[QUOTE=JamJar]I find that the guitar riffs are generally quite boring on GR. I really like the addition of the keyboards and love the two ballads: Hours Of Wealth And Isolation Years, the latter of which I think is an absoulte gem. My main problem with the album is that I think the songs get boring which doesn't happen for me on any other Opeth album. Usually, the length of the songs don't hinder the band in any way, but on GR, the songs really do drag on and on a lot of tracks, they could have done with being a minute or two shorter. I find myself liking a lot of seperate sections in songs, but as whole pieces, the songs don't come together too well.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, for once I think that their songs are actually too long in certain places. They just didn't have enough changes in them to keep me hooked for the entire time. Like by the end of "The Grand Conjuration" I'm just sick of that riff because they've already played it for a countless amount of times. I just felt like they weren't trying hard enough on this album.

I love GR. I was away from the internet for a while, and that was when I really discovered it to the full extent. It really helps to discover this album without keeping people's negative perceptions about it in mind. I agree, this album lacks alot of which made their old albums great.But at the same time, it has alot of stuff that their old albums dont.You gotta admire it for what it is and not dog it for what it is not.For instance, Orchid and Morningrise are FAR from being the band's best vocal albums.That doesnt mean they arent flawless albums in their own right.I think the same thing applies to GR.It's music perfection in it's own right.

[QUOTE=Dunkelheit509]People will disagree, but it is nowhere near the quality of Blackwater Park or Still Life. It really isn't. Not memorable at all. Tolerable, and some good moments, but that is it.[/QUOTE]


I'm going to agree with you on that one. Not memorable at all.


[QUOTE=Toaster]What do you think of my new one?[/QUOTE]


It's pretty cool.

[QUOTE=Stormrider331]That outro owns.[/QUOTE]

Whats weird is, that outro turned me off of Opeth at first. I didnt like how it repeats over and over. I find it so brutal now:)

The baying of The hounds has some great riffs.

^^ I think that's one of the few Opeth songs I don't like that much. GR hasn't grown on me :(

The baying of the hounds grew a lot on me. Especially the part from "Drown in the deep mire..." and ahead towards the end.

That part is great.

^Indeed.

The heavy part that starts at around 5:20 or so is pure evil.I love it.

I love the part in the middle-end of Ghost of Perdition where mikael does the awesome vocal slides.

Dedicated hunt////er
waits to pull us un///der

That's Ghost of perdition silly. :lol:

Good part, nonetheless. :)

[QUOTE=TojesDoLan]That's Ghost of perdition silly. :lol:

Good part, nonetheless. :)[/QUOTE]
Shi[SIZE="2"]t[/SIZE] I forgot to type it in there.

how's deliverance? is it a good album? i hear it's their heaviest?

I actually really like TGC. It is amazing live alot of energy. I find GR to be alot more Progressive its writing in the tradtional progressive sense. Ala Dream Theatre, Gordian Knot. Rather than just influenced like their other albums.
[QUOTE]
how's deliverance? is it a good album? i hear it's their heaviest?[/QUOTE]

It is their most heavy for sure. It has some great tracks like Masters Apprentices, Deliverance and Wreath. Its more traditional metal but its quite chunky. Get it if you would like to see Opeth drop a little bit of their arty farty side.

that's fine. not the biggest fan of growling vocals, but i'll deal.

Many of us werent when we first started listening to Opeth.Those vocals will grow on you like pubes eventually.

haha if you say so

Deliverance can be a bit too much to start... I prefer Blackwater Park to get accustomed to the growling, but go figure.

No really he is right. It goes like this. At first you don't like them, then you grow use to them. Then you respect them. Then you like them. It will happen

Aaaaahhh, I love Benighted so much, its so darkly summery + it's raining here :).

[QUOTE=Carrionshine]Many of us werent when we first started listening to Opeth.Those vocals will grow on you like pubes eventually.[/QUOTE]
I think my first taste of Opeth was Still Life :confused:
Oh well.
I liked the vocals from the start...

[QUOTE=TojesDoLan]Deliverance can be a bit too much to start... I prefer Blackwater Park to get accustomed to the growling, but go figure.[/QUOTE]
I agree. Deliverance is Opeth's heaviest release, so I'd only check it out if you're used to death growls. They're incredibly awesome, but they're just not for everyone.

