Damnation

This is a "symptom" they exhibited much later when they decided to go entirely clean around the time of 'Heritage', but 'Damnation' was in a way the precursor to that rather unfortunate destiny of theirs; the early onset, if one could see it this way. Let's make something clear: it's not the fact of going clean in and of itself, for any band, that is problematic. It's when Opeth do it, they lose a sizeable chunk of their edge and of their artistic point. They become more vulnerable, because they all of a sudden become rather one-dimensional. It becomes more obvious, what they're doing, and much of the element of surprise goes away. Whereas another band, say Tiamat, went from doomdeath to gothic rock but remained as atmospheric and mysterious. Their essence was preserved. Therein lies the issue here with Opeth's 'Damnation'.

When on an album like 'Deliverance' or 'Blackwater Park' they went to the clean stuff, it was off the back of highly electric heaviness that carried through its contagious energy to the listener before a clean break was intuitively inserted to mark a pause before it sent another climactic section soaring off its trampoline. The clean parts are often appreciable in that sense on those records. Here, there's no trampoline because there's nothing to power-bounce into. Everything is on the same level, there are no peaks and valleys - with the exception of 'Death Whispered a Lullaby', arguably the only song with any real pulse to it, and which chorus does lift off. Broadly speaking the intensity is kept at a bare minimum. Instead of feeling transported into a serene place of black and white lyricism (as the album cover and title suggest), the listener may feel like they're stuck on the ground with any hope of lifting gradually less likely as the tracks unfold.

Technically, it's actually well written. All of it; and some of the material is even strong musically; but on the whole, it's just so flat. It feels impossible to get excited about it. Returning to the hooks on this is something like returning to roads one used to drive on, on their way to the dry-cleaner: there's memory of it, but no particular emotion attached with it. There's bound to be one of those romantic blues progressions around the corner, and this is after soft jazz steadiness for minutes at a time. In parts, this sounds a bit like bad Pink Floyd (choruses on 'In My Time of Need', 'To Rid the Disease'). Notice how Opeth were never a fast band, but a brief recalling of this album gives out a distinct sensation of slow moving tracks. Doom-death Opeth was technically slow to be sure, but didn't feel slow in that way. This is more like "slow" meaning quiet. It's the slow motion, but not the right kind: the kind that clogs things up and makes you feel stuck.

It's more like an album Åkerfeldt made to please himself. It doesn't have that calling or mission other albums in their discography display. It's unsure those Killswitch Engage styled melancholic clean guitar pickings are really a good idea to spread all over the record. This mostly sounds like a lazy winter a song-writer spends inside, and they feel like making music, but the drive for greatness isn't quite there and they make home-made poetry instead (or the musical equivalent of that) just to satisfy their artistic need of producing something. It's more like a challenge: "can we make a fully clean record?". Ultimately, these are songs the artist may overlook just some time later. Obviously, tracks from this record generally aren't going to leave the same mark on the audience as those of a 'Deliverance', and this has more to do with the sheer size and weight of those previous tracks than the fact they were merely heavier.

We all know Opeth, the kings of melancholy and sadness in metal. Well, let's just take away the "metal" in that sentence, at least for this record. Here, they play some amazing depressive rock with progressive touches, but the songs aren't that complex.

The lyrics are, for the most part, pretty negative and sad, but there are some songs, like "Death Whispered A Lullaby" which feature fairly positive vibes. Speaking of the lyrics, them are pretty cool, not so cliché neither original. Just lyrics that you can relate to without feeling a guy with self-diagnosed depression, and that's nice.

Besides of the lyrics, you can sense a huge dark atmosphere since the very beginning of "Windowpane", which has awesome soloing that is actually memorable, something that nowadays is hard as fuck to find. But the atmosphere doesn't end with the final notes of "Windowpane", it goes even further on "In My Time of Need", one of the most depressing songs I've ever heard on my entire life, along with "Weakness", the final track of this album. There's a bit of light in some songs on the album, like the aforementioned "Death Whispered a Lullaby" or "Closure", but then it continues the "feeling down" mood until the end of the album. It's like a rollercoaster of emotions.

But the genius of Akerfeldt isn't only about writing sad songs, he knows very well how to make you feel something without being a great singer. I don't wanna sound like a fanboy or maybe a groupie, but his voice sounds beautiful and I can't say that about a lot of singers. Also, the vast majority of the vocal melodies on this album are catchy.

As I said, the album isn't that progressive, and features some pretty simple songs, but a song doesn't need to be complex to make you feel something, so I don't really see a problem here. Listen to the keyboards (or synths, I don't really know what is that instrument) on "Weakness", along with Mikael's soft voice singing about how someone broke his heart, and tell me you didn't feel anything. If you do that, you're lying.

"Closure" might be the weirdest song in here, with its kinda danceable rhythms, and ending abruptly, without any advice. Some live versions of this song last about three minutes more than the album version, so I don't know why they left that crappy ending, Still a great song tho.

"Ending Credits". What the fuck man, it isn't even the last track.

About the mix, I think it's pretty good, the bass cannot be heard sometimes but when It's heard sounds as warm as the guitars, and that's beautiful; plus the drums sound incredibly natural. Every instrument can be heard, so I think they made a pretty good job with the mixing.

To sum it up, "Damnation" is one of Opeth's bests, this album irradiates the dark atmosphere of their first albums with almost no distortion, a quite unbelievable achievement that only a band like Opeth could achieve.

Hailing from Sweden, Opeth has become somewhat controversial in the metal community for essentially dropping their death metal sound in favor of playing progressive rock. As the saying goes, "you either love it or hate it." After all, you can't always satisfy everyone with what you do, especially when you're this popular, but I think it's great of them to ignore the negative feedback and instead make the music they want. With that said, let's look back on their very first venture into progressive rock, 2003's "Damnnation."

While I'm a big fan of Opeth's approach to death metal, there's no denying the utter beauty in their prog rock releases. Their long-time vocalist (and last remaining founding member) Mikael is great at growling, for sure, but his clean voice fits this genre perfectly, creating a comforting and soothing yet melancholic atmosphere which holds strong throughout, aside from the instrumental Ending Credits. Those 70's influences are clear from the very start, with all the smooth guitar arrangements and the organ-esque keyboard. Pink Floyd fans will surely find a lot to enjoy here. It never seems to drag on, as each song has something different to offer. Some tracks have a bit more bombastic intensity while others are somewhat minimalistic and relaxing. One must also mention those incredible lyrics which add another layer of emotional depth to the songs. They're extremely heartfelt and well-written.

