Opeth exist in a genre of one.

The forward-thinking Swedish titans... seamlessly and fluidly combine metal, rock, prog, folk and free form jazz

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I was perusing through the clubs & crews section today, and I realized that there was active no Opeth club. Quickly, mouth agog at this sudden realization, I typed Opeth into the search bar and found that no such club had ever even existed! There were a bunch of threads about how great they were, but alas, no club. Well, I've decided to change that.

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[ Links ]

Official Website
MySpace
Encyclopedia Metallum

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[ Band Info ]

"Opeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. While the band has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force since joining promptly after its inception.

While firmly rooted in Scandinavian death metal, Opeth has consistently incorporated influence by progressive music, folk, blues rock and jazz into their usually-lengthy compositions. Many compositions include acoustic guitar interludes and strong dynamic shifts, as well as both growling and clean vocals. Though they rarely toured in support of their first four albums, Opeth conducted their first world tour after the 2001 release of Blackwater Park.

Opeth has released nine studio albums, two live albums, two box sets, and two DVDs. The band released its debut album Orchid in 1995. Although their eighth studio album Ghost Reveries was quite popular in the United States, Opeth did not experience American commercial success until the 2008 release of their ninth studio album, Watershed, which peaked at number twenty-three on the Billboard 200, and topped the Finnish albums chart in its first week of release."

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[ Discography ]

Apostle In Triumph (1990 - Demo)
Orchid (1995)
Morningrise (1996)
My Arms, Your Hearse (1998)
Still Life (1999)
Blackwater Park (2001)
Deliverance (2002)
Damnation (2003)
Ghost Reveries (2005)
Watershed (2008)

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[ Members ]

Mikael Åkerfeldt - Vocals, Guitars
Fredrik Åkesson - Guitars
Martin Mendez - Bass
Martin Axenrot - Drums
Per Wiberg - Keyboards

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[ Rules ]

Follow theBBS Rules
No spamming, flaming, or trolling
Adding this club to your sig is not required, but is a nice gesture nonetheless

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Thanks!

I can say without a doubt that Opeth is one of the most incredible bands I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. I'm definitely in the club. I have all their stuff except Roundhouse London. A lot of people I've shown them to dislike the vocals (which I get) but say the music is amazing-- I've yet to meet a single person who hasn't liked their music. I can't really say what my favorite Opeth song is, since that would be saying all their other songs are of lesser quality-- something that I cannot say-- and the same goes for their albums.

Here's hoping the club succeeds.

At 4/13/10 09:58 PM, Valjylmyr wrote: I can say without a doubt that Opeth is one of the most incredible bands I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. I'm definitely in the club. I have all their stuff except Roundhouse London. A lot of people I've shown them to dislike the vocals (which I get) but say the music is amazing-- I've yet to meet a single person who hasn't liked their music. I can't really say what my favorite Opeth song is, since that would be saying all their other songs are of lesser quality-- something that I cannot say-- and the same goes for their albums.

Here's hoping the club succeeds.

Agreed, Opeth are incredible. As far as the vocals, I think they're some of the best growling vocals ever, and couple that with the fact that he can sing great in clean too... oh yeah, also the pitch-perfect instrumentation, amazing heavy-soft transitions...

Yeah.

If I had to pick a favourite Opeth album, it would be probably either be Still Life or Blackwater Park, but those are both masterpieces so it's hard to pick just one.

Listening to the album Still Life today... it's just so good. Every song adds something to the album. I will try and rank them, though this is very hard for me to do, and will probably change contantly. Right now I would say...

The Moor
Serenity Painted Death
Face Of Melinda
Godhead's Lament
Benighted
White Cluster
Moonlapse Cluster

But honestly, they're all so good.

At 4/14/10 08:41 PM, Frenzy wrote: Moonlapse Cluster

Meant Moonlapse Vertigo... :|

At 4/14/10 08:41 PM, Frenzy wrote: I will try and rank them, though this is very hard for me to do,

No matter how hard I try, I just can't do that. I've tried to do it with Blackwater Park, and this was the original list:

Bleak
The Funeral Portrait
The Leper Affinity
Harvest
Dirge for November
The Drapery Falls
Blackwater Park
Patterns in the Ivy

Then I thought, "Oh... but Leper Affinity's piano ending is so awesome... but Bleak's got the incredible acoustic bridge. Then again Funeral Portrait has that amazing intro... and Harvest..." (Harvest really doesn't need an explanation.)

