Album Rating: 3.0

That is awesome. As long as you enjoy it, I say stick with it as it is worth it. There was a time that I used to think that learning music theory would just inhibit my creative side. But in all honesty, having studied the many music theories out there, especially western classical theory, I can honestly say it only enhances your ability to create and appreciate another whole side to music.



Also, I truly feel that mainly what music theory does is gives you a language set to describe what you have already been hearing. In a sense, on a site like this, we are all music theorists and especially musicologists.

Album Rating: 3.5

I'm not the biggest one musical theory but several musicians told me that the stuff of Opeth is way overrated in terms of complexity so yeah..(metal is generally not really a complex genre, lol - especially the riffs)

Album Rating: 3.5

Yeah, that's also what I get from most guitarists. Besides the fact that "technical complexity" does not warrant anything. Especially when we're already at "general consenuses" (which are never really that "general" since there are basically always two sides of the medal) one could also argue there is a general consesus to this album being "good" rendering the aforementioned arguments void.

Album Rating: 3.5

...or what is commonly often referred to as "overzealous wankery"

Album Rating: 3.0

wankfest

solos on this album are pretty shit, theyre technical but just sound out of place U DONT HAVE TO SWEEP EVERY SECOND U NO

^ That hard. Guitar solos on this album feel damn pointless

Album Rating: 3.0

"Lol, this Philalethes guy is a wank. Guitar tones don't make a genre, you cunt. "



Hilarious. If you understood even a shred of what I have been saying you would I realized I completely agree with you. Its the inner workings of the music itself that create a genre. It is the juxtaposition of rhythm, melody, and especially harmony that, create the similar elements within a given genre. This band, so far is no where near being lauded as the demigods of progressive metal. They have a long way to go compositionally speaking before they make a record that is near the level of the other aforementioned bands.

Album Rating: 3.0

"I'm not the biggest one musical theory but several musicians told me that the stuff of Opeth is way overrated in terms of complexity so yeah..(metal is generally not really a complex genre, lol - especially the riffs)"



This is a truly nieve statement. Technical music is a term in the modern, especially metal sense, gets thrown around to describe music that is very intricate, harmonically inventive, and usually changes meters and tempos a lot. By any common definition you can come up with for "technical", Opeth is a band that would easily fit in to this classification. And metal as a whole not technical? Really, come on.



And like our other brilliant commentor hear, MichaelSnoxall said, " There not that technical. Mikael doesn't even know the chords he plays."



Hilarious. Technicality has nothing to do with music theory knowledge. I just got done saying so a few comments ago. George Gershwin and Arnold Schoenburg, were self taught, and especially Schoenberg, made some of the most adventurous and "technical" music the world has ever seen. To say that Mikael doesn't know music theory is just pure ignorance. Just because he didn't have formal training, doesn't mean he hasn't spent his whole life studying theory as he composes and listens to music. He may lack all of the vocabulary that goes along with formal music theory training, but someone who pumps out album after album that continually explores the fringes of tonality like he does, clearly understands music theory very well.

Album Rating: 3.0

"solos on this album are pretty shit, theyre technical but just sound out of place U DONT HAVE TO SWEEP EVERY SECOND U NO"



I third that. This is probably one of the most irritating things from the album that I have found. These solos bring the facade of this supposed emotional and technical triumph of an album to light. There is little to no feeling or emotion to any of the solos. As the music shifts back and forth between two chords for 4 minutes at a time, we get the pleasure of listening to a guitarists run up and down his scale and arpeggio exercises for many excruciating minutes at a time.

Album Rating: 3.5

She meant you, probably because you're from OZ.

Album Rating: 3.0

"Looking at you try to argue is actually hilarious."



The hilarious part is listening to your gratuitous insults followed up with completely irrelevant counter arguments.

Album Rating: 3.0

Oh the hostility. I am sorry that you couldn't understand what I was saying. But there simply isn't enough time or space on a site like this for me to explain it in a more simpleton way for you.

Album Rating: 3.5

"being lauded around here as something that its simply not."

wut. This is a good album, and apart from maybe overzealous reviews nobody here ever stated that this is somewhat "supererior" in any musical sense so what are you even talking about.



And btw, I never talked about technicality but complexity. And yes, metal is not a complex genre. Most bands utilize easy song structures, riffs that aren't overly complex or have a high use of incredibly complex techniques. Opeth is no exception there. Maybe certain bands like DSO, Death and similar but that's not an overwhelming majority, and excuse me if I believe people with practical experience more than some "scholar" on the internet who relies mainly (if not only) on theoretical knowledge that he he has hammered inside his head for quite a time. Let alone that there is hardly "one school of musical theory".

Album Rating: 3.0

"And yes, metal is not a complex genre. Most bands utilize easy song structures, riffs that aren't overly complex or have a high use of incredibly complex techniques."



Wow. I don't know if you could find many people that would agree with you there. Metal music as a basic function, is almost a text book definition of what complexity in music is. Metal has always stood as an extreme genre of music that rebelled against the standards of popular music. As it got heavier and faster, it inevitably became more complex and technical. Each generation of bands tried to push the envelop a little further. I could probably list thousands of metal bands that make music that is complex. I am really curious who you think makes complex music if you think, as a whole, there aren't any metal bands that do?

Album Rating: 3.0

"excuse me if I believe people with practical experience more than some "scholar" on the internet who relies mainly (if not only) on theoretical knowledge that he he has hammered inside his head for quite a time. Let alone that there is hardly "one school of musical theory".



I guess 20+ years as a multi instrumentalist and composer doesn't qualify as practical experience. And you are spot on about more than one school of musical theory. I even mentioned this very thing in an earlier post.



At the beginning of this I was merely trying to point out that this album shares an inflated rating with other classic status albums that I feel is unwarranted and I just can't see lasting. Maybe I'm wrong, only time will tell. To each their own though.

Album Rating: 3.0

"Phila here hasn't heard much Jazz"



How do you know? I absolutely love Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, George Gershwin, Miles Davis and one of my favorite guitar players of all time is Django Reinhardt. I agree that jazz is a very complex genre of music, and there are many especially rhythmic elements of metal that are derived specifically from jazz music.

Album Rating: 3.0

"Metal was never about technical complexity, only in recent years has the whole craze about teenagers wanting to wank their instruments as much as possible occurred. Of course, there were always technically talented musicians in Metal, but none were trying to be complex or technical for the sake of it. Metal was never about that. "



You guys should probably just stop. You keep saying things that are completely ignorant and dig yourselves in to a deeper hole. You guys should make a list for Sputnik that says metal isn't a complex genre of music and put down the countless examples of bands the you seemingly have. I think it would be very interesting to see how many people would blast a ridiculous list like that out of the water.

Album Rating: 4.5

'the djent riffing utterly demolishes any momentum the song had going'



face, meet palm

I love you Cyan1d3