I do, however, have a few minor issues to bring up. Firstly, the way Closure abrubtly ends and moves on to Hope Leaves basically feels like auditory whiplash since there's no smooth transitions between the tracks. It's almost as if Closure was meant to be longer but they decided to end it halfway. Also I have mixed feelings regarding how, throughout In My Time of Need, there are parts when syllables are pronounced one at a time which becomes slightly tedious. Lastly, and this is mostly a nitpick, I find it weird how Ending Credits isn't the last song on the album. Sure, Weakness does fit nicely as a conclusion, but just considering the title alone makes it somewhat questionable. But again, that's just a nitpick and doesn't take away the enjoyment.

Overall, this is an absolute masterpiece with high replay value. If you want to explore the softer side of Opeth, this is a great way to start.

Opeth have always been a band who have ignored the limitations of genres. Through their use of truly emotion guitar work and progressive song writing they surpass the expectations surrounding the term 'death metal'. Now, I’m a death metal fan through and through and Opeth are one of my favorite death metal bands ever. I do, however, feel that their more mellow songs are more suited to their style of song writing. So when I heard they had a whole album with no metal songs, I had to hear it. So I immediately added 'Damnation' to my CD collection, and was not at all disappointed with what I found within.

What I love about this album is that it’s actually interesting music. No one approaches song writing in quite the same way as Mikael Akerfeldt. You can never guess where he will lead a song or how many moods it will explore, but you know you want to follow. Many progressive metal bands go out of the way to write confusing songs, changing time signatures and keys almost randomly, often at the risk of the song. Obviously this is not the case here. Mikael is an excellent song writer whose ability to put emotion into his songs is second to none. He truly has the perfect mind for writing progressive music. Bringing deep emotions into a song without coming across as cliché and attention seeking is difficult at the best of times but when it works you can create emotional links between your art and the listeners mind and that is what you'll find in 'Damnation'.

Production duties were once again handled by Steven Wilson. Right from the start it shows what a perfect team he makes with this band. Every element of the songs has been arranged and recorded brilliantly. Wilson's personal additions of keyboards, grand piano and mellotron add deep layers to the sonic mix, leading to a much fuller sound. There is no arguing that the guitar is the focus here, it’s right at the top of the mix. The lead work is very much at the front of the sound and , strangely, rhythm guitar has been kept lower as to fill in the back ground, this allows the lead to really 'lead' and there is never really a time when both guitarist are doing the same thing. The drums and bass, handled by Martin Lopez and Martin Mendez respectfully, are present albeit low down in the mix and again serve to fill in the back ground with a much fuller sound and build a platform for the guitar the stand on. The guitars individual tone seems to change as the album progresses, creating contrast between the songs. For example, in the intro to the first song 'Windowpane' the guitar sounds very light and bright with a kind of fullness to each note, it sounds almost happy (well... less sad. Opeth don’t really do 'happy'), were as the last song, the haunting 'Weakness' is tonally similar but much more dark and gloomy. The general sound to the guitars throughout the album is however very tonal and smooth. The notes flow in and really live. Mikael and fellow guitarist Peter Lindgren's playing style's incorporate a lot of arpeggios and sliding and their technique is captured here perfectly.

The vocals are also very interesting. Mikael Akerfeldt is one of the very few vocalist who are talented enough to really pull off very guttural death metal vocals, as well as being able to sing beautiful clean vocals. As it’s his clean vocals that get to shine on this album let’s focus on them. Like the guitars the vocals have been recorded using a variety of different effects and tones, often changing several times within the same song. For example, for the song 'In My Time Of Need' the first verse is sung in a slightly cold electro-fide voice and each syllable is pronounced individually ''I can't see the meaning of this life I'm leading / I try to forget you as you forgot me / This time there is nothing left for you to take, this is goodbye'' which then leads into the second verse which is sung in a very warm and clear voice and has an almost dream like longing to it ''Summer is miles and miles away / And no one would ask me to stay'' which then leads into the beautiful chores, in which Mikael puts emphasis on some words and brings the song to life ''And I should contemplate this change / To ease the pain / And I should step out of the rain / Turn away'' . By using different vocal effects they have allowed the song to truly 'progress'.

Visually the album reflects the mood of the music well. Long time Opeth collaborator Travis Smith designed the cover art and it shows his ability to match emotional music with emotional imagery. Personally I’m not a big fan of this album cover, I don’t feel the elements were arranged particularly well in the composition, as an art lover I find it a bit frustrating that they could not have picked a better cover image but, it’s not my album, perhaps they felt it represented the music best. Additional visual elements were captured by ken Seaney and Rex Zachary.

This album is an emotional work of art that, for me, opened up a whole other reason to love Opeth. Like you need another one. Personally I would rate this as my second favorite Opeth album out of everything of theirs I’ve heard. It’s only the great 'Watershed' I would rate higher. It's a dark and moody affair that, if you love the darkness of metal but get put off by death metal vocals, will make a great addition to your record collection. Some purist would call an album without metal vocals weak, but for me this album is an example of a metal band playing mellow music and completely succeeding. It a beautiful lack of weakness!

While doing my research in preparation of this review, I noticed that this album seems to catch a lot of shit. And I don’t mean that like, the odd old school Opeth fanboy just blasts it for no good reason either. I’m talking about pages long arguments as to why Damnation is Opeth’s worst album. I mean, these things look like they were written by Ivy League professors. I have to ask, “why”? Why the extreme hatred? Why the surprised reaction? Wasn’t Opeth kind of building towards something like this?

Thing is, I can kind of see why so many felt betrayed. Even if you noticed that they were heading in this particular direction, even if momentarily, it’d still end up being a kind of shock to the system. It’s actually pretty crazy if you think about it; Not a single song on this album is trying to be anything except for progressive rock. Nothing even remotely extreme. Yeah, I can see how some felt alienated by this change. Lucky for me, I have little to no expectation for these albums since I’m fairly new to the whole Opeth deal. And in my opinion, Damnation is my favorite re-issue of the three.

Everything about this album is dead center on the Perfect Progressive Album bull’s eye! Mikael’s voice is right were it needs to be, when it needs to be there. He doesn’t have the best voice in the world, but it’s exactly what is called for here and now and in this album. His progressive structure throughout Damnation is occupying Floydian Genius territory! Yeah, there’s a HUGE Pink Floyd influence hanging around here too. You can really hear it in the misty and almost purely atmospheric tones and chillin’ out tempos that populate this album. It should also be said that the incorporation of a grand piano and the creative, ivory ticklin’ manstermind, Steven Wilson is a perfect addition to this line-up of already top-notch musicians in this delicious prog pie.

