CD Review

Opeth

To label a band like Sweden's OPETH as a death metal or black metal band would do them a severe injustice. Unfortunately that is what has happened over the years with this band and after listening to most of their catalogue I can not understand why this happens. OPETH is indeed a band that is hard to categorize as all of their songs touch on several different styles. In any given song there will be elements of metal, classical and even some hints of jazz. Lead singer Mikael Akerfeldt's vocals usually vary from a deep and heavy growl to a very serene clean style. On this particular collection titled Damnation the band decided to put together an entire cd of material showcasing their mellower and cleaner side. While the music is mostly acoustic and on the softer side, make no mistake about the lyrical content. The subjet matter is dark and deep and to read along with the lyrics one can not help but notice Mikael's wonderful grasp of the English language and his ability to put his thoughts to music in such a superb way. 'In My Time Of Need' and 'To Rid The Disease' are standout tracks with their very beautiful melodies. On the track 'Closure' the band explore some Middle Eastern style sounds and rythms that sound really refreshing. This is definitely one of the best cd's released this year, if not ever.

5/31/2004