 OPETH
Deliverance
Music For Nations/Koch Records
www.opeth.com
Read the Peter
Lindgren interview
Live Opeth pics
What’s the 4-1-1?
I'm not the biggest fan of death metal. However, every now and then I listen
to the genre if it offers something different. I've been hearing
a lot of talk lately about Opeth. I've heard they're not your typical
death
metal band. They add a lot of different elements in their music.
I even
heard
Opeth promoted as the next big thing. This peaked my curiosity. Does
Opeth really offer something different? Does Opeth live up to the "hype"?
Let's explore......
Opeth got their start twelve years ago in Stockholm, Sweden. Through persistence
and hard work, the group was signed by England's Candlelight Records in 1995.
This union spawned Opeth's debut album, Orchid. Critics were set aback by
the combination of black/death metal enhanced with 70's progressive elements.
As the years passed by Opeth released a total of five albums by the end of
2001. During this time the group was plagued by poor marketing, line-up changes,
and personal tragedy. However, frontman Mikael Akerfeldt and guitarist Peter
Lindgren forged on. They filled in the gaps of the departing members, changed
record labels, and continued to make unique music that was often brutal,
but also melodic, progressive, and experimental. 2002 saw the release of
the band's sixth release, Deliverance.
Genre
Hard rock / death metal / aternative
The Good
Right off the bat Opeth assaults their loyal death metal followers with a
fury of pounding drums and mind numbing guitar riffs on "Wreath".
Vocalist Mikael Akerfeldt's growling vocals evoke angst and fear in their
delivery. The long instrumentals between the verses, highlighted by Lindgren
and Akerfeldt's intricate guitar work, bridge the gap between the changing
tempos. The band continues their brutality on the title track Deliverance,
but not for too long. Two minutes into the track the heavy guitars give
way to an acoustic interlude which shows off Akerfeldt's melodic delivery.
Don't get too comfortable though. This 13+ minute epic bounces back and
forth in a musical battle between beauty and beast, sure to please any
hard rock fan.
Opeth don't believe in wrapping things up in a nice, three minute package. "A
Fair Judgment" clocks in at 10+ minutes, and begins with a classically
inspired piano piece. The track is void of death metal elements, but is loaded
with plenty of fluid guitar work and showcases Akerfedt at his melodic best.
The guitar solos toward the end are intense. Inserted in the middle of the
disc is a short acoustic break entitled, "For Absent Friends",
then its back to the death metal. "Master's Apprentice" continues
with a heavy delivery battling it out with a more smooth and progressive
sound. "By the Pain I See in Others" concludes the disc, and is
the freakiest track of all. The track is heavy and melodic with breaks of
silence in between. After the silence Opeth adds some psychedelic elements
too strange to put into words. You have to hear it for yourself.
The Bad
Nothing
The Verdict
Deliverance is a "melting pot" of metal mayhem. Opeth combines
death metal, melodic rock, 70's progressive rock, and everything else they
could think of. Yes, I even heard the kitchen sink! There are only six tracks
on the disc, but five of them are over 10 minutes long with plenty of guitar
breaks that won't disappoint you. The fretwork is astonishing in its complexity
and precision. If you’re not a fan of death metal, the vocals take
a bit to get used to. It's all worth it when Akerfeldt changes to a more
melodic delivery. Opeth are truly a metal force to be reckoned with. I can
honesty say I have heard nothing like them. So, does Opeth live up to the "hype"?
Hell Yeah! It's not "hype" though, it's the truth!
Did You Know?
Deliverance is part one of a two CD set. The second disc, Damnation, is scheduled
for release in March 2003.
Rating:  out
of 5
Related Reviews:
Opeth - Damnation
--George Dionne
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