Peter was a great guitarist and his solos were awesome, but I've always preferred Mikael's more emotional solo style. Fredrik is an unbeliever player though and in my opinion not only expanded the capabilities of the band but improved Mikael's playing, by his own admission
Improved akerfeldts writing too. In terms of writing material that really builds up and frames the solos well. Songs now have spots where a solo was thought of for a given spot. Sometimes in the older songs it felt like they were fitting solos in. Now it feels like mikael writes parts where he knows Frederick or himself can throw great solos in. Haxprocess, burden, heir apparent, and something like lovelorn crime come to mind.
@@tylerjacobson8012 This is slightly off topic, but I believe as a whole Mikael has worked to make every element of every song more interesting overall. In this interview he talks about how some parts are more boring compared to other parts and he's excited about the solo sections. If you listen to the entire Opeth discography the music gets leaner and leaner on the functionality of each part, and each instrumentation of each part. The most recent release "In Cauda Venenum" is so dense with interesting bits everywhere at every level you can tell they've raised each other to new standards and abilities.
I discovered them in 2000 and the first songs I heard were Benighted and To Bid You Farewell. I was 16 at the time too. Morningrise is still my favorite album but I love them all from Orchid to Watershed. The stuff since the change; not so much heh.
Ah, Peter, we miss you. Frederik is amazing, but I really loved the "feel" of your solos. Brilliant stuff, and the perfect compliment to Mikael's solo work.
Sometimes I get the feeling that just by looking at the front cover of Opeth's albums somehow sets the tone of how the albums going to feel and sound. And I'm hearing a lot of people not really liking the Watershed album. I could care less. I think it was an awesome album! IMO, the album cover depicts a man all alone in a dark room, and maybe perhaps reading or plotting something. Maybe a lot of things are going in his mind, hence the way sound in the album. You never know what happens next
I like Peter and I prefer the Ghost Reveries lineup rather than the current one. But how was Peter's departure a '' HUGE '' blow to Opeth? First of all, Fredrik is one of the best swedish guitarists out there ( definitely better from Peter, probably better from Mikael too). Also, Peter had nothing to do with writing the songs, it was all Mikael. Now, Fredrik on the other hand, has contributed to all of the 3 albums he was in with Opeth (also wrote the song Pyre, of Heritage). He also does backing vocals. Apart from the feelings and the relationship between them, I don't see any blow at all, and definitely not huge.
HarryKnight There's no need to play Peter down as a member of Opeth just to try and demonstrate that they are fine and dandy and better off. Ofcourse it was a huge blow to Opeth and a huge blow to Mikael personally. All of them, Peter, Martin Lopez and even Per. It always is in these things, unless you make absolutely no bonds in a band. But specially Peter because he had been there almost forever. He was very much Mikael's close companion and very much a leader himself and a guide not only to career decisions but to creative paths. This Mikael has said. And Peter was involved in making and editing the songs just as much as the Martins. He was just never the creative or writing source for them, hardly anyone else has ever been but for Mikael. No one is pejoratively comparing Peter to his successor or saying that Opeth is worse now without him or worse BECAUSE he left. So maybe your reply was a tad unrealistic and unfair.
As much as I love Deliverance I still personally find Still Life to be my favorite, just my opinion, although "By the Pain I See In Others" will still be one of my favorite Opeth songs.
Like they say. Music and life is changing each and every moment in life. I just hoped Heritage was more inspirational to me but I still dig it and consider Opeth one of my favorite bands of all time. Oh and Mikael is one my favorite song writers along with the infamous Dave Mustaine and of course Chuck Schuldiner, may he rest in peace.
@Cheximus Search "Nardwuar vs. Opeth" on RU-vid. The infamous interview is so bizarre that it touches Akerfeldt's dry humor. I hadn't known that he had teeth till then.
watershed was amazing and brilliant. noone can say that the bassoon wasnt the coolest thing ever for a metal song. As long as its new, fresh, exciting, wonderful, im happy with it full on. Who cares if its not the same as previous albums, they shouldnt be the same, things need to grow and evolve and this was such an interesting step in the right direction. Heir apparent and Hessian peel my all time favourites by far
I'm looking at it from a musicians stand point, I appreciate what goes into a record and like to understand the arrangements and the melodic structures. I collect more than just Opeth.
it depends... in early opeth ( orchid and morningrise ) all the songs were composed by mikael and peter as duet, from my arms your hearse forward well yes, opeth is basically mikael, and i agree with you that heritage is an amazing album, its all about opening the mind and the ears!
Hey its all good bro! I'm just thankful for youtube in the first place, I never woulda discovered their music otherwise (not like yer ever gonna see them on TV). Rise To Submission!! :)
When all is said and done "Deliverance" really is Opeth's crowning glory (eclipsing even the mighty "Blackwater Park" and that is really saying something)
Bro... my first PRS arrived yesterday, is a Paul Allender Signature and i really know now that PRS is amazing on Sustain... AMAZING!!! I tottaly agree with you!!!
Fredrik is indeed an awesome guitarist and I'm not going to speculate as to who is better between he and Peter but there is absolutely no denying that Opeth changed dramatically upon Fredrik's arrival either for better or worse and, in my humble opinion, as I haven't enjoyed their last few albums much at all, I'd argue for the worse.
Still Peter was the metalhead of the two. When he left Mike had free road to turn Opeth into a prog rock band as always he wanted to, but the other guys had a bit of opinion and liked the style they were doing.
