Blackwater Reviews

I picked Hypocrisy´s self-titled as my top album of ´99, but I´d have to say Opeth´s mesmerising fourth opus Still Life has seductively shuffled ol´ Peter from the perch. I can´t stop playing this thing. It´s just the brainiest blend of unique progressive rock, mysterious folk and high-flying perfection extreme I´ve ever had the pleasure of hearing. With a new label, Mikael Akerfeldt is still laid-back and unimpressed, even calling himself lazy, citing how the band wrote most of this in the studio and rehearsed it fleetingly. Well, if it works, go for it. I mean, for most bands, kicking off with an eleven minute song is just begging for one click of the skip button, but Opeth´s The Moor is an insane masterwork, elegant mellow stuff you actually want to hear, Voivodian timechange switchbacks kicking it down a devilish death metal pathway, back to the folk, themes ebbing, flowing, swaying, foreboding, something approximating the (very) original King Crimson crossed with Satyricon (there´s both Wetton and Lake in Akerfeldt´s vocal), or Voivod embracing the madness of Michel´s beloved Van Der Graaf Generator.

Tracks two and four Godhead´s Lament and Moonlapse Vertigo are nearly as earth-shattering, doing much the same thing, Opeth breaking all the rules and delivering whatever they like as a style, just as long as it makes you very sad and then angry and finally despondent that you didn´t write it first. Another amazing thing: the balance between clean vocals and death vocals is such that the death´s are used sparingly for attitude and effect, and they actually deliver that, rather than fatigue. You want them there, because for one, there´s a clean interplay right around the corner (and likely a cobwebbed acoustic guitar: Mikael used to work in an acoustic guitar store and is a bit of a gear geek), and two, it´s placed on snakey progressive and very metallic structures that place this band at the fore of an extreme bunch that includes Arch Enemy, Katatonia, Dark Tranquillity, Amorphis and Hypocrisy, all my fave raves right now. Beautiful, panoramic stuff . . . I mean, there´s even a full-on five minute acoustic number called Benighted that is extremely sorrowful, frightening and hooky enough that you can just enjoy it as a new form of quiet heavy metal, a slippery dovetail between the opening mindbender and the final four mindbents, one at seven minutes, two at nine, and one at ten, none a tired slog, each leaving you thirsting for more virtuosity, drama and pathos. Rating 10

Every time Sweden´s Opeth releases an album, the entire underground shutters with awe and envy. It is as if some benevolent god whispers into the ears of each and every Opeth fan telling them that the future of metal is going to be all right. Sigh. Damn, if that god wasn´t right, for Still Life is the very reason metal is such an exciting and amorphous genre of which to be a part.

The band´s fourth volume marks the first time since Morningrise that it has a solid, fully functional line-up. True, mastermind songwriter/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt is the incandescent core of the band, but drummer Martin Lopez (ex-Amon Amarth) and bassist Martin Mendez display progression and ability necessary for suc h demanding material. Of course, what would a Opeth album be without dynamic contrast? It is really no surprise that opener "The Moor" shifts smoothly or suddenly from one texture to the next. Typical of Opeth´s epic songwriting, where recurring themes seamlessly connect mesmerizing acoustic episodes and instrumental and vocal magic, "The Moor" challenges every progressive filament in the metal scene without sounding pretentious or awkward. "Godhead´s Lament," on the same hand, captures guitarists Peter Lindgren and Mikael Åkerfeld´s melodic dissonance and seemingly fox-like ability to handle a myriad of mood changes perfectly.

The song also demonstrates Åkerfeldt´s broad range of vocal styles that, like the music, move effortlessly from one style to the next. His capacity to change from aggressive to melodic is unlike anything else in the metal scene. Åkerfeldt´s voice is at a level that he really should be acknowledged as metal´s most diverse vocalist. This could not be truer than on the band´s first all acoustic piece, "Benighted." More or less an Aria in form, the song exposes the band´s emotional state through its outpouring of melancholic vocal lines and soft, expressive guitar work. Similar to how previous Opeth song´s work, "Benighted" slips into "Moonlapse Vertigo" expertly, as if the songs are conjoined by some divine source. The truth is they probably are.Nevertheless, it is not the transfer from one song to the next that makes "Moonlapse Vertigo" so different from its empyreal peers. The song swings. The way the drums and multi-layered guitars compliment each other is more the work of true craftsmanship than accidental genius. It is not simple to give a song a life of its own, even after segueing into a brutal upset of aggressive vocal and guitar melodies, but Opeth make it look as such.

"Face of Melinda" is another work of mind-numbing brilliance. Its rhyming lyrics and fluid songsmithing are similar to "Benighted" in that it speaks from the heart as well as offers some respite to the aggressive tendencies of the band. Yet for the album´s variation, "Serenity Painted Death," in a way only Opeth can justify, is so forthright in its execution that it levels every death metal benchmark. Between the pummeling bouts of pure death metal, acoustic and melodic vocal movements serve as balancing elements, all of which is presented with traditional Opeth flare. Closer "White Cluster," to the surprise of the band´s everywhere, is as explosive as its counterpart "The Moor." Very uncharacteristic of the band to end its album with such fireworks, the song bears some of the most illustrative soloing and instrumental pulses in the band´s career. Think of it as the final ascension to the realm of gods, where Opeth, and very few like them, will sit not in domination but in admiration. It is this humble mode of thought that Opeth is as dear to many of us as our family members. It is music with meaning and purpose without ever presenting it as such. In the end, it is not entirely clear if the few words spilt here could ever justify what Still Life means to metal, but this is much is known. Still Life is the very reason music compact disc players were imagined in the first place.