I also love how even though, not every musician gets a huge slice of said pie (time wise), nobody seems to be underplayed or underused. It’s like I said earlier, where they need to be and when they need to be there. It applies to everything about this album. Not a single note feels like it could of been longer or possibly cut short. None of the lyrics feel forced or even slightly hacked. There’s a perfect balance between vocals to instrumental ratio so that it won’t harsh your mellow (maybe that’s speculation…). There’s not a damn thing that I could say about this album that’s even remotely negative.

Overall: Hate it as an Opeth album or love it as a monumental step in creative direction, either way you have to give it up to Damnation for being a juggernaut of a progressive rock album. I’m even willing to go as far as to say that this album earns a spot towards the very peak of my Best Progressive Albums.

Opeth: death metal for the kiddies. Am I right? Of course I'm right! I'll give you a moment to go to read a few reviews for Still Life or Blackwater Park, and go on various metal sites and look at how acclaimed these guys are. On Rate Your Music, almost every album they've released is ranked in the top 30 for their respective years, and many have even cracked into the top 10. Now, it can be and has been argued that Opeth aren't even death metal, but the fact remains that Opeth is responsible for bringing an abrasive style of music to a mainstream audience, mixing it with incredibly long songs in the process. All things considered, I'd say it's nothing short of a miracle Opeth has managed such popularity given the attributes that make up their music.

And with that must I say this: Damnation is the album I hold in dearest reverence. Opeth took the vicious end of progressive metal and became popular with it, even managing to release perhaps their heaviest album with Deliverance, then spun off entirely into this: an entirely acoustic progressive rock effort. Just imagine being Opeth for a moment. You're releasing record after record of stunning (questionably) death metal, then you're like BAM! Let's show those suckers we're not metal at all!

Now, if I was Mikael, my first instinct upon this would be "everybody is going to hate this album." Think about it. Metallica was certainly shunned even for releasing The Black Album, and even Dark Tranquillity's Projector was torn apart by Dark Tranquillity's fanbase. And yet, both of those albums are much more in line with the respective bands' previous outputs simply because they're still metal. So really, who would've thought a band known for their progressive (death) metal would release their magnum opus with their brief foray into a pure, chilling, calming yet oddly tense progressive rock record? Well, that is exactly what they've done.

This isn't all that out of line from the typical Opeth experience, truly. Prior albums of theirs always had acoustic sessions, so why not an album full of them? The whys matter not, for this is a grand album regardless. Damnation masterfully brings into play Opeth's progressive leanings and keeps interest heavy by doing what Opeth doesn't do: going pop. No, this isn't a pop album, but the album's weight is carried by how beautifully catchy these tracks are. Tracks like "In My Time of Need" and "Death Whispered a Lullaby" are full of melodies so viciously addictive the vocal lines have lunged into my mind with an outright refusal to exit for days on end... repeatedly.

With this poppiness, though, is another interesting element: melancholy. Mikael somehow managed to craft a melancholically poppy album, and this shows with tracks like "Windowpane" and "To Rid the Disease" - the former of which may be my favorite Opeth song of all time, and definitely my favorite of the album. The overall mood is set by moody riffing and melodies, while the songs never lose their addictive quality. And honestly, all of the songs on this album are definitely fit well into a mold somber, enchanting, and almost ambient simply due to their emphasis on a chilling atmosphere.

My only, sole complaint with this album would be its finisher. The moody (notice how often that adjective is popping up here) "Ending Credits" works as the album's true ending as its title would imply, because "Weakness" feels like a bonus track. It feels like it was tacked on to the end of the album for the sake of not wasting material, or perhaps just expanding the album's length - it's definitely of different style than the other tracks, as well. Is it a bad song? Not by any means. I'd actually say it would fit right in on, say, Ghost Reveries - it reminds me a lot of "Atonement" and "Isolation Years." Here on Damnation, though, I can't help but get the feeling it disrupts the album's flow and weakens a perfect experience otherwise. It is only because "Weakness" is tacked on to the end of the album (even being put after a track titled "Ending Credits" - c'mon) I am able to ignore its presence and give Damnation a perfect score even still - because every other track is perfect.

This, along with Watershed, was my first Opeth album, and it was certainly the first Opeth album I fell in love with. It is a beautiful, emotional album, and yet Opeth's most accessible album due to its sheer catchiness amongst those sorrowful, grief-ridden melodies. Even so, it's definitely a "love it or hate it" type of album; those of you with little interest in Opeth's softer, acoustic side will likelyfind Damnation to be outright boring. To be honest, that side of Opeth in other albums never appealed to me nearly as much as it does here, even so, but I can hardly guarantee a similar experience for other listeners. I would at least ask any Opeth fan or any progressive fan to give Damnation a chance, because it is truly an endearing experience. Gah, if only Heritage was this good.

As I was to discover, Opeth probably is one of the most polarising bands in the metal world. Their fans are such that they love each and every musical sequence this band composes and go right down the lengths of murder and riots against every word said to this band. Their detractors are equally interesting and hate each and everything this band has composed and voice their opinions quite a little too loudly, I am afraid. Anyway, all this leads to curiosity, which in turn leads to more and more people listening their music, which leads in turn to increases in their fan base. I was the victim of the same curiosity when I downloaded a couple of albums by this band. Before downloading I already had read somewhere over the web that this was not entirely a heavy metal album, so I had made up my expectations regarding this album in that fashion. As it turns out this album is far removed from all the other Opeth albums in the sense that this has no harsh vocals and heavy riffage (if I could call that riffage, but hey, that is outside the scope of my review). This album is similar to Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, or King Crimson in sound as well as structures of songs.

Among the performances, the acoustic guitar work is brilliant. Though it may not be very technically sound in composition, it is executed with amazing passion and devotion. Special mention must be given to Martin Lopez for his superb drum work which is complex and provides an excellent backdrop for the music underneath. Martin Mendez's bass work is instrumental in the bleak atmosphere that decorates the music and gives the album its special quality. Sadly, all of these praises cannot be laid upon Mikael Akerfeldt's vocal work. His clean vocals lack proper range and steadiness and that seeps much of the quality out of the record. The production is fine and merges all the elements superbly.