I listened to Blackwater Park again last night, and it never ceases to amaze me. It actually gets even better with time.

The song that got me into them was To Bid You Farewell, and BWP (song) got me into the growlings.

[QUOTE=Daven]The song that got me into them was To Bid You Farewell, and BWP (song) got me into the growlings.[/QUOTE]
I showed my girlfriend To Bid You Farewell and she said it was an incredible song. I couldn't agree more. But then I turned the tables on her and played The Leper Affinity. She couldn't believe that it came from the same band. :)

It took me some time to get used to the growls, but now i love Mikael's growls. Although i prefer his clean vocals.

[QUOTE=Daven]It took me some time to get used to the growls, but now i love Mikael's growls. Although i prefer his clean vocals.[/QUOTE]
I love them both, but I don't know which ones I like more. It all depends on what mood I'm in. If I want to get pumped up I'll put on something like Master's Apprentices or The Leper Affinity, but when I'm feeling sad or just want to chill listening to To Bid You Farewell or anything off of Damnation hits the spot.

That's why Opeth is my favorite band...you can listen to them no matter what kind of mood you are in and love it every time.

I like them because they're as manic musically as I am. :lol:

[QUOTE=Thor]I love them both, but I don't know which ones I like more. It all depends on what mood I'm in. If I want to get pumped up I'll put on something like Master's Apprentices or The Leper Affinity, but when I'm feeling sad or just want to chill listening to To Bid You Farewell or anything off of Damnation hits the spot.

That's why Opeth is my favorite band...you can listen to them no matter what kind of mood you are in and love it every time.[/QUOTE]
Indeed. They work with any mood you're on.

[QUOTE=Det_Nosnip]I like them because they're as manic musically as I am. :lol:[/QUOTE]
Love your avatar. :)

I definitely like Mikael's growling more. They're always spot on live, whereas his clean vocals are somewhat off sometimes. I think that he really hasn't improved that much in his clean vocals since MAYH, but recording techniques have improved. Not that he is a bad clean vocalist at all, but I think he can pull of his growls better live.

I think his growls are more impressive where his clean vocals are really pleasant, even if he's not the objectively best singer in the world.

The tone of his voice is the part of his clean singing that I really like.

I don't like the clean vocals live... at least not in Lamentations. They are alright, but they seem far more accurate on record.

Of course considering all the factors that don't make it as "good sounding" such as playing-singing at the same time, exhaustion, etc. But yeah the growling is amazing.

[QUOTE=TojesDoLan]I don't like the clean vocals live... at least not in Lamentations. They are alright, but they seem far more accurate on record.

[/QUOTE]
:lol: they need to have Steven Wilson in back mixing and producing his vocals live.

Aye, perhaps Opeth is relying on the studio a wee bit too much...

Singing, he's average...nice voice, nothing special. Growling, though, one of my favorites. It's just so. ****ing. Evil.

[QUOTE=Shattered_Future]

Singing, he's average...nice voice, nothing special. il[/QUOTE]
:eek: WHAT? Are you serious?

I mean, he doesn't have a ultra powerful voice...it's just very nice. Very mellow...it doesn't grab you, it comforts you. If I want a singer, I'd prefer the kind that grabs you.

[QUOTE=Shattered_Future]I mean, he doesn't have a ultra powerful voice...it's just very nice. Very mellow...it doesn't grab you, it comforts you. If I want a singer, I'd prefer the kind that grabs you.[/QUOTE]


I kind of agree. Mikael's growl totally grabs you. His clean voice is just relaxing. I totally love his voice, but it's either growled or sung softly. There are no in-betweens. That kind of bothers me.

He's got a great emotional quality and nice tone but he lacks in power and range and his control isn't very impressive. That said, I could care less how impressive he is.

For a progressive metal/death metal band, he has an amazing voice.

[QUOTE=UpperDecker]For a progressive metal/death metal band, he has an amazing voice.[/QUOTE]
Exactly, and that's basically what Opeth needs. It's amazing enough that he can lay down such devastating growls and then switch to a really good clean voice. If that's not impressive, then I don't know what is.