Travis, how did you not enjoy Watershed? I think that's a masterpiece. But I agree with you, Heritage was a disaster and Sorceress sucked because of the production/mixing. Pale Communion was a good album but it's still not "Opeth". I wish they would go back to the Ghost Reveries days, with clean production, heavy riffs with growling and clean vocals. Hell, I would even be glad if they made a Watershed v2. Oh and by the way, it seems that Mikaels vocals have recovered quite well if you watch them playing at Monsters of Rock in Helsinki 2016.
I can play that ;D Took a month to learn since I'm not a very good player, but I got it down. I get chills every time I hit the bending 17 on the high E.
@celticwarrior222 Not in my opinion. Lopez had a very unique style, and a lot more feeling going on in his playing. Learning how to transmit something nice on a non tonal instrument like drums is something that not everyone can do, SPECIALLY when you talk about the metal scene. He's totally loose, and I even think that Axe would be better for the oldest and most brutal Opeth, and Lopez would fit a lot better in the new stuff, which have a lot more shades and stages.
For a long time I believed that Ghost Reveries could never be beat, but when I seriously listened to Watershed i was mind blown. Every single song is a god damn masterpiece, like in an orchestra. Tied for number 1, if not the best Opeth Album.
I seem to recall him saying in an interview that the recording process of Deliverance and Damnation was a very bad experience for him. His grandmother also died around this time, so I doubt that helped.
@celticwarrior222 classical technique perfectly suitable for electric playing, and classical style vibrato is different than regular blues kind of vibrato that Mikael generally uses.
Mikael is probably still one of my favorite songwriters of all time. Easily top 5 in my book. And he can play the shit out his guitar. I just miss Lindgren so much. Hey what's your favorite album by Opeth? Mine is Still Life. My favorite song off Watershed is Hex Omega with Heir Apparent behind. I almost died listening to Hex Omega in my friend's car literally. Thank god for my friend in the back seat saying tree!
It does my head in seeing/hearing people arguing about past members Vs. current members. Peter and Lopez left so now they have Freddy and Ax. It's just one of those things; you can't change it so arguing over it is totally irrelevant. While Mikael remains at the bands core they will always be one of the best bands in the world.
Death probably my favorite bands of all time man. Chuck was the fucking man and God of metal with amazing riffs, great lyrics and bad ass vocals. SoP is my favorite Death album but I have them all.
@Megadedly I wish I could find musicians to be in a band with that do things like Mikael...his influences are from all over the place and Opeth reflects that...maybe that's why the rest of the lineup is always changing.
Yeah I've only been in to them for 3 years but I've seriously put in the leg work since then. Deliverance just has a fantastic over-all sound and feel and its so evocative (does anyone find that "Wreath" makes them think of a huge drunken viking staggering violently around a tavern???) I got Morningrise 4 months ago and I'm currently playing it to death, it was such a giant leap forward form Orchid
@BenjaminProd Dude, when Opeth first started Mikael didn't have a drum machine to demo songs with, so Axe doesn't have much freedom when Mikael starts doing the drums in a program.
I loved Still Life, My Arms Your Hearse, and Blackwater Park, but I've heard them. I don't want Opeth to make another record they've already done, that's not Opeth. I know Heritage isn't very metal like all the other albums except damnation, but that's what Mikael's grooving to right now. Can't say I didn't see it coming either, metal has always been only a small part of their influence, but up to now a big part of their sound. Their sound is more about what the band listens to now
exactly my mind set. Together they acomplished Ghost Reveries. Which is an album that has definetly changed my life. They arent as 'opeth' as they were. I am still awating the next album though. But I hope its beyond watershed. Because I really dont listen to watershed as mush as the others. I know alot of people love that album. But for me its basically my lest favorite :(
@Daaaniellaaa Did he take part in the making of Magicka? There is a graveyard in that game where on the tombstones are the names of the makers, and on one of them reads "Peter Lindgren"...
@Benteiron I really wouldn't know. It's not like I know him or anything. That he's an IT consultant is just on Wikipedia, lol. In the Magicka credits though, it says someone named "Peter Lindgren" did programming. Now, I wouldn't call someone who does programming an "IT consultant". But that could be just me. To make a long story short: I don't know, but I don't really think so.
@Psychiatric91 I gotta agree there. I've loved Opeth ever since I got Blackwater Park, and if you compare the stuff on that or Still Life, Watershed does sound a bit weak. I don't think it was anything to do with the lineup because Ghost Reveries is still pretty good. Watershed does lack 'something' whatever that is...
@BenjaminProd Dude, I've read read everything to do with Heritage, and watched all interviews. Mikael also STATED HIMSELF that you never know, the next album could have growls, and it might not. He just didn't find it right for what Heritage was. There wont be another Heritage style record, Storm Corrosion is the last in the saga, including Grace For Drowning.
@TukiOpeth As a long time drummer teacher. I have to say that while Lopez was fucking fantastic, Axe is quite possibly the second best drummer in the world right now (behind Gavin Harrison). Lopez had great groove, and was good in the technical skill department. Where as Axe's groove is beastly and is one of the most technically skilled drummers out there: listen to The Lines in My Hand. There's a reason all the Opeth guys call him the best musician they've ever played with.
I love Heritage, but I hope that Opeth goes back to do a few more death metal tracks every now and then. There's not a single song that Opeth has created that is not absolute brilliance, and that definitely includes Heritage.
Where can I get this video from? Also man, you should play your bass in New Zealand so you and me could make an opeth influenced band! cmon over man :)
I'm not lying to myself. Listen to Atonement, Hessian Peel, there's hints of Heritage everywhere. So what if Mikael decided it doesn't need growls? he doesn't rule them out for the future. It shouldn't be a big deal, it's already been done on Damnation. Watershed and Heritage are totally Opeth, Ghost Reveries as well. Its natural progression.
