Opeth

There's something extremely evil happening in the snowy forests of Sweden. Whatever Satanic spirit that calls those woods home must've heard that old story about the Devil at the crossroads. You know the one where the young guitar player meets Satan at midnight to sell his soul for the Hendrix-ian power to turn a guitar into a symphony. A similar situation definitely happened in Sweden with Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt and some erstwhile apparition. Opeth's new masterpiece Watershed does nothing to disprove the notion that the band is tapping into some kind of otherworldly evil. There's no other explanation for why it's so damn good. Opeth are one of the few metal bands that get better with each record, and make no mistake, Watershed is their masterpiece, up to this point. In fact, it may very well prove to be one of the top ten hard rock records of this year. Glancing at it, the album may seem sparse. There are only seven tracks, and cover displays nothing more than an ominous funeral home scene. However, across those seven tracks, Opeth takes the listener on a journey through Hell that could only be described as a cross between Lord of The Rings and Tool.

The record begins with a faint acoustic guitar melody on "Coil." It may seem uncharacteristic for a metal record to start off so muted, but don't forget the strum of an acoustic note ignited both Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets. "Coil" transports the listener into a dreamy, druggy soundscape. It's warm and inviting with the female siren-style vocals strewn about. However, there's a pronounced underlying fear and impending sense of doom. The devil is always there, but he hides sometimes. "Coil" is one of those times. The song is nothing short of gorgeous and uplifting nevertheless, and after it, the record's got its claws in you. "Heir Apparent" build slowly with a thudding riff that builds into a death metal growl as the track functions as a pure head-trip for nearly nine minutes. Next up, "Lotus Eater" incorporates a creepy Haunted Mansion-style organ heightening the album's pervasive sense of dread. A standout track, "Burden," segues from a huge metallic melody to a classically-infused acoustic passage that channels Robert Plant and Co.'s trips to Mordor.

"Porcelain Heart" is as darkly fragile is it sounds in title. Meanwhile, "Hessian Peel" sees the band once again tread the acoustic path to darkness. Åkerfeldt paints another strangely inviting portrait of death. The last track is the kind of metallic apotheosis that you'd hope for after such a weighty trip. The riffs snarl with a snaky fluidity, and there's a strange psychedelic flourish to the instrumentation. There's a question that ran through my mind while listening to the album: what or who is in the coffin on the cover? The record's much more than just the seven songs that comprise. It's got a strange vitality. The devil pops up when he has to, but then again, there's no doubt someone's soul was sold to make a record like Watershed. Off to those snowy forests for inspiration, now.

—Rick Florino
05.29.08

After album (or "observation," as the band likes to call them) number eight -- Ghost Reveries -- Opeth could have very easily coasted, merely rehashing their sound. Instead, they opted to challenge themselves and their listeners, creating an album that can -- at times -- expose its true nature and scope slowly and -- at other times -- be jarring, as if it were turning itself inside out. Opeth take chances that many bands in the same situation would be too scared to have a go at. It's hard to say if the recent membership changes affected bandleader Mikael Åkerfeldt's writing and production, or if he was enjoying his trip down classic rock (see: Deep Purple) lane. For whatever reason, Watershed is a new benchmark for Opeth. The tricky part is pointing out that while Watershed is a fantastic record, one that takes chances while remaining totally metal (dude), it feels less like a complete statement than a preview for something even greater. After the pastoral introduction of "Coil," Opeth move into pummeling mode with "Heir Apparent." It's one of the few tracks here to feature growling death metal vocals. But it is track three where Opeth really take the listener by the ear and twist. There's a gently humming prologue, then "The Lotus Eater" becomes a slab of blastbeats iced with clean vocals that -- as with many Opeth tunes -- takes a "break" two-thirds of the way through, only to take one hell of a left turn out of nowhere. The tune doesn't just go back to heavy riffage, but explores a prog metal, psychedelic organ quasi-freakout that touches on pure jazz. "Burden," arguably the strongest of the classicist tunes on Watershed (closely followed by "Hessian Peel"), is lush and grandiose. It's the moment on this collection where the listener realizes how incredibly talented this band is. And if the songs themselves aren't enough, the structures and fade-outs on some of them are. An example: "Burden"'s gentle guitar outro is deconstructed by someone manually detuning Åkerfeldt's guitar as he plays. Another: "Lotus Eater"'s Dark Side of the Moon-esque "voices in your head" send-off. These add more depth to an album that surprises continually, even after repeated listens. Sure, there are some (sort of) weak moments -- "Porcelain Heart" seems a bit mainstream, and "Hex Omega," while a stunning closer, has insanely tough competition as a standout from the other six tracks. Essentially, Opeth's perceived weaknesses would be pivotal moments for any other band. This is a band that has managed to get exponentially better with each release, taking amazing chances and managing to not only win new fans, but not alienate older ones. A perfect blend of the death metal of Still Life, Blackwater Park, and My Arms, Your Hearse, the monolithic riffage of Deliverance and Ghost Reveries, and the prog/classicism of Damnation combined with classic Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, and Scorpions, Watershed marks a new chapter for Opeth, one that promises infinitely more than its predecessors. ~ Christopher M. True, All Music Guide