[QUOTE=Flynn][I]Bleak[/I] is one of my favorite [B]Opeth[/B] songs ever. Great structure, but one thing is concerning me about this post. Please never ever ever ever ever compare [I]Godheads Lament[/I] to [I]Reverie/Harlequin Forest[/I] on this thread again. That's like comparing a turd to a sunset.[/QUOTE]

I agree completely, I really despise Reverie/Harlequin Forest, and I can't quite put my finger on it. I dont know, maybe it's just the song's overall bladness. Theres a pleasant guitar harmony somewhere but otherwise it just drags on and on. I really don't like the lyrics too, they're lame.

I like Harlequin Forest. I'll admit it rambles a bit, but I think it's a really good song. I refuse to start an argument over this though, as it's only [B]my opinion[/B].

Seeing these new setlists, all the same as I saw except they've replaced The Moor with Face of Melinda......not sure how I feel about that. Probably my two favorite songs. Guess I'll just call it a tie, with possible edge to Moor based on length.

Harlequin is my favorite song on GR.

Orchid is growing on me a little bit. It's still not up to their later standards, though, I don't think, even though most of the acoustic playing is really great. It's the electric guitar harmonies that don't really do anything for me.

[QUOTE=Creeping_Deth]I like Harlequin Forest. I'll admit it rambles a bit, but I think it's a really good song. I refuse to start an argument over this though, as it's only [B]my opinion[/B].[/QUOTE]

Yeah I don't want to start an argument over opinions either, I just felt like saying that it frustrates me how bland the song is and not up to Opeth standards.

[QUOTE=Kage]Harlequin is my favorite song on GR.

Orchid is growing on me a little bit. It's still not up to their later standards, though, I don't think, even though most of the acoustic playing is really great. It's the electric guitar harmonies that don't really do anything for me.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, and people complain about Harlequin Forest rambling :p . I do really like Orchid, though it's certainly their most unfocused work.

EDIT: Opeth have replaced Gene on this tour right?

[QUOTE=Creeping_Deth]Yeah, and people complain about Harlequin Forest rambling :p . I do really like Orchid, though it's certainly their most unfocused work.[/QUOTE]

Definitely. Morningrise is where it all comes together, at least in terms of that double melodic lead style, though some would beg to differ. For example on Orchid, there's a lot of strange moments, musically that just dont seem to fit in or sound plain dumb. Like the whole "creepy effects" thing in the middle of Under the Weeping Moon. Or, there's a quick little funky bassline in The Twilight is My Robe that sounds ridiculously out of place.

Or the intro to 'The Apostle In Triumph' followed by the 10 second silence for no reason.

Yeah, and for some reason the death metal vox on Orchid annoy me sometimes, which isn't the case with any other Opeth album. Like on IMSWS there's this one part where he screams and it just sounds waaay too overdramatic and screechy. Still, Orchid has its moments.

The intro riff to 'In Mist She Was Standing' = one of the greatest riffs ever written.

Also, I HATE the clean vocals on that album, when I can hear them.

[QUOTE=Creeping_Deth]The intro riff to 'In Mist She Was Standing' = one of the greatest riffs ever written.

Also, I HATE the clean vocals on that album, when I can hear them.[/QUOTE]

Yeah I love basically all of In Mis she was standing, which i can't really say for any of the others. (excluding "silhouette" and "requiem")
Why don't you like the clean vocals? I don't see anything wrong with them, I love the ones on Twilight is My Robe... yet a lot of people seem to dislike them

I can barely hear them, they're just like a whisper. The vocals aren't bad, it's the production.

[QUOTE=Creeping_Deth]I can barely hear them, they're just like a whisper. The vocals aren't bad, it's the production.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I guess the production on Orchid could be better. But I love Morningrise the way it is.

Morningrise is perfect. Though not as perfect as Still Life.

The production on Orchid is great, the clean vocals fit so well with that eerie as[color=white]s[/color] feel. The problem with Morningrise clean vocals is Anders Friden has certain expectations for clean vocals that are great for In Flames style metal, but not really the Opeth sound, so though Akerfeldt is so brilliant there, Anders kind of kills the style (minorly) with his production.

