Classical Composer Reacts to Blackwater Park - Live (Opeth) | The Daily Doug (Episode 84) 

I'm a simple man. I see the word Opeth, I click, no questions asked.

Growling is like a dialect. Once you listen to it enough you start to hear the words more easily.

finally, a "reacts" channel that can actually make more interesting commentary than "wow they're really good".

This song wouldn't have the right intensity without the double kick sections

It is said, "Opeth never played a boring chord," and you picked it out right away! Love listening to the analytical side of reactions, keep it up!

You probably would've gotten more from the studio version, but nevertheless, if you aren't big on double bass drum, then you definitely picked the worst offender of their songs. I can understand if you're not a fan of constant double pedal because it's repetitive and uninventive, but for this particular song, I find that it helps portray and reinforces the intensity of emotion that builds throughout this entire opus of a song. This was the final track on a most epic album, so it is a finale for sure. I believe this is the only song on this album where Mikael uses guttural vocals for the entirely of the track, but most of older Opeth has a fair blend of clean & harsh vocals. Please keep going back to Opeth and I will keep watching your reactions (newly subscribed!).

Opeth’s library is so diverse. Every album, every song is an entity, by itself.

I wish more people would realize what Mendez does for this band. His bass playing is what Opeth always needs.

Double kick is sort of to drumming what growls are to singing. When you want more and heavier where do you go? An acquired taste in both regards but it definitely has its place. Weather or not you actually like it is another matter.

And plague flowers the kaleidoscope by Ne Obliviscaris or The unimaginable zero summer by Wilderun are great songs for a composer

The Funeral Portrait is my favorite song off Black Water Park. Highly underrated song.

I believe this is the only song in their entire catalog that has no clean vocals at all. Mikael's harsh vocals were almost gone at this point. He apparently had damaged them on a tour, because he couldn't hear himself properly due to bad equipment and overdid it. Of course, he has transitioned away from growls on more recent albums. I don't think this is a concept album (like Still Life was), but there is a distinct theme. This album was produced by Steven Wilson, who is the lead singer of Porcupine Tree.

He did 100 million different things before straight 16th note on the kicks.

If you want some _really interesting_ Opeth, harmonically speaking, try "Benighted", "Face of Melinda", or anything from the "Damnation" album. Those songs are all mostly clean guitars and no double-kick.

Mikael's vocals were so shot at this show.

"That's an interesting progression y'all" is a good summary of Opeth's entire catalogue tbh.

p.s. by the way, if you put lyrics next to any growl vocals you can instantly start hearing them super clean, brain does somekind of funky magic

If you wanna see/hear someone using the double kick technique while making it a really creative groove, check out Ne Obliviscaris - And Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope. The song is part of the curriculum of the classical composition course at Sydney Conservatorium of Music even though it's a progressive death/black metal piece because it's composition is just that outstanding.

Opeth - Ghost of Perdition, next time you're in an Opeth mood :)

I would absolutely love to see you get through The Count of Tuscany by Dream Theater

Dude, I really enjoy your comments about the song and I'm glad you decided to listen to this live version. However, you really need to listen to the studio version with the lyrics on hand to have the best experience possible. I always use this song to test my new speakers or earbuds.

Opeth is amazing; Mikael Åkerfeldt really knows how to write a groove. If you like the tight ensemble feeling in progressive metal, I heartily recommend The Ocean Collective! Some tracks you from their recent two albums you might enjoy both technically and lyrically might be "Devonian: Nascent", "Silurian: Age of Sea Scorpions" and "Jurassic | Cretaceous".

Blind Guardian - And then there was silence - lots of interesting orchestral elements in a metal version of Homer's Iliad

You sir, are amazing. Love from an Indian Metalhead.

Disagreed on the double kick drumming. It adds so much intensity and heaviness that helps add to the build up in the song. Everything comes to a head after so much epic build up. It's great. Nice to see an Opeth analysis from someone so knowledgeable about music. Good luck man.

i think the double kick gives the song what it needs. POWERFULL Foundation to build everything up on. Upgrade your headphones and listen to the studio version. Then you can deceiver much more!

