This goes out to Uncreator and all the other Opeth junkies out there. I have never heard the band until the other night. After reading several of posts on the forums I decided to check them out on Youtube. Damn, I was blown out of my chair ! The question I have for you guys, is alot of their stuff like Windowpain and Harvest or are they primarily a growling band. The few tunes I listened to, love the music , love the lyrics, love the jazz influence, but cannot cope with the growling. I am sure it would grow on me after a while, but are their albums a mix of both or more growling vocals ? Any album suggestions where there is less growling? Or should I just bite the bullet and buy a few albums for their other material ? Suggestions would be great guys, I find this band to be amazing anhd packed full of talent, I just hope I can get past the growling so I can really delve into these guys. Thanks in advance.

Regards, Ronnie

Damnation is their softer album. It has "windowpane" on it, you'd like that album. Every one is essential, IMO.

I used to not like the growling either but now I LOVE it It's really grown on me. Mikael has an awesome voice both soft and not.

I'd start with either Damnation and Ghost Reveries, or Damnation and Blackwater Park. AFAIK, damnation is the only one of theirs that doesn't have growling.

Whoa, I found Opeth some time ago, but my view of them is quite strange...
I basically like all of their albums, except Blackwater Park... Still life is probably my favourite!! But Ghost Reveries is not far back!
Try Still Life... There's some songs without growling there...
In my opinion I find the growling well done and pleasurable in Opeth!

Anyway you'll find many songs have a sort of inner voice change.... Like they start with growling, switch to clean... then back to growl etc.!! And the clean bits are very well done. Hope it was helpful.

There was actually a thread on this already, but since Opeth OWN SO MUCH!!

Who cares eh?

Anyway, if you want there softer stuff, like JVM Said, Damnation is the only one absent of growls, every other album has plenty of growls, and some softer material as well.

Absolute must haves:

Blackwater Park (Pretty Much every Opeth fan knows this one )
Ghost Reveries (In My Oppinion, there best, and one of the 3 greatest albums ever)
Damnation (The softer side of Opeth, one of the most beautiful albums ive ever had the privilage of hearing)
Deliverance (Brilliance once more, the solo on "A Fair Judgement" is beyond all measuerment)

but i must say, ANY (and i do mean ANY) Opeth album is just Phenomenal!!!

PS
its been my experience that most people dont like growls at first, hell i didnt, now i cant get enough. Mikael's growls surpass any ive ever heard, and his clean voice is just unbeleivable, if you want a more in depth review of these guys, check out my reviews on 3 of there album

Opeth: Ghost Reveries
Opeth: Damnation
Opeth: Deliverance

This post has been edited by The Uncreator: Nov 22 2007, 05:23 PM

Agree on all counts here, listening to harsh vocals is something you eventually grow acustomed to and begin to like.

For a clean album though get Damnation! Awesome piece of work.

Learn to like Orchid then you'll get accustomed to death metal in general. My favorite Opeth album btw.

Thanks for all the feedback guys ! I have continued my Youtube search of Opeth and this band is amazing. I have given an album list to my wife (hopefully stocking stuffers). Brett, thanks for the great album reviews.

I saw Opeth live once at a festival. Just a couple of songs because I had to go see another band. But I was impressed Have not listened to them since then though. Never got around to it. Maby I will now.

Opeth are certainly one of the best bands in contemporary extreme metal. I'd recommend all their albums as I can never decide which is my fav but I'm listening to Ghost Reveries and Still Life a lot at the moment. As far as the growling is concerned, it will grow on you. I remember listening to Opeth in 92-93 when my cousin gave me one of their demo tapes, I've been hooked ever since!

Man, how could you get hooked on the demo work, I heard apostle in triuph recently after hearing all of Opeth's album work and couldnt recognise it to the song on Orchid it was of such bad quality.

It was like one of these black metal bands that record all their guitarwork in -30 degree's in their mum's garage in Norway on a taperecorder, hehe I'm such a cynic (Robin loves this stuff )

Black Metal ist krieg!!!!!

Haha yeah the sound quality really is appauling, but I'm also a huge fan of old school first and second wave black metal, so I'm accustomed to poor production.
I'm sure you can actually hear the hinge on the double bass pedal squeaking in time to the kicking in parts! But in all seriousness, the demos certainly aren't to the amazing quality that Opeth produce today, but they were enough to hook me at the time, although I was about 8 years old at that time!

I haven't listened any band as much as Opeth, they definitely are my favourite band (maybe of all time). I haven't yet grown tired to any of their songs/albums, I just constantly find new dimensions from the songs. Mikael Åkerfeldt is an amazing songwriter, and one of my idols!!

Opeth rules!!!!

This post has been edited by Toni Suominen: Dec 8 2007, 01:24 PM

I just ordered My Arms Your Hearse to start me off with Opeth and haven't heard much about it, everyone is talking about the other albums, is the one I ordered any good? I like the song Demon of the Fall so much, that is why I ordered the album.

Well when you buy a Opeth album you have to realize no matter which one it is......Its freaking amazing!!!

My arms your hearse is a great album!

My Arms, Your Hearse is an amazing album, just like The Uncreator says. It's my third favourite, just after Still Life and Blackwater park, so yeah, it's good. And yeah, demon of the fall is insanely good, and actually, all the tracks on MAYH are about the same level of awesomenss. Except When. Since When might just be the best song ever written.

Ok, I'll shut up.

yah realy its a good band