[QUOTE=Creeping_Deth]Morningrise is perfect. Though not as perfect as Still Life.[/QUOTE]

Hm, I don't know. I love Still Life, but Morningrise has something special, all 5 songs are flawless. And IMO Moonlapse Vertigo isn't that great. I do like some parts very much, but half of it is slightly unmemorable.

I love Moonlapse, and I agree that Morningrise is Godly, but I still prefer Still Life.

I find Nectar lacking a little. Not bad by any means, but it doesn't live up to the rest of the album.

I partially agree with Moonlapse Vertigo though, it is the weakest on the album.

[QUOTE=I Am Vikingcore]The production on Orchid is great, the clean vocals fit so well with that eerie as[color=white]s[/color] feel. The problem with Morningrise clean vocals is Anders Friden has certain expectations for clean vocals that are great for In Flames style metal, but not really the Opeth sound, so though Akerfeldt is so brilliant there, Anders kind of kills the style (minorly) with his production.[/QUOTE]
Hmm, I didn't know Anders produced that album.

Yep, he did. Look in the booklet young man :thumb:.

[QUOTE=Creeping_Deth]I find Nectar lacking a little. Not bad by any means, but it doesn't live up to the rest of the album.[/QUOTE]

It's my least favorite on the album, but not to the extent of dragging the album down or anything.

[QUOTE=I Am Vikingcore]Yep, he did. Look in the booklet young man :thumb:.[/QUOTE]
I haven't even looked in the booklet of that album since I ripped it onto my computer. I'm not a huge fan of it to begin with... heh. Some real gems and amazing moments, but overall, I enjoy Opeth's latter phase so much more.

Porcupine Tree owns Opeth live, though.


/runs and hides

It pains me to look in the booklets of the first two albums. So many typos.

[QUOTE=Kage]I haven't even looked in the booklet of that album since I ripped it onto my computer. I'm not a huge fan of it to begin with... heh. Some real gems and amazing moments, but overall, I enjoy Opeth's latter phase so much more.

Porcupine Tree owns Opeth live, though.


/runs and hides[/QUOTE]

I don't care, I don't get to see Porcupine Tree any time soon, but I'm seeing Opeth on Monday.

2 weeks till Opeth :cool:.

[QUOTE=Creeping_Deth]2 weeks till Opeth :cool:.[/QUOTE]
Ah, lucky. I was GOING to see them in Phoenix... then, the unthinkable happened.

Yeah, I saw.

[QUOTE=The Brad]Hey I was just curious if any of you are familiar with Toni Morrison's [U]Beloved[/U] it was released in 1987, she got a Nobel Prize for it in '93 and Oprah made it into a horrible movie in '98?
Anyway around the time [I]Ghost Reveries[/I] was released we had started reading it in my creative writing class, I can see a lot of parallels between the lyrical content and the novel. Some of it may be a stretch, but I think it could make for some interesting discussion. If we discussed the similarities in the plots.[/QUOTE]

I've read that book..... BUT I feel you're fishing in the wrong pond here. People in this thread are barely willing to discuss Opeth much less discuss Opeth lyrics and compare them to other literature. But if you're going to go for it the realize the burden of creating/facilating discussion is placed on your shoulders, no else will start the process--I can almost guarentee that from personal experience.

Also keep in mind that there may not even be enough people who have read the book to even bother posting about it. A good alternative would be discuss the lyrics of Ghost Reveries by themselves. From what I can tell the lyrics aren't really well written and the story isn't particular gripping this time around.

Well, i heard they're going to tour the US again in February so maybe i'll have a second chance

Again? That would be amazing.

Yep, that's what i heard. If its true, i would die

Mikeal did say they'd be back in February. I'd see them again for sure, even though Porcupine Tree wipes the floor with them.

/unnecessary

In other news I went to see Opeth at the House o Blues on Wednesday, setlist was very similiar to other shows. The show was really great btw and I'll probably post the details some other time.