So glad to have been there for that gig ❤

Lovelorn Crime is a song from their latest album. It has no growling, no double pedal kick drum, but it's a great song and it features one of the most beautiful rock guitar solos ever recorded. Would be cool to see you do a reaction to Opeth without carrying on about how you don't like the double pedals and the growling. It's obviously two stylistic choices that you do not really appreciate. Yet. We get where you're coming from. But to most of us who like Opeth those two things adds even more dimension to their songs, and they apply them very skillfully compared to most other bands.

I want to see a reaction to Master's Apprentices...LOL

This is why I've been listening to Opeth for over 20 years, their progressive style makes my brain melt and I love it!!! :D

Man, I love growling and double bass drums but to each their own. The intensity is part of the story.

thank you so much for doing this !!!!!!!!

So glad you picked this song to review!! Quite enjoyed it!!There are other songs where he sings though>And believe it or not his voice is quite soothing hahah.

Double kick 16ths convey the frantic nature and drive of the realizations being conveyed in the lyrics, and they only resolve once the realizations resolve.

Most of Opeth's catalog has a Jekyll and Hyde thing going on with the combo of growls and clean vocals in most of their songs. However, in their most recent albums, growls are not featured. Maybe try River from their Pale Communion album and see how you like that!

I think their Damnation album is one of my top 10 of all time. It's all clean vocals, super mellow, and only light distortion on the leads. Try Windowpane. The beauty of his PRS guitars really come through too.

Great video as always Doug!

you should totally check out Ne Obliviscaris - And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope, a compositional masterpiece in the metal scene and is even used in a class at the Sydney Conservatorium Of Music

May I suggest some Marillion. They've got a huge back catalogue with tons of great songs such as Kayleigh, Neverland, Easter, Beautiful, Splintering Heart, The Great Escape. They have had 2 fantastic vocalists, an awesome guitarist and a great bassist and keyboard player. The songs have great composition and are meaningful and emotional also.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the lyrics entail humanity self-destructing itself. I could be wrong about it, but I thought I read that somewhere. I also thought you’d appreciate the fact that the drums are dialed back in the live mic and the album since you don’t like the double bass😂 trust me, some day, you’ll here a killer double bass groove and love it from then on

I think a good way look at harsher vocals is to see them as an instrument instead of just lyrics. In my opinion it conveys a lot more emotion than normal singing and gives a track an extra dimension especially when combined with normal singing which he does do in the rest of the album. I also love the double kick, apart from the technical aspect I think it can really change the sound of track depending on what he is doing with his arms or whether he slows down, pauses etc. I think a good example in this song is 14:00 to 14:10 where all he does is stop playing the snare and instead hits a cymbal but it makes that riff sound 10x as heavy as before.

I would absolutely love for you to you react to In The Shadow of Our Pale Companion by Agalloch! It’s a staple in the world of post black/folk metal.

Holy sheet batman, 20 years?! This album still sounds as fresh and cool as ever. It's awesome.

Showing the structure as you do, by identifying the notes and their repetition, gives another dimension to the listening process. Your knowledge really gives you such a wide appreciation of the music you hear. I do not have that knowledge, but I can appreciate yours, and your use of it. Again, Thank you.

Can't recommend Ne Obliviscaris - And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope enough, its a masterpiece and worth a listen.

12:09 - Not far off from the lyrical theme, actually. The song is about a village ravaged by disease from a perspective of a still healthy villager, who then gets infected and eventually dies, right around the time you pointed that out. EDIT: Ah, should've watched before commenting. Oops. And yes, it is a metaphor for society and it's eventual demise, or so I've heard. The societies obsession with morbidity and evil, to be more precise.

I recommend you Bleak or The Moor if you want long progressive songs, if you want melow songs with no harsh vocals listen to Harvest, Burden or Windowpane. All of these are great Opeth songs

Theory weeeee! Thank you for speaking my language.

Rock on Doug! :)

classic song, great band, tnks from brazil

I think you were SPOT ON when you said that maybe it's a "maybe it's sign of things imploding on a central point" during that part of the song. It's the last song on the album and I think it sort of heralds the end and hints toward the last lines in the song: "Sick liaisons raised this monumental mark The sun sets forever over Black Water Park". And more than just the last two lines of course, but I think it hit just right. Man, you are great at this. Can't believe I didn't find your channel until today. The meaning of this song fits the rest of the album. To me this album is a long journey and tells a story of addiction of a demon or nosferatu feeding on his victims, both relishing in it and feeling disgusted by his need, and remembering his past as he died, and trying to commit suicide to escape his fate but not succeeding. He remains and watches the depravity of manking and evil unfold. Forever bound to watch the world live and die before him, and he can do nothing but remain, forced to feed, forced to suffer and to watch mankind suffer alongside him.

