Opeth - Damnation

General Information

Original Author: The Uncreator

Artist: Opeth

Album: Damnation

Genre: Progressive/ Death Metal (Although this album is a bit different as many of you know )

Tracklist

1. Windowpane
2. In My Time Of Need
3. Death Whispered A Lullaby
4. Closure
5. Hope Leaves
6. To Rid The Disease
7. Ending Credits
8. Weakness

Sound

10 Beautiful, Fantastic, Dreamlike, Breathtaking, Astounding and so many more words. This album is a collection of Opeth focusing mainly on there softer style of music, Incredible Melodies and beautiful songs.

Guitars

10 Just.....Godly. The album focuses on Acoustic and Clean guitar riffs and melodies, which Opeth can do as well as they can do a Brutal song. The way Peter Lindgren and Mikael Akerfeldt get there guitars to just....Sound in unison, is beyond amazement. The atmosphere is beautiful, at times dark and very Melancholy, but it always keeps me in a place of wonder. And the solo's, well just Wow! i am listening to "To Rid The Disease" for about the 1000th time and the solo still makes me bend at the knees, its incredible, Mikales subtle notes flow beautifuly over his incredible Vibrato technique, its as if his Vibrato is a seperate voice, allowing the note speak louder and more clearly.

Bass

10 Although its not as forward as other Opeth albums, it still is great, Martin Mendez's subtle melodies just glide with the guitar duo in perfect synchronicity. and at times im more amazed at the bass than any other instrument, Martin is a master of his craft, and he treats us with some beautiful bass melodies on this album.

Drums

8 Still amazing, but i find that Martin Lopez excells and really shines in the heavier stuff, nevertheless, his carefull dance around his drumkit just adds to the incredible atmosphere of this album.

Vocals

10 Despite there isnt nary a growl on this record, Mikael proves to us that his clean vocals are just as amazing, he has a very soft clean voice, and its always very soothing, he can bring out the emotion in ever word as it leaves his lips, Mikael has ascended to God status in my book by the time i first heard this album when it came out. his performance is just...Flabbergasting.

Lyrics

10 My favorite from Opeth are on this album, meticoulsly crafted, and carefully woven, they shine to me as Mikael's best work.

From "Windowpane"

Inside plays a lullaby
Slurred voice over children cries
On the inside
Haunting loneliness in the eye
Skin covering a secret scar
His hand is waving a goodbye
There's no response or action returned

From "Death Whispered A Lullaby"

Out on the road there are fireflies circling
Deep in the woods, where the lost souls hide
Over the hill there are men returning
Trying to find some peace of mind
Sleep my child
Under the fog there are shadows moving
Don't be afraid, hold my hand
Into the dark there are eyelids closing
Buried alive in the shifting sands

From "Hope Leaves"

In the corner beside my window
There hangs a lonely photograph
There is no reason
I'd never notice
A memory that could hold me back

There is a wound that's always bleeding
There is a road I'm always walking
And I know you'll never return to this place

Gone through days without talking
There is a comfort in silence
So used to losing all ambition
Struggling to maintain what's left

Once undone, there is only smoke
Burning in my eyes to blind
To cover up what really happened
Force the darkness unto me

Overall Impression

10 An Amazing and beautiful record. Soaring melodies of the most incredible beauty and sound with vocals to make your knees bend and shake, lyrics that will bring a tear to your eye, and guitar solos that will comfort your every pain. This is just an ubeliveable album, I consider this to be Opeth's best after Ghost Reveries. Even if you dont like the normal brutal riffage of Opeth, as long as you like beautiful and soothing music, Damnation is the name of the game.

Editorial note: published 3 Sept 2007