I ended up just giving up completely and deciding to just listen to the album. Though, out of all there songs, I will have to say that Black Rose Immortal is probably their most incredible. Not their best, but being able to make a 20 minute song and have it sound like... well, that, I... well, I haven't heard many bands that can do that.

At 4/13/10 06:36 PM, Frenzy wrote: [ Members ]
Mikael Åkerfeldt - Vocals, Guitars
Martin Mendez - Bass

This seems about right to me. :D

Anyway, I own all nine opeth albums and they are one of my favorite bands - count me in! :D

At 4/14/10 09:17 PM, Valjylmyr wrote: Bleak
The Funeral Portrait
The Leper Affinity
Harvest
Dirge for November
The Drapery Falls
Blackwater Park
Patterns in the Ivy

Agh, this one's really hard to rank too!

I guess if I had too...

The Leper Affinity
Bleak
The Drapery Falls
The Funeral Portrait
Harvest
Dirge For November
Blackwater Park
Patterns In The Ivy

As before, though, it will change constantly

At 4/14/10 09:37 PM, AniMetal wrote: Anyway, I own all nine opeth albums and they are one of my favorite bands - count me in! :D

Welcome! Got a favourite album/song?

Opeth is one of the greatest bands, count me in! :)

Currently I own "My Arms, Your Hearse", "Blackwater Park", "Deliverance" and "Watershed". I don't really have a favorite Album, all of them are great. But my favorite song is Deliverance. I'm glad they played that song as well when I saw them live at the Rock Hard Festival last year.

I love Opeth, definitely one of my fave bands. Count me in.

I currently own:
Orchid
Still Life
Deliverance
Damnation
Ghost Reveries
Blackwater Park
Watershed

Personally my favourite would have to be Blackwater Park, but Still Life and Deliverance are both great too.

To Bid You Farewell = best Opeth song ever written.

TRUE FACT.

How many times have you guys seen Opeth? I saw them in 2008 with High On Fire and Nachtmystium and again in 2009 with Enslaved.

Both times they were perfect!

At 4/15/10 02:34 AM, Haggard wrote: Opeth is one of the greatest bands, count me in! :)

Currently I own "My Arms, Your Hearse", "Blackwater Park", "Deliverance" and "Watershed". I don't really have a favorite Album, all of them are great. But my favorite song is Deliverance. I'm glad they played that song as well when I saw them live at the Rock Hard Festival last year.

Welcome! You should definitely check out 'Still Life" next, it might be my favourite album by them (well, that or Blackwater Park). I've never actually seen them live but would love too.

At 4/15/10 04:26 AM, ParadoxVoid wrote: I love Opeth, definitely one of my fave bands. Count me in.
Personally my favourite would have to be Blackwater Park, but Still Life and Deliverance are both great too.

Welcome! Good choices as wel. :D

If by 'genre of one' you mean Prog Metal, yeah :P.

At 4/15/10 04:38 PM, Nev wrote: If by 'genre of one' you mean Prog Metal, yeah :P.

Any type of genre is too restrictive for Opeth's style. Black Rose Immortal itself is like five different genres.

At 4/15/10 08:35 PM, Valjylmyr wrote:

At 4/15/10 04:38 PM, Nev wrote: If by 'genre of one' you mean Prog Metal, yeah :P.

Any type of genre is too restrictive for Opeth's style. Black Rose Immortal itself is like five different genres.

This man speaks the truth.

"Face Of Melinda" is such an epic song. Listening to it right now.

But they are Prog Metal. All the other genres go into the Prog bit.

Anyway favourite albums: Still Life, My Arms, Your Hearse, Damnation.
Favourite songs: The Moor, When, Blackwater Park, Harvest, To Bid You Farewell.

