Jul 262011
Not long ago, Stereogum premiered the first song to be released from Heritage, the next album from Opeth. It’s the album’s second track, following a piano-led intro. I haven’t tried to embed it, because I’m hurrying off to SUMMER SLAUGHTER, but HERE IS THE LINK to Stereogum, where you can listen. In fact, I’m in so much of a hurry that I haven’t heard this song either. Let me know what you think.
12 Responses to “OPETH: “THE DEVIL’S ORCHARD””
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I didn’t like it. The vocals are pretty good at some points, but all the instruments sound clunky except when it transitions into a jazzy melody. I can appreciate it, however, for what it truly is: something very non-metal.
I know lots of people have been talking about how it’s very 70’s prog and all that… but to my ears it still sounds pretty metal. Just not “death metal”… and that’s mainly because of the absence of growling vocals.
Have listened to this track… about a gazillion times now.
Gave it the once over. I hear jazz-prog with clean vocals. Not my thing.
So far, seeing only these comments, I’m curious but thinking this may not be my thing either.
In brighter news, Fleshgod Apocalypse is about to start their set in Seattle. I’m trying not to wet myself, especially since I did that once already when I met them before the show. Once is tolerable, twice is dank.
I heard it over at TNotB, it was pretty good, I was super excited. I even posted. I like it from what I remember, I only listened to it once though so I don’t really have the entire song down in my head, all I really remember is that there is a cool interlude at the bridge or around there or something… I think… and “God is dead”, and the ending where “God is dead” is all… fuzzy? The word I was gonna use decided to abscond from my mind. Muddled is a better word than fuzzy.
Leave “I even posted.” out of the message; I was gonna say what I put on my Facebook, but I didn’t feel like it was important and/or even worth saying so I changed my mind but forgot those three words and the period.
I like it.
If this is any indication of the rest of the album, Opeth have gotten dixie with their progressive side on this pancake. Which isn’t really a bad thing. Yeah, this sounds more prog-metal than rock, but without then excessive cheese and/or technical wankery that can come with the territory. And really, how many bands could actually get away with making a death metal album, then a progressive album. And do that more than once in their career.
Sure, it may not be for everyone, but I see Opeth as a band that can lead one audience into the other material without too much complaint. And if some fans like the prog and hate the death metal, that’s still okay. Same applies when going in the other direction.
I’m getting more and more curious, though I’m still hours away from being able to listen to this. It is a testament to Opeth’s popularity and the respect they get in the metal world that they feel free to do something like this. Though it may make more more anxious for their NEXT album (hoping the pendulum swings back), I do have to listen to this one, even having been forewarned.
Well, I’ve listened to this song four times already – and missed the opportunity to get to the store before in closed in doing so.
Reading about the making of the album in the latest issue of Terrorizer, they put a hell of a lot into this album and recorded it differently than before (such as doing the bass and drums together live, keeping string breath, other details) and that Opeth could’ve come to an end. Maybe this is an album that Opeth (or Mikael) really needed to make. I get the impression that he’s a perfectionist and wouldn’t let an album out that he wasn’t satisfied with, even if it means the album is one that’ll divide the fanbase.
I don’t think the band will stay here permanently. Just a more relaxing drive down the metal freeway until the next exit.
I love prog and jazz as much as metal. I like Opeth and have been impressed with everything they’ve done before. This however does not impress me…unfortunately.
Finally, I’ve now listened to the song — 3 times. I really liked the guitar lead that begins after the intro and continues off and on after the vocals come in, as well as the solo at the finish. The jazzy, atmospheric, instrumental passage that flows through the middle part of the song is also kind of cool. But I really didn’t care for the vocals, and the song as a whole isn’t one I’m likely to hear again. Oddly, the song made me want to listen to Mastodon in their proggier moments, rather than than hear this for a fourth time.
Opeth attract a diverse fanbase that listen to a lot of different stuff. Those of us that listen to a lot of 70’s-80’s prog, which Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt also is very interested in, will find this easy to like. Imagine the music like it’s sped-up and heavily distorted, and you’d call it metal. But now it fits alongside bands like King Crimson and Rush, except maybe the “god is dead” lyrics….