Someone also mentioned that they would like to discuss the lyrics to My Arms Your Hearse and it defintely merits discussion as the album seems to be really well-written. I'd love to do it but dissecting a whole album is a pretty big task and the process would be better if many people joined together to accomplish it. I'd be willing to start with an April Ethereal analysis some time soon (when I have free time). Let me know anyone in this thread would be interesting in working with the lyrics, the more brainpower the better.

Oh and I know I double posted.

You didn't double post silly. This thread moves quick.

The setlists do look too similiar this tour, I hope they change it up next year.

So... what do you guys prefer- Morningrise or Ghost Reveries? There was a poll of this on the Opeth board and i thought it was an... uh intersting question. It's Morningrise for me without a doubt

[QUOTE=Creeping_Deth]Talking about The Funeral Portrait, I [I]love[/I] the "And you are just like them all, stained by the names of fathers" verse. One of my favorite clean verses by Opeth.[/QUOTE]

Hell yeah. It reminds me of Still Life, actually...The Moor in particular.

[quote=Kage] Mikeal did say they'd be back in February. I'd see them again for sure, even though Porcupine Tree wipes the floor with them.

/unnecessary
[/quote] When I saw Porcupine Tree they performed great, but Gavin Harrison was the only one who really blew me away as far as live performers go. Steven didn't really sound like he does on the albums (not necessarily a bad thing, mind you, but in this case I prefer how he sounded on the record). My thoughts on the PT show that I saw were that Wilson is really more of a studio genius than anything, and that Gavin Harrison is amazing.
Although PT are good live, I wouldn't say that they "wipe the floor" with Opeth.

*prays that a Opeth vs Porcupine Tree arguement doesn't break out*.

[QUOTE=ok lateralus]So... what do you guys prefer- Morningrise or Ghost Reveries? There was a poll of this on the Opeth board and i thought it was an... uh intersting question. It's Morningrise for me without a doubt[/QUOTE]

Morningrise is a good album, but I still have yet to see in it what others do. I really just don't care for the old rhythm section that Opeth had...they're good musicians and have alot of chops, but the Martins are just alot more solid and groove like it's nobody's business. Those are attributes that I feel are much more important in a bassist or drummer than "ability to play X amount of notes per second." As a drummer, I find Lopez's playing on Ghost Reveries to be his most inspiring yet, and I like the music more, so I'd have to go with Ghost Reveries.

Plus Mikael's singing and growling are about 100x better now.

[QUOTE=Det_Nosnip]Hell yeah. It reminds me of Still Life, actually...The Moor in particular.

When I saw Porcupine Tree they performed great, but Gavin Harrison was the only one who really blew me away as far as live performers go. Steven didn't really sound like he does on the albums (not necessarily a bad thing, mind you, but in this case I prefer how he sounded on the record). My thoughts on the PT show that I saw were that Wilson is really more of a studio genius than anything, and that Gavin Harrison is amazing.
Although PT are good live, I wouldn't say that they "wipe the floor" with Opeth.

*prays that a Opeth vs Porcupine Tree arguement doesn't break out*.[/QUOTE]
Odd. I was completely blown away by the whole performance. I thought...I dunno, it was perfect. I liked the way his voice sounded. It was a little bit more raw, I guess, a little darker. Just all aesthetics of the show were great. The sights, the sounds...The guitar tone was perfect, as well. You're a big drum guy, though, so you'd notice the drums more than I would.

It's nothing against Opeth, though, because in my opinion PT wipes the floor with every band, haha. :P

[QUOTE=Creeping_Deth]You didn't double post silly. This thread moves quick.

The setlists do look too similiar this tour, I hope they change it up next year.[/QUOTE]

Yeah no shlt, preferably something from Orchid or Morningrise. For some reason they don't play anything from either album. I don't think they can play the songs live, I really don't.

[QUOTE=Flynn]Yeah no shlt, preferably something from Orchid or Morningrise. For some reason they don't play anything from either album. I don't think they can play the songs live, I really don't.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, well Mikael doesn't really like the material from Orchid and Morningrise, and I don't know if the whole band is familiar with it. It would be amazing if they played Black Rose Immortal or something though, but probably will never happen.