Review by Chris Dick

Maybe it´s me. But it seems to be only yesterday that the Swedish Opeth presented their third album ´My Arms, Your Hearse´. And now, ther next longplayer, entitled ´Still Life´, is released. Not that it matters at all, because this band of guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt happens to be able to release an inkblack masterpiece time and again. Opeth emerged from the ashes of the Death Metal-band Eruption, so it´s not suprising to find that the roots of their music are in that genre. However, the band has a distinct sound, something that seems to be quite rare in the Swedish scene. Ever since the debut "Orchid´ of ´95, elaborated acoustic passages and melancholic Death Metal are the trademarket of Opeth, and that hasn´t changed a bit on ´Still Life´. The atmosphere of this album brings mainly their second cd ´Morningrise´ into memory. But never were the acoustic parts so intense and breath-taking and the Death-passages so furious and heavy. On this album, the dark style of Opeth is brought to the ultimate conclusion and I´m really short of heroic metaphors to praise ´Still Life´. Opeth drags you into a ferocious storm, pulls at you, won´t leave you alone for a second. Most of all, this is the only band on the face of the earth, that manages to create songs of roughly ten minutes, packed with bittersweet strumming, without boring the listener for a moment, and without being weak or ´un-Metal´. This rages, goddamnit! Just buy it! 9.5 out of 10 points

Reviewed by Anton de Wit MARTELGANG

There is no doubt in my mind that Opeth´s fourth full-length, Still Life, was THE most anticipated album of the year for me. This ingenious bandhave released three extraordinary albums and Still Life proves to continuethat tradition by presenting seven more diverse compositions that deserveyour direct attention. Early descriptions of this album were noted as across between the act´s second release, Morningrise, and My Arms, YourHearse (their previous output). I must make it clear that I do not hearthis to be the case. Instead, Still Life is more of a continuation of MyArms, Your Hearse and injects some new musical elements and structures ineach track. For instance, vocalist extraordinaire, Mikael Akerfeldt,experiments with his voice more. His impressive high screams are stillthankfully in tact, but he has also adopted a slightly deeper, more deathmetal tone which sounds absolutely monstrous. His fantastic clean vocalsare also employed more often, especially during the repeating choruses andmellower passages. Akerfeldt´s vocal acrobatics enhance the musicbeautifully. Prominant metallic guitar work is expertly performed and theconstant mood changes in each track is abundant, with aggressionconsistently broken up by delicate acoustic passages and accompanying cleanvocals.

The overall musicianship that surrounds this band is nothing shortof phenomenal. Never has a band been able to write eight minute-plus longsongs (with the tranquil five minute "Benighted" being the only exception) that whirl by without ever becoming boring. So many unique ideas andharmonious sounds are born each minute that it takes at least a dozen spinsbefore you can fully take it all in. Of course, Still Life is an instanthit the first time you hear it, particularly songs like "Godhead´s Lament","Serenity Painted Death" and "Moonlapse Vertigo". The true beauty of Opethis how they provide something for everyone. They rip out some meatymid-paced death/black metal, dabble in progessive elegance, soothe withserene acoustic interludes, all the while remaining ultra-melodic anduntouchably unique. If there ever was a band to get into, Opeth is thatband. I cannot recommend Still Life enough and hope that you take myencouragement to heart and acquire a copy of your own. Just amazing.

Reviewed by Scott Breeden

It goes without saying that many people regard Opeth's Still Life as not only one of the most anticipated, but also one of the best albums of 1999, even before they had the chance to hear it. Such is the reputation of the mighty Swedish quartet, whose three previous opuses are no less than extraordinary. After listening to Still Life three times a day for the last seven days, I can safely say that Opeth's fans will not be disappointed with their latest accomplishment. Elements from both Morningrise and My Arms, Your Hearse can be heard on this release, though the greater part of the album develops on the MAYH sound.

On "Godhead's Lament" in particular, the songwriting approaches progressive rock, while "Benighted" is an entirely acoustic track. Otherwise, expect in Still Life what you would normally expect from Opeth: intricately arranged compositions with discernible musical progression and development. And as always, Opeth use lengthy acoustic guitar passages to counter the heavier moments of the album. Few singers can rival Mikael Åkerfeldt when it comes to sheer vocal expressiveness. The intercourse between his clean vocal delivery and his fierce, violent roars propels the music forward and brings it to a whole new level of excellence. In Still Life, Mikael writes seven songs that tell the narrative account of an exiled, disillusioned man who returns home to behold his beloved Melinda, only to learn that she has married another. He convinces her to run away with him, but sadly, they are captured at the last minute. The townspeople then execute the wayward traveler for his heretical transgressions, but not before repulsing him one final time. One can describe the tone of the poems as cruel and fatalistic, with a cynical and spiteful outlook on human society. The protagonist can hardly be called a hero, and yet we end up sympathizing with him, or at least with his onerous circumstances. Literary analyses aside, the reader will find Still Life's lyrics to be a fine testament of Mikael's often underrated poetic talent, and an excellent complement to the phenomenal music.

Still Life is no less than a total work of art. It probably won't be as timeless as Morningrise, but Opeth fans will undoubtedly find much to enjoy with this release.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Shyu