If you like anniversaries really go for "The Last Baron". Mastodon recently turned 21, and the song is bonkers.

I love seeing classical teachers/composers reacting to Opeth's genius, that is so good man ! Sir, thank you for that one :')

Regarding double kick bass drums... well it's about intensity. Plus the growls, well I love em'.

Death metal is not for you to understand the lyrics in the moment, it is about what it makes you feel, then you look for the lyrics and you keep discovering the song, that's the beauty of the genre.

Dirge for November is probably my favourite from 'Blackwater Park'...would be interesting to hear what you think of it. ;)

How cool to be able to hear a chord or song and know immediately which chord and progression it is. I enjoy your reactions. More Dream Theater please.

The best reacting channel on RU-vid

Good job mate. I hate people doing just 'darn they're good'.. your reaction makes sense. Danke

And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope by Ne Obliviscaris. They are studied at Sydney Conseveratorium of Music so, as you can imagine, it's a really great piece of music.

Really fascinating hearing you break down songs in a way that's beyond my understanding. I think you would appreciate how Snarky Puppy composees their music. Check out the song "Lingus" if you do.

Blackwater Park, Deliverance and Damnation, the two following albums were all produced by Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), that was the real secret to these albums...

Opeth are great. The entire Blackwater album is fantastic. Got me through some tough times after the passing of my father. Favorite song on the album being "Harvest".

I'm really enjoying your analysis, keep it up!

I love your reactions! you bring intelligence and your musical theory prowess. Almost seems like listening to these songs again for the first time. Love it

In my youth I listened to pop songs (what ever my mom listened to in the car) like Paula Abdul, Sr. Mix-A-Lot, 80s wave, 90's pop, etc... My dad was a guitarist and would show me all kinds of great bands like Metallica, Dream Theater, feckin' SRV! (The G.O.A.T.), Johnny Cash, Zeppelin, etc... but my friend in high school introduced me to Opeth. Never looked back since then. As a guitarist now of 18 years, they play some of the most interesting chords and progressions I have ever attempted. A truly amazing band. They have some of the most beautiful songs, and some of the most brutal breakdowns I have ever heard. A real listening experience. I used to fall asleep to BWP and Still Life albums at night for probably 2 years straight. Still listen to those albums today quite often. I love how this band can pull you right out of your comfort zone and just make you appreciate everything about it.

It's fun to see a guy that's entirely into music theory.. Judge an artist that makes his songs without any. It's interesting to see the thought process of "wow this progression is really great and sounds unbelievable" then Mikael is just in the studio going "no wait this sounds better" going note by note.

I like the fact that with so much experience you still learn something new!

Big request : Opeth - The Drapery Falls (album version)

Please react to the official video for Eluveitie's Rebirth. Eluveitie is a Swiss Folk Metal band that blends metal guitars, drum and vocals with folk instruments like bagpipes, whistles, mandola, hurdy gurdy, fiddle and harps.

Really fun to see your perspective on songs that (almost all of them) I listened so much! I would suggest doing Anesthetize live in Tilburg by Porcupine Tree. Long song, beautiful and nicely building up. Good musicians especially the drummer. And Steven Wilson, I think you know him. Keep it coming, everytime I see a new upload it makes me happy, loving it.

Opeth - Moon Above, Sun Below would be a great song for you. Additionally... as stated before Ne Obliviscaris - And Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope (live in Colorado) is an absolute must as it's a composer's wet dream and their most iconic song.

This track does not demonstrate his awesome clean vocals, believe it or not he sings like an angel (in between the growling lool)

Hello Doug. Another very entertaining reaction. Your analyses of the songs structures are definitely my favorite part. I have to say you're an inspiration to what I want to achieve as a student of music theory. Thank you!!!

Hi Doug, Could you please do a reaction video to the band Ne Obliviscaris doing the song And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope (live in Colorado). I would love to hear your thoughts on them.