No, they have not at any rate sold out. Though this may be their softest album, this necessarily does not mean that it is a watered down, market-oriented, soft rock effort. The music is still complex as ever, containing many pace changes and musical passages. The song length is reduced and only one goes above the seven minute mark, but that is quite understandable if you consider how boring it would have been to sit for eleven minutes listening to nothing but acoustic passages and silly emotional whining. The shorter songs give the album quite a dynamic edge as Akerfeldt manages to keep the music grounded, yet at the same time making it complex and deep. As ever with their trademark sound, this album is extremely moody and bleak. The soundscapes created by the many different acoustic passages are just brilliant. You would want to drift and float dreamily as this album progresses, transporting you to dark and bleak worlds full of sorrow and grief. Every passage has been composed and played excellently, giving the music a great flow. Another thing to note about this is that this album does not repeat melodies over and over again, a thing I've always had hated about their previous efforts. Here the same melody is not repeated 10 times just for the sake of padding out the song length ala Blackwater Park.

On the negative side, it is the vocals that draw out the most frustration. Say what you will about it, Akerfeldt is not a professional vocalist. His growling is just fine and that is what he must be doing, not stupid emotional whining. He could just employ a professional vocalist who would do the job for him; anyone who does his job decently and this album would sound infinitely great. While listening, I could not help imagine how better this album would sound with, say, Ray Alder, James LaBrie, or Steven Wilson on vocals.

When all is said and done, this album works effectively with its technically simple, yet emotionally captivating compositions. There may be many a moments when this album may seem far complicated and twisted, a thing I cannot deny, but if heard with the proper mindset and the proper atmosphere, this album works wonderfully and can make you forget your current state of mind.

In conclusion, this album will find its most powerful appreciation among the fans of progressive rock. This is recommended for metal heads who can do with a bit of soft rock along with their regular dosage of metal. This album is strictly discouraged for the rest who like their metal in your face and straight to the point. This album is the very antithesis of their liking.

To put it bluntly, I love everything about this album. I wouldn't say that this album is "metal," but that doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. No other album I've ever listened to has connected with me in the same way. It is a truly sad and melancholy bunch of songs, and it is a great soundtrack to depression. I've recently gone through the worst depression of my life, as my relationship with the first woman I've ever truly loved came crashing down. When I listen to this music, I feel like Mikael and the rest of the band understand exactly what I'm feeling, and Akerfeldt's lyrics put into words the emotions I just can't fully express. Sure, the music is slow and has no elements of aggression whatsoever, but that is a good thing. This album wouldn't be as profound if it were heavy.

The vocals on this album are absolutely top notch. Mikael Akerfeldt truly shines here. As much as I adore his style of growled vocals, his clean singing is beautiful. The vocal melodies and harmonies are haunting, and I guarantee that after a few listens these songs will be stuck in your head. The lyrics are amazing as well, most dealing with loss and sorrow. My favorite lyrics on the album have to be "Hope Leaves." Although the song is about the bitter sorrow felt because of the death of a loved one, I can completely relate to the feeling of hopelessness after having the love of my life walk out on me.

The guitar work on this album is phenomenal. Lindgren and Akerfeldt are a perfect duo, complimenting each other all the time. There is no distortion on the guitars, which is another good thing. Because of the clean tones, the guitar feels fluid and natural. The chord choices and progressions are great, and the leads are tasteful and full of emotion.

Martin Mendez does a great job of holding down the low end on this album. His bass tone is warm, and his bass lines are tasteful and appropriate. He only adds to the music, and doesn't try to show off or take the spotlight (even though he is certainly skilled enough to.)

Martin Lopez is a great drummer and this album truly showcases his full abilities. There is no double bass here and the drums aren't as technical as a normal Opeth release. That's totally fine though, because his drumming is varied and impressive. He can do it all as he plays jazz-like parts or Latin styles with ease. The production of the drums is excellent as well, and Lopez is a great match for bass player Mendez.

One final note, the keyboards on this album are great. Handled by famed producer and musician Steven Wilson, the keys bring so much richness and atmosphere to the songs. The music greatly benefits from the use of keyboards and organ and wouldn't be the same without. I would love to give highlights, but I can't pick out any truly favorite parts. This whole thing is perfect from start to finish.

Released just a couple of months after “Deliverance”, “Damnation” can be seen as Opeth's experimental album, since the music present on this piece is much different than the music present on the other albums released by this swedish band. Opeth's music is defined by contrasts: the contrast between light and heavy, between mellow and aggressive. All their songs were, until “Damnation”, filled with different segments: some segments were very raw, with Mikael's growls playing the main role, and calm parts, with the gentle guitar lines assuming an important presence.

But “Damnation” is different. Don't expect any aggressive parts, any double-bass, any fast fills, any heavy riffs. This album shows the band adopting a very mellow sound: all the death/progressive metal elements were thrown away. The soft guitar work is really amazing, and that's one of the reasons why this album is so enjoyable. The musicianship is top notch, as always, but this time the structures of the majority of the tunes aren't that complex. Well, they aren't simple either, but don't expect songs with similar structures as “In the Mist She Was Standing” on this record.

The biggest quality of “Damnation”, though, lies on its atmosphere. All the tracks carry a very melancholic/nostalgic vibe and, at the end of the day, the album sounds much better as a whole tahn individually. You'll certainly enjoy “Damnation” if you consider it as a long song instead of a normal record, with the different tunes being the particular movements of the same song: it sounds much better that way, I assure you.

Individually, the songs don't sound that good, though: it's very hard, at least for me, to listen to songs like “Weakness” without hearing the whole album. As I've already said, I'm pretty sure this album was made to be heard entirely. The best track of the album, and the only one I can hear without listening to the other tunes right after, is the opener, “Windowpane”. It's just a masterpiece of a song, really. Its structure is the most complex of the album, the song containing two memorable solos, a wonderful main riff and excellent drumming. Yeah, Martin's performance on this album is just mindblowing, he definitely proves here that he isn't just a metal drummer: his beats are reminiscent, at times, of jazz and there's also some latin percussion parts to be found on the album, especially on “Closure”, which is, by the way, another highlight. “Ending Credits” is also worth mentioning, a sweet little instrumental piece, filled with nice, jazzy guitar work and more amazing drumming.

Another important characteristic of “Damnation” is the important presence of the keyboards: like on “Deliverance” there's a huge use of piano, organ and mellotron throughout the album. “Windowpane” is a perfect example of that, with many sections of it being dominated by the keyboards. “In My Time of Need” and “To Rid the Disease”, both very good tracks, are also examples.

The biggest problem I have with “Damnation” is the fact that the songs, in the end, are very similar. At times, I miss the death metal sections and the contrasts between calm and heavy sections. Songs like “Windowpane” flow really well, but tracks like “Hope Leaves” would sound much better if there were some metal elements present. Another problem you may have with “Damnation” is that this isn't a record to be heard everyday: this piece was made to be heard when you're nostalgic or melancholic or sad. This isn't the album I'll play when I'm extremely happy, that's for sure. On other hand, if you enjoy atmospheric music, you'll surely like this record. Ah, and Mikael's clean vocals rule on this album. A last word for the incredible production, everything is audible and crystal clear, Steven Wilson must be congratulated!

