Opeth, Blackwater Park

Blackwater Park has it all, great songs and production, courtesy of Steve Wilson. Just listen to it, I always find myself drowning in The Drapery Falls. What a song, wow. The title track just steamrolls almost anything else out there. Just crushes, goosebumps, perfect 10.

No songs are bad on this album, and I would say that the songs, blackwater park, bleak and harvest are the highlights of the album. Drapery falls has some dreadfully boring riffing in it and it's all too slow for my liking.

I'd say the album is overrated, but not on the first listen or to any new Opeth fan. To some, the album is more accessible, which is a plus.

I like Opeth, Blackwater Park due to the personal tastes. But if you're just getting into this band I would go for the album 'Deliverence'...because that'll blow you away!

Let me say this: Opeth is an extremely innovative band that has broken tons of barriers in metal. I like Blackwater Park. It's got some incredible riffing... "Leper Affinity," "Dirge For November," and the title track are all well composed. I'm glad that there's a band that's not afraid to use acoustic guitars.

Problem is, this is really corny. Switching from electric to acoustic gets lame after awhile. There are some songs, such as "Dirge For November," that I wish were kept all acoustic. While "Harvest" is the softest song, even that feels kind of awkward. So Opeth have kind of worked themselves into a corner. The songs are just too predictable; every time you hear the guitarists hold a distorted note for more than one measure, you know, "Oh, it's acoustic time!" Can we get something weird?

If you can put that aside, like many can, you will dig this album. Just be prepared to not listen to it more than a couple times.

'Blackwater park' the 5th Opeth album, is the best of the 7 albums they have produced to date. Owing almost as much to classical music as to "extreme" metal. Opeth are very special indeed. To call Opeth "Death/Black/Doom etc. etc. metal" is to completely miss the point and wrongly pigeon hole them. 'Blackwater park' has contrasts of heavy and mellow material which combines to form a symphony of excellent music. almost every song is around 10 minutes long (or more!) but they don't drag and bore, like many people believe a metal song of such length would do. Stand out track is 'Blackwater Park' which closes the album, a truly beautiful track that astounds throughout it's 12 minute length. Do yourself a favour. Buy this album at the first available opportunity. And prepare for wondrous things....