At 4/16/10 10:33 AM, Nev wrote: Anyway favourite albums: Still Life, My Arms, Your Hearse, Damnation.
Favourite songs: The Moor, When, Blackwater Park, Harvest, To Bid You Farewell.

The Moor might be my favourite song by them... aisde from the admittedly overlong ambient intro

At 4/16/10 03:22 PM, Frenzy wrote: The Moor might be my favourite song by them... aisde from the admittedly overlong ambient intro

That's the best part of the moor....

Anyway I think Blackwater Park is the weakest album Opeth have released.

Totally boring and overrated compared to their other albums. (Except bleak and BWP, those two tracks are amazing)

Still life is their best.

At 4/16/10 04:34 PM, AniMetal wrote: Anyway I think Blackwater Park is the weakest album Opeth have released.

Totally boring and overrated compared to their other albums. (Except bleak and BWP, those two tracks are amazing)

So right, except in your confusion you appear to have mis-spelt Harvest :P.

At 4/16/10 04:38 PM, Nev wrote: So right, except in your confusion you appear to have mis-spelt Harvest :P.

Harvest is great the first twenty times you listen to it, then it gets boring. :'(

Opeth back in the 90's. <3

At 4/16/10 04:40 PM, AniMetal wrote: Harvest is great the first twenty times you listen to it, then it gets boring. :'(

Nooor waay.
I can't listen to it anymore as it makes me sad through association to sad past times :(.

At 4/16/10 04:44 PM, Nev wrote: Nooor waay.
I can't listen to it anymore as it makes me sad through association to sad past times :(.

Ah, well you just have personal attachment to it then.

I'm like that with every song on Damnation.

At 4/16/10 04:34 PM, AniMetal wrote: That's the best part of the moor....

I just think it goes on for too long and I end up skipping it. The rest of the song I love though.

Totally boring and overrated compared to their other albums. (Except bleak and BWP, those two tracks are amazing)

:O

The Drapery Falls, The Leper Affinity, The Funeral Portrait, Harvest :O

Still life is their best.

I think I agree with you there, though Blackwater Park keep switching places with it for me.

A random question just popped into my mind: waht if Opeth shaved their heads? lol

At 4/20/10 03:27 PM, Frenzy wrote: A random question just popped into my mind: waht if Opeth shaved their heads? lol

They'd be like Dream Evil. They'd look like a bunch of posers who write while on PCP, which wouldn't matter because they'd still be incredible.

Except they wouldn't be able to do that thing that long-haired people can do, where their heads are really sweaty and the hair's all in their face, and they sweep it up in a graceful motion and it looks awesome.

At 4/20/10 08:14 PM, Valjylmyr wrote: Except they wouldn't be able to do that thing that long-haired people can do, where their heads are really sweaty and the hair's all in their face, and they sweep it up in a graceful motion and it looks awesome.

Sounds like someone's crushing on Opeth :P

I'm in. I got into opeth in grade 9 (so i was 14 or 15 i believe). The first song i heard was the song "Blackwater Park". before listening to Opeth i was a fan of technical death metal, and that was the only genre I really spent any time listening to. But after hearing blackwater park i decided to listen to more opeth, as it was one of the most original and inventive song I had heard back then.

My brother had been a fan of Opeth probably three years before I gave them a try. Together we have all of their CD's, DVD's, and other Opeth Merchandise. I had the opportunity to see them almost two years ago this September on a headlining tour, the support band being "High On Fire" (also really good).

Funny story, since i wanted to be in the front, or close to the front for the concert (I wanted to admire Akerfeldt from as close up as possible) i went before any line really started. However, since me and my friends decided we wanted to get high before the show, we walked behind the venue to smoke pot. Well, to our surprise there was Mendez, Akerfeldt and Axenrot out behind the venue having a smoke break!

I got pictures with all three of them, and was very surprised at how personable and friendly they are. Amazing on and off stage.

Me and Mikael

I looked really stupid two years ago, looking back on it...

At 4/20/10 09:59 PM, yodd wrote: Me and Mikael

That's crazy man. Congrats.

At 4/20/10 09:59 PM, yodd wrote: Me and Mikael

I hate you.

So.

Fucking.

Much.

The Moor = :O