Best Moments of the CD:
-“might be staring directly at me...”
-the last part of “To Rid the Disease”.
-the 'chorus' of “In My Time of Need”.

So we all know that Opeth wanted to release this album full of pretty little acoustic numbers with their more metallic material on “Deliverance” as one album. No surprise, really, as “Deliverance” is a pretty harsh record (for Opeth) and they love to do things half soft/half hard, kind of like me in bed with your mother after a few drinks. But the record label had their way and the two were released separately. “Damnation,” full of prog-rocky kiss a dude type tunes was left to stand alone. And does it stand tall?

Yes and no seems to be the answer. Let’s just start by reinforcing the fact that there is NO METAL on here at all. It would pass through airport security with zero difficulty. If you were looking for a soundtrack to smoking opium and cuddling a puppy – great success. If you are looking for some tunes to snap your neck to whilst chugging cheap beer and shitting your pants, look away, look away, look away Dixie land.

Without the dynamics, the growls, the double bass, and the startling transitions Opeth’s tendency to wander comes to the forefront. The catchy choruses and vocal patterns save songs like “To rid the disease” from just meandering right off the cliff into the great chasm of boredom. In fact, I’d say Mike A’s happy little voice pretty much builds a fence right on the edge of that cliff for the whole damn(ationed) disc.

Not that everyone else isn’t in fine form, mind you, and there’s commendable, restrained playing from the rest of the ‘peth crew throughout. Just fine, not outstanding. It all sort of happens and then it is over. I’d say “Death whispered a lullaby” with lyrics by none other than former band-controlling nonmember Steve Wilson is overtly memorable. As is the chorus to “In my time of need.” The album does a great job of creating a rainy-day-alone-by-yourself-and-where-the-fuck-is-my-opium-and-my-motherfucking-puppies atmosphere. I would recommend indulging in everyone’s favorite smokeable plant, putting on some headphones, and wandering out into the wilderness with this baby on high volume. It will probably be the single most profound experience of your life. If you’re an asshole.

Have I been a bit too harsh? Maybe so. There’s nothing to actively dislike on “Damnation,” but there’s nothing I am going to mate with anytime soon either. Think Pink Floyd but with better vocals and fewer psychedelic drugs. Is LSD hard to get in Sweden? That might explain why there isn’t much freaking out on “Damnation,” and why the lyrics to these songs continue to get more and more clichéd. For every, “as I’ve come clean I’ve forgotten what I promised/ in the rays of the sun I am longing for the darkness,” there’s a, “I’m not afraid of what you have just done/ but of what you’ve just become.” Come the fuck on now, guys. It’s not at AC/DC “Giving the dog a bone” caliber, but it is getting close. Not that I’m insulting AC/DC mind you, and the aforementioned song may be the best about tonsil spearing ever written.

As background music, “Damnation” would get a perfect score. But as an engaging, ball-grabbing musical extravaganza, I’ll have to give it a pleasant but not really very low or very high score of 7 out of 10.

There’s some phrase out there about faint praise really being damnation, and if I were smarter I’d know what that phrase is.

Originally posted on: www.globaldomination.se

Beginning with Orchid, Opeth presented a twist in the road, straying from trends and ‘the rule book’ of other Extreme Metal acts at the time to delve farther from musical ‘boundaries’. Opeth has always incorporated punishing riffs, fast drums, and deep roars fused together with mellow acoustic, jazzy solos, and downright amazing clean singing into almost each and every one of their songs. Yet there is one album who would defy the rules yet again, to bring us into a realm of sadness, depression, and a feeling of despair with the overtones of bitterness. Something beautiful, uplifting, mellow and dark at the same time. That something, my readers, is Opeths’ seventh album, Damnation.

As said, Opeth have always incorporated the soft, but they’ve never exploited it to the extent of a whole album. Although quite difficult to label any of their albums, if I had to pick one word to describe Damnation, it would be beautiful. Yet every song is different in at least half a dozen ways; you cannot say soft, because ‘Closure’ is anything but, not heavy because of ‘Hope Leaves’, and certainly not joyful because every song on here is in a dark, gloomy mood. But that does not mean its not uplifting, take the chorus of ‘In My Time of Need’, as soaring as it gets! And thus makes the listener completely awed. This is a great record to connect with, whether you’re lonely, sad, depressed for no reason, or any state of melancholy, and has a great deal of meaning to anyone who remotely feels the way I do about this album.

And what makes this record? Personally, I think it comes down to two people; Steven Wilson and Mikael Åkerfeldt. Steven has added great elements to this record, things that add the final touch to some songs, such as the vocal harmonies in ‘Windowpane’, the haunting mellotrons in ‘Weakness’, and even wrote the lyrics to ‘Death Whispered a Lullaby’. He also brings the usage of keyboards, which is, I think, an essential part of Damnation, because of their beautiful, blissful sounds. Wilson adds something to almost every song, and it blends perfectly with this style of Opeth. The other man I want to speak about is the band’s frontman and songwriter, Mikael Åkerfeldt. His vocals are absolutely astonishing, vocal ability, range, whatever, this being has it covered. For Damnations’ duration, he uses his clean vocals, and use them he does. He sounds weak, empty, at some songs, perfect with the mood; full and confident in others. This is all intentional, because he wants you to experience how he feels, and he executes perfectly. From staccato verses (‘In My Time of Need’) to legato and impressive drawn-out openers (‘Closure’), you can count on Åkerfeldt for great, talented singing. But its not just his vocals which everyone raves about, it’s also his ability to compose, particularly this album. While all members of Opeth contribute in the songwriting, Mikael does construct the base of the song, and writes some utterly depressing lines of music, such as the opener to ‘Hope Leaves’ and the chorus of ‘To Rid the Disease’, among others.

Talent is not rare in Opeth, and so when dissecting this record we cannot leave without mentioning the Martins. The first one, Martin Lopez, is very technical, no doubt. Even though Damnation might not be as full, rich, or varied as with Opeths’ other albums, where Lopez incorporates both blast-beat speed and heaviness with a jazzy-smooth, soft sound, this one is particularly softer, obviously. However soft, the drums have a great sound, big sound, and Lopez hard-hits his drums when he wants to, giving accents where need be. Present is the technicality Lopez showcases in everything he does, leading the change of the tempo in the song, accurately deriving from a 6/8 beat to another complicated structure of beats. And it works well with the other, Martin Mendez, the bassist. They are one in the same, very tight and structured. You can hear him well, too, as he follows along. His sound is very warm, something that is so different from the rest of the album, yet appreciated and flows precisely anyways.

