distinguish between sections of the song, which is always positive, it doesn't get all looong and porridgey. The track is not too long, anyway. Enjoyable.
8. Weakness
So quiet. Such a long 'silence'. Faint vocals but rather good lyrics, and the last sentence sounds poetic. I bet if I listened to this song at night, tired, I'd start hallucinating, or fall asleep. I remember this playing in the background while I was doing other things... it always stops me with its sheer silence. Yet it speaks all the time. Good choice for the last track of an album.
Edited 0605271520