Hey man, your videos are super wholesome and i love when you talk about what the songs actually do. I think you really should consider reacting and analysing video game soundtracks, there is a lot of amazing stuff that youmight actually like since there are also a bunch of more classical compositions to be found.

You have a good 'ear', Doug. I do enjoy your analysis of the music you review. Thank you.

This album is so awesome and Mikeal is simply a genius in my opinion !!! The whole album could be adapted in a classical master piece just for people to understand and feel how deep it is !!! It is all about (dark) emotions ...

Do Serenity Painted Death next from the Still Life(Remastered) Album. It’s a Masterpiece as well. 🤘🏼

Love your channel mate. Love the maiden content

Those moments that cause Doug to stop mid-syllable with that surprised look on his face? Priceless. Best part of his reactions.

If you hate standard double bass parts as much as you do then dude, wait until you hear blast beats!! 😆 You should check out a track called Sancta Terra by Epica. Particularly their live performance of it with Floor Jansen (Nightwish). It has a full live Choir and Orchestra plus the band and is mixed beautifully. I really think you’ll enjoy it!!

The growling on the record is much more inspiring.

Opeth is one of the tightest bands I've seen musically. Everything sounded *perfect* when I saw them. What a great band.

Man your skill to identify chords is insane! great song and great reaction

Nice reaction/analysis! I remember a live performance of theirs when Mikael asked the audience to sing that initial note/harmonic and keep singing it throughout the song 🥰😅 great band/song!

Opeth. music. luvn it.

Hi Doug, I'm Luz from Argentina. I discovered you yesterday while surfing youtube and im so glad I did. I've been an Opeth fan for 23 years and its actually a pleasure to hear principles and fundaments from a classical composer. Which is amazing is, as a girl that doesn't play any instruments but super keen to learn at least some of the music theory, by listening to you i can add more depth and knowledge to the feelings i already have for them. Id have liked that you couldve listened to the studio version of Blackwater Park. Mikaels voice was on point and well, he kind of lost it by then. While it is not a conceptual album, it has a cohesive union that binds and ties everything together, each song has a purpose and as any other record has a purpose as to why it is specifically there (not that im saying anything new 😂). This is the final song and his words at the end of it, quote: "The sun sets forever over Blackwater Park" gets me chills everytime adding this texture of absolute darkness in a magnificent way with a hint of calm with those acoustic guitars. That's why i believe lyrics and music goes hand in hand, so next time keep it close so you can understand how the dynamics between lyrics and music flows as one. And i think, for us metal fans, its of massive importance. Even if I have 2 absolute favorite records from them, this record will forever be in my top 3. It's special and i hold it close to my heart forever. Sorry for the typos or grammatical mistakes and for the long ass writing. I enjoy your videos a lot, Doug. Greetings!

Great vídeo! I think you'll like "Ghost of Perdition" from them, live at Red Rocks

i was at this gig. was amazing.

Hi Doug, love your analyses! I myself was trained under the Royal Academy of Music in Denmark and I like metal and symphonic music and of course the obvious choice for your to react to next is Dimmu Borgir - Gateways (Live at Forces of The Northern Night) but a track I'd personally like to see you react to is by my all-time favourite band, "Godspeed You Black Emperor - Rockets Fall on Rocket Falls". It's post-rock. Best regards, Døgenigt

On the double kick drum thing, I think it fits for some styles of metal that plays fast tempo songs, like power/thrash metal, but traditional heavy metal most of the time don't use it. So I think it has it's place but when it's overused it sounds weird.

Symphony X - The Odyssey. Absolutely phenomenal long symphonic metal piece that really takes you through the paces! First video of yours and enjoyed it!

Opeth always liked to experiment with progressions and key changes. Examples are Face of Melinda, Bleak, Harvest, Hessian Peel, Folklore, and even more so in older albums with songs such as The Night and the Silent Water and Black Rose Immortal.

From Indonesia ilove Opeth

Iron Maiden- Dream of Mirrors- Rock in Rio 2002!!! Or anything from that concert!!!

Hard to believe this is 20 years old... I discovered them around the time this album came out when I was 15. I suddenly feel old now...

the sun sets forever over blackwater park.... gets me every time

More songs from that album. please.

You wouldnt think this about double bass if you saw it live it adds a certain Boooomph to the while experience