Peter Lindgren and Mikaels’ guitar duo is exceptional in anything they’ve done, and this is certainty no exception! The tones are mostly cold, nicely fitting in with the sound of the Damnation. Solos are jazzy, and have an endless amount of emotion and power in them, like the first solo in ‘Windowpane’ or the guitar harmonizing in ‘Ending Credits’. But the riffs is what the listener listens for, as they are so fit and neat, sonically pleasant, yet so aurally sad at most times. And I haven’t heard the slightest bit of recycling, all of it is inspiring and different, no doubt branching off from Mikaels mind. I mean, listen to the acoustic in ‘Closure’, the flow is ingenious! And what Mikael creates, Peter might have perfected, as aforementioned that all members are free to contribute in Opeth. Another piece of the album that most be noticed is the lyrics. Some of Mikaels most personal insights are displayed here, and in a combination of his singing, the effect is invaluable to a point where the only way to get it back is to keep coming and listening again and again. Suicide, loneliness, despair, just about anything self-wallowing is expressed here, and sometimes greater stories are told within the lines, you just have to find it. Yet the lyrics don’t have to be anything, you can find connections within your own life so that they make sense for you, and that takes some heart from the lyricalist.

So here you have it: Opeths’ most beautiful piece of art. This album is a fusion of the humans’ most deepest, darkest feelings, translated into a marvelous eight songs which any fan of Opeth should have. Its as simple as that, though the album is not so simple at all. Here are the deeper meanings of songs, where you can find something more than just a lyric, a chord, a note, or a beat…here is Damnation.


Originally written for sputnikmusic.com

As I sit in my bedroom, writing the opening sentences of this review, I take a look out the window. The skies are cloudy, grey, and gloomy. The street is quite, dull, and empty. After the long winter, it's quite a familiar, unwelcome scene. When I gaze upon the cover art of Opeth's 2003 album, Damnation, I get the same sort of feeling. Like the scenery outside my window (Well, actually the clouds are kind of clearing up now. Whoops), Damnation's art conveys a bleak, grey, unpleasant picture. Yet (unlike my street), it has a mysterious feel to it. Honestly, I'm not quite sure what it's trying to depict, but it does seem to reflect the emotions of the album. Often portrayed as an experimental record, Damnation isn't so much a change in musical ideals for Opeth, but it does introduce a new sound. The polar opposite of Deliverance in terms of delivery (pardon the pun); Damnation is a softer offering, void of any distortion or death metal growls. Yet despite this, Damnation still manages to be my favourite album from Opeth.

As I mentioned earlier, Damnation is not totally different from the band's previous outings. For me, just as in the past, the most important part of the album is the emotion that Opeth crafts and delivers. Even without the extreme metal influences, Opeth still manages to produce fantastic arrangements, which make use of soloing (electric guitar is used in Windowpane), harmonies, as well as enjoyable acoustic and clean guitar elements which draw in the listener and do not really let go for the entirety of the album. Songs from Hope Leaves to Closure to the four minute instrumental Ending Credits all feature impressive guitar work. Both guitarists, Mikael Akerfeldt and Peter Lindgren, play a series of complex riff work which, due to the subtlety in which the guitars were laid out, feels very simple. Now how about these emotions I've mentioned. Opeth's seventh full length studio effort covers a variety of feelings, the most notable in the 43 minute recording is that of deep regret and sorrow. But when listening to Damnation I feel a sense of appreciation. It's a very powerful record in this sense, especially the album's closer Weakness, with its depressing, melancholic mellotrons.

Perhaps the most impressive physical element in Opeth's musical arsenal is the vocals of Mikael Akerfeldt. As I had mentioned earlier, his powerful screams and growls were not made use of during the entirety of the album. So instead, Mikael has to rely on that of his cleaner singing. And I must say, his efforts here are quite superb. Much like the guitars, Akerfeldt's voice is soft and crooning, evoking similar emotions to what the guitars create. Some of the strongest vocal offerings I've heard from Mikael, they fit the attitudes or Damnation exceedingly well. Sombre, soothing, calm, any of these words would be a fairly accurate description of what's to be heard from the Opeth frontman. To go with Akerfeldt's impressive performance is the lyrical element of Damnation. With lines such as "I can't see the meaning of this life I'm leading / I try to forget you as you forgot me / This time there is nothing left for you to take, this is goodbye" or "Weaker now, drawing fluid from me / You kill me / I'm not afraid of what you have just done / But of what you've just become" this is obviously the most frightening or depressing aspect of Damnation. But don't let negativity of the lyrics turn you off from the album, as they fit the direction of Damnation very well, and are very powerful underneath Mikael Akerfeldt's voice.

Originally to be released as a double-disk album with Deliverance, Damnation was pushed back a few months after the release of the former. Yet, this isn't a problem at all and in fact might have been a rather good thing. Throughout the entirety of the eight track, 43 minute album, Damnation holds its own rather well. The obvious progressive rock influences work exceedingly well with the emotional, intertwining sound Opeth employs, as tracks such as In My Time of Need, Windowpane and Hope Leaves show listeners. This is probably my favourite of the Opeth albums I have heard, even without the extreme metal influences, as the song writing is superb, the feel of the album is excellent, and the subtle yet complex performances are quite enjoyable. A definite classic which I wholeheartedly recommend.

(Originally written for Sputnikmusic)

Damnation is the perfect title for Opeth’s seventh album, an experimental record delving into the band’s interest in 70’s progressive rock. Damnation is the musical embodiment of the feelings one experiences while shunned in such a way. Throughout the gloomy clean guitar riffs and melotronic effects, There is a wound that's always bleeding , There is a road I'm always walking , And I know you'll never return to this place echoes eloquently amidst the music. No artist has ever created such a beautiful yet hauntingly perfect incarnation of a terrible emotion.

As vocalist/guitarist Mikael Akerfeldt always held great interest in 70’s progressive, this album was a long time coming. Mikael favors his soothing, clean singing voice over his ferocious growls for the full 43 minutes. With help from good friend and famed producer Steven Wilson on tracks such as Death Whispered a Lullaby and Weakness, Damnation was given a flavor that past Opeth albums had never seen. Songs range from bluesy to melancholic with great variation in between. One of the best traits of Opeth has always been their ability to create sounds that invoke deep thoughts and images, almost on a spiritual level. On a personal note, this album above all others has affected me greatly. Listening to the melodies and words have made me contemplate who I am as a person, where I’m going, and why I’m here. It’s made me think about my relationship with someone very special to me and was a great incarnation of the emotions I felt when that person left.

The music of Damnation is a low, subtle sound with steady drum and bass rhythms, complimented with guitar melodies and primarily the voice of Mikael. The entire album is based mainly around his voice aside from the songs Ending Credits, a blues/rock instrumental (I IV V just never gets old), and Weakness, an ambient song created with Wilson’s melotrons. At times the entire band comes together in songs like Windowpane and Closure to create a gentle yet incredibly powerful sonic force with a wide array of styled results. The former of those also excels in creating simple yet beautiful guitar harmonies and melodies with a largely instrumental basis. In between, the album features the haunting track Hope Leaves, arguably one of the saddest songs ever written in this century. In My Time of Need and To Rid the Disease complete the package with a somber yet serene soundscape of melodic riffs and rhythmic choruses.

Damnation is unlike anything any metal band was thought capable of. At the end of the last song, if no part of the album has hit you emotionally, you weren’t listening.

originally written for http://www.sputnikmusic.com/

This wasn’t a huge surprise. Opeth has included acoustic portions into their songs since the dawn of creation, so an entire album built upon this innovation was nearly inevitable. I wasn’t shocked, and neither should you! Any idiot who thinks this isn’t ‘metal enuff, d00d!” has clearly missed the point, or just cannot process forewarning and other forms of syndicated information. Opeth said themselves that this was to be a clean acoustic album, hence, it’s a clean acoustic album. The lack of distortion and growls throughout Damnation should go without saying. But anyway...
If you’ve heard Blackwater Park, this album has the same approach as the track Harvest. It’s slow paced folk-ish soft rock with humming guitars and a few keyboard moments with minimal drumming and soft vocals. Song lengths are much shorter than on previous albums, which really doesn’t bother me, as the songs don’t drag on too much here. There are a few songs on here that follow a typical verse-chorus-verse pattern, and some that remind me of sludge style doom metal.

How can that be? Well, if you’ve ever heard a sludge/stoner album that has a lyrical focus on pain and angst, there are plenty of times where the music becomes so non-musical, you’d have to be on something druggy to truly understand the misery behind it. That means droning vocals, slow, technically bizzare riffs, and drums that don’t flow whatsoever. If you know what I’m talking about, you must realize that this is not a poppy album. In fact, although it has a rock basis, it’s focus is on longing, sadness, and flat out misery. Imagine if Grief had a different vocalist and forgot to turn on the distortion.

Now that I’ve explained the way the music is played, it’s opinion time. Opeth is one of the few mainstream bands I’ve enjoyed over the years, and although they tend to lean towards the goth girl crowd and sometimes drag on riffs way too long, they’re a pretty good listen. Because I love the acoustic moments that interrupt the distortion most of the time, I was really looking forward to this. Fortunately, I wasn’t disappointed like I thought I would be. In fact, I really like this album. It’s a slightly unusual, yet solid album encasing the band’s softer side with some strange twists....
Okay, I admit it. I love this album. It puts me in a great mood, espeacially in the summer time, and makes me appreciate everything from nature, to emotion, to love. Yes! It is like a drug! I can't help it! Sad music makes me happy! Of course, everything makes me happy...but...

At times, I forget it’s Opeth at all...but anyway, if you like Opeth, you might like this. There’s probably an equal number of Opeth fans that will hate this though, so take a few mp3's off the web before you actually lay down any cash. It’s good, just different. If you do take a liking to this, don't expect to put it down anytime soon. It's addictive and just so atmospheric...
*drools hideously*

Clearly, Opeth are the type of band that forces a reaction from the listener. Nothing more, and nothing less. "Damnation" proves nothing else in that it causes no exception to this theory in that one either hates them or loves them. Mikael Akerfeldt was inspired by a good friend of his from Katatonia to release a sort of 2-part album, and the idea then became the thoughtful, yet brutal "Deliverance", and the sensitive, dismal "Damnation".

The album sets its tone with no questions asked from the moment the clean guitars begin on Windowpane. From here on, the listener can basically determine that the album will consist of powerful, yet gentle music laden with lyrics that bring out the sorrow from within the fans and the well-rounded listener. Those whom have already made up their minds that Opeth is not quite their choice of "heavy music" on account of them being "boring" and "unimaginative" will be disappointed yet again that Opeth are not blasting away heavily distorted guitars at 18 beats per second, or even growling for that matter.

The lyrics consist of depressing themes to which anyone can easily relate. Akerfeldt does quite a superb job on vocals, especially considering he does not growl to enforce the mood or themes. Instead, he relies on actual vocal melodies throughout the entire album as opposed to only occassionally.

The guitarwork is impressive as always, and although they are played more in the style of classic rock, the Opeth feel is always present nonetheless.

Martin Mendez's bass is loud and crisp, and enhances the natural melody which the guitars give to the album with his creative riffs which progress the passages quite nicely.

Of course, Martin Lopez has his unique style of drumming that, although never intense, produce such a creative and dark sound that no other drummer of his skill can emulate.

There is only so much emotion and creativity in "Damnation" that even open-minded first time listeners will be impressed and become infatuated with the band. Still, the album's main flaw resides on the closing track, Weakness, for it serves hardly a purpose in the midst of the other masterful songs. Such great lyrics need not be wasted on weak music to serve a filler.

Although the album is only barely over 40 mins. concerning their previous epic albums, "Damnation" is truly a masterpiece and a showcase of extremely talented musicianship and raw emotion.

Opeth's Damnation is a one-off album. Ok, we got that little detail out of the way. This isn't meant to sound like Opeth at all. If you know ANYTHING about this band, it should be that Mikael Akerfeldt absolutely worships the psychedelia movement of the 70s, and most importantly, Camel. This isn't a metal record, and most of the people on this website that have given it bad reviews are doing so because they can't get their head out of their ass and stop thinking metal is the only kind of music out there.

Listening to this album, you get that old Yes feeling. Sadly, this album lacks the acoustic guitars that Opeth has favored in their clean songs in the past, choosing a clean electric guitar for most of the songs. But even then, the album is just superbly done. Everything you expect to find in an album of this genre is there: the amazingly clean and melodic vocals, the soft, clean guitar tone, progressive drumming, and of course, the vocal harmonies that made the genre what it was. It's all there, and this effort just goes on to prove how well rounded the musicians in this band are.

As for the individual songs, I tend to favor the middle of the album, from tracks 3-6. "Closure" stands out for me, in part because of that wicked ending section, in which that guitar effect makes it sound like three guitars being played, and the tamboril being played in the background adds more percussion and acoustic tones to the whole thing. It's great, and I know many people that were usually turned off by Opeth were giving them a try after this album, and not just this one ;). I also enjoy the song "To Rid the Disease", which is written and performed in a way so it sounds like the moment is morosely hopeless. I also think it's the first time I've ever clearly heard Martin Mendez's bass playing in an Opeth record. O_o

The other songs on the album range from decent to good. Death Whispered a Lullaby and Hope Leaves have some pretty good lyrics to them, and Mikael's voice on Hope Leaves' chorus is just great. I'm not too wild about Windowpane or In My Time of Need, but I'll give IMTN credit for having the most distinguishable acoustic guitars along with Closure. The track "Ending Credits" is a pretty nifty instrumental, and Mikael wasn't kidding when he said on the Lamentations DVD that they "ripped off" Camel. The influence is there, and I think it sounds great. The only song that should have not made it is "Weakness", and it's why I didn't give this a 100%. The keyboards aren't very good for this track, and it just seems very rushed. Maybe a little more effort and it could have been better.

All in all, most tr00 metalheads hate this record. Fine, I don't care. They are truly missing out. People that actually enjoy different types of music besides metal can appreciate this album. Enjoy it for what it is folks. It's not meant to be compared to Mourningrise, Hearse, or Still Life.

Motherfucking raping aaaarggggggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!

I apologize but I had to get the anger out of my system after listening to this album, and I already have a hole in my wall, so I didn’t wish to make another one. This album has made me very angry. Why, you ask? Well for the most part, I had to listen to it in order to review it.

This album lacks everything that would make an album enjoyable. It has no direction, it has no depth, it has no feeling, it has no musical redeeming factor whatsoever. Opeth fanboys would argue against this. They would say “But it’s so atmospheric, it’s so deep and you just can’t see the beauty behind their art, they are a different type of band, don’t hate them for it. Can you not see the feelings in the songs?” This is just idiotic, as this album has none of these whatsoever, but “tries” to make it appear like it does. Opeth fanboys are easily deceived by this shitty band into thinking that this is actually true.

Every single song on this album is sleep inducing in it’s own “unique” way. From the pointless moaning of “Windowpane,” to the almost absent sound of “Weakness,” your eyelids will close more and more as the album progresses. Now, atmospheric, slow, simple and deep albums CAN be produced without putting its listeners to sleep, but Opeth fails to do this. They fail to capture the listener’s attention and concentration throughout this album. They miss to produce anything remotely interesting, kind of like when stars will miss each other when the Andromeda galaxy collides with the Milky Way Galaxy in 5 billions years… oh sorry, I was reviewing an Opeth album, my concentration kind of wandered off.

This album isn’t completely worthless as some would say. A completely worthless album has to either have no music whatsoever, or static a la Cock and Ball Torture. Surprisingly the revealing factor is that its good music to fall asleep to. Honestly, whenever you are suffering from insomnia, put on this album, hug your pillow and say hello to the Sandman. There are several specks of a pleasurable listening experience in this album, but they are scarce and they are far apart, therefore have no bearing on the overall satisfying experience you would get from this abomination.

It really is difficult to point out a standout track, as every single one of them is horrid, but if I had a gun to my head, I would say track 3 “Death Whispered a Lullaby,” as it has vocals that don’t sound as if they were coming from a dying victim. The reason that this album is not memorable is because for the most part it’s boring uninspired shit. If the album contained more tracks like “Death Whispered a Lullaby,” this might have been an okay album.

Honestly, I have heard better sounding music in the water levels of Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie's Double Trouble. Those simplistic sounds were more interesting than these songs, which, may I remind you, are done by a professional band. This band tried to produce an album that would generate a feeling of genius in simplicity. As you can assume from my rating, they did not obtain this feeling. Some of their other albums have more exciting songs, that tend to capture one’s attention, but for the most part I would not bother with this band, as there are countless better bands out there. If you do suffer from insomnia however, download this album, as it will surely put you to sleep. Now pardon me, while I go listen to some good music.

:np: Nuclear Assault.

Well, they totally gave up the pretense of being a metal band. Realising that they just weren't banging their heads against the stage like they've never done before, Opeth have put out an album of folkish stuff. I cannot with any conscience call this metal. But, oddly enough, it's not as hideously boring as some of their other efforts.

Yes, it is still really totally bad. But gone are the totally incoherent song structures - the alternation of light and heavy moments that just did not seem to flow well at all. Instead, we get something that's nice and happy all the way through - and in that, it manages to keep some atmosphere and some coherence.

Unfortunately, this formula too wears thin... the first song, Windowpane, is decent enough for what it is. A long number with several sections, none of which really stand out. "In My Time of Need" starts off with just about the most annoying vocal effects though. I think I heard that on an Alanis Morrissette album. "I! Want! You to know!" - nonetheless it goes into a decent epic part at "and I, should contemplate the change..." - the keyboards work well. The strange drums during the chorus just don't work, though - it sounds like the CD is skipping.

Then, "Death Whispered a Lullaby" is more of the same. It's very minimalistic, though at the end it does build up again, and that is where it gets good - it's too bad that they didn't stay with that idea for a while. "Closure" - a bit inconsistent. Again, four songs in the idea is getting to wear itself really thin. Somehow, I just wish they'd throw in a Sepultura-like monster thrash break, just to surprise the living fuck out of everyone. At least there is a section in the middle with some volume to it, thanks to the keyboards, and the end speeds up a bit.

"Hope Leaves" - this is pretty boring. It keeps the same ideas throughout the song, never really varying. "To Rid the Disease" has an okay piano section in the middle - but again, if you want to hear the piano section to end all piano sections, I refer you to WASP's Thunderhead. This is just not epic in the same sense, and thus does not truly work efficiently.

"Ending Credits" is a little interlude... well, sort of. It's instrumental, but ALL of the songs sound like this. Then, "Weakness" is almost an instrumental too, except it has the slightly distorted vocals back for another round. This is a REALLY bad idea, folks - it reeks of "early 90s silly alternative crap" - at least the rest was regular, decent honest music with real instruments, not a bad telephone connection.

So, when all is said and done... very few really good moments. But the fact that it isn't about 68 minutes long works for it very well - it didn't put me quite to sleep as badly as the horrible Blackwater Park. That said, Opeth did not gain a fan with this album - they still are just about the worst band ever.