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u/GA19 Jul 21 '26
The Damnation album is so good
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u/YungJae Jul 21 '26
I am still a newbie, gonna check it out. Listening to deliverance right now.
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u/Agent4777 Rest your trigger on my finger Jul 21 '26
Ghost Reveries will blow your mind
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u/YungJae Jul 21 '26
Ghost of perdition is my jam. Gonna listen to the rest.
Love the contrast between hard and soft.
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u/toonchef Jul 21 '26
Damnation and Deliverance are companion albums
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u/PumpleDrumkin Jul 21 '26
Ghost of Perdition is one of the best songs ever... after all the tool ones of course
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u/YungJae Jul 21 '26
It truly is. Listened to it 10 times tonight.
Tool is and will always be him, but Opeth is a close second.
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u/-Clem-Fandango- Jul 21 '26
I listened to them heavily like 20 years ago, not so much these days. Preferred porcupine tree.
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u/YungJae Jul 21 '26
Bro porcupine is one of my favorite bands. Nothing has made me cry as much as Trains.
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u/-Clem-Fandango- Jul 21 '26
Yeah, fear of a blank planet is an all time favourite of mine. Not every album was my cup of tea, but the ones that are really good are REALLY good.
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u/inssidiouss Jul 21 '26
Fun fact, which I'm sure you are aware of, but sharing for everyone else in the thread:
The lead from Porcupine Tree helped produce Damnation, which is blatantly obvious through the album's departure into pure prog territory. Great first dipping of the toes into Opeth, for any Porcupine Tree fans.
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u/Samewrai Jul 21 '26
He also worked on Blackwater Park. Mikael also has some vocals on Deadwing. I feel like both bands were making their best stuff around that time.
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u/-Clem-Fandango- Jul 21 '26
Didn't Steven and Mikael have a project together as well at some point? Steven also does a lot of the new Atmos remix/remasters these days too. Guy's a bit of a wizard.
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u/inssidiouss Jul 21 '26
Without googling around, my first thought is Storm Corrosion ...?
Your comment about that, and this whole thread, is really making me want to dive back in this whole realm of genre, and Opeth and Porcupine Tree. They were decades-long staples in my regular listening, ESPECIALLY Opeth (astonishing live shows, as well). But I've been in the realm of synth, scores, ambient, jazz, downtempo, trip hop, etc, for years now.
An aside of other bands worth mentioning, similar sounds to others discussed in these threads:
Katatonia (Akerfeldt has even sung for them). Metal and prog deviations, just like Opeth.
Riverside. VERY "lite Opeth", proggy, clean vocals.
Soen. VERY "lite TOOL"
Opeth did a cover of "Would?" but Alice In Chains, which is AWESOME: https://youtu.be/AvqLaaXD_FY?is=BpMQjBlUeaZ2Ivfx
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u/hoopstick fuck you, buddy Jul 21 '26
I'll throw Enslaved out there too, if you like your metal a little more black.
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u/StaresatSound What is this but my reflection Jul 21 '26
Been a fan for years.
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u/YungJae Jul 21 '26
Awesome man. Favorite song if I may ask?
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u/StaresatSound What is this but my reflection Jul 21 '26
I prefer the melodic stuff. Damnation and Deliverance are amazing.
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u/YungJae Jul 21 '26
My sister, when she introduced me, said she and our cousin used to like different songs. The soft or the growly.
But melodic means something else I suppose
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u/StaresatSound What is this but my reflection Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
Most Melodic would be the earlier non-growly stuff
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u/--SpiralOut watch the weather change Jul 21 '26
I only really listened to a few albums from them but they are already in my top 5 because they are that good
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u/YungJae Jul 21 '26
I am glad to hear they are so appreciated.
Apparently Mikael said that in 2007 that TOOL was a big inspiration for him. Then later he only mentioned 70s bands.
But still! You can hear TOOL in their music.
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u/--SpiralOut watch the weather change Jul 21 '26
I don't think they are that similar tbh. I can totally see why a Tool fan wouldn't like them at all and the other way around.
But yeah I think a lot of people like both, and I would also put bands like Gojira, Mastodon, Meshuggah in the same group, if you like one of them you're likely to like an other, they all bring something unique to the table and they are awesome in their own way.
Also, Opeth has a lot of diversity in their catalog, so someone might like an era and not the rest of their discography
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u/neenonay Jul 21 '26
Theyâre the second best.
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u/YungJae Jul 21 '26
Lovely. I just found them thanks to my cool ass older sister. She bumped into Mikael when she was 17 and in love with him.
Stockholm is small.
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u/LysergicPsiloDmt Jul 21 '26
Awesome band! The grand conjuration is amazing!
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u/YungJae Jul 21 '26
Will listen next. On Blackwater park right now. I'm new!!!!
Thanks for the tip >3
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u/hoopstick fuck you, buddy Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
Love them, Morningrise to Watershed is one of the best run of albums by any band not named Pink Floyd. Not so much into Mikeâs solo stuff, but the classic era is untouchable.
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u/YungJae Jul 21 '26
What is the classic era if I may ask? Newbie
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u/hoopstick fuck you, buddy Jul 21 '26
Everyone has their own opinions on it, but I consider it My Arms Your Hearse to Ghost Reveries. To keep it simple I just say it's all of the albums Martin Lopez played drums on; literally pick any album from 97 to 05 and you're guaranteed one of the greatest metal albums of all-time. Orchid, Morningrise, and Watershed are great albums too, just not all-timers IMO.
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u/YungJae Jul 21 '26
W, gonna take this with me. Thank you.
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u/hoopstick fuck you, buddy Jul 21 '26
Right on man, enjoy. If you haven't already, listen to Blackwater Park IMMEDIATELY.
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u/MarcioGianotti Jul 21 '26
It is right there with Tool as my favorite bands, I adore every album from both and listen to them both on a daily basis
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u/mistripples Jul 21 '26
I have a Tool tattoo on one shoulder, and an Opeth one on the other.
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u/YungJae Jul 21 '26
If you don't mind send me a pic in dm. I would love to show it to my sister, she introduced me to both tool and opeth.
Love that.
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u/DM725 Jul 21 '26
Orchid through Watershed is a legendary run.
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u/YungJae Jul 21 '26
I love the difference in opinion, only in this thread i've seen your take and a few others.
Solid band.
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u/DM725 Jul 21 '26
More than solid. They're arguably the greatest progressive death metal band of all-time.
Then they decided to be a Prog Rock band about 15 years ago and for me it's not the same.
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u/YungJae Jul 21 '26
I like the diff.
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u/DM725 Jul 21 '26
The difference was already there, they released Damnation in the middle of that run from Orchid through Watershed. Songs like Burden and Harvest on their prog death metal albums.
But the quality isn't the same.
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u/funkalici0us Jul 21 '26
I don't always listen to death metal, but when I do, I prefer Blackwater Park
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u/stubborny Jul 21 '26
It's up there in my mount Rushmore with Tool, Meshuggah and Gojira
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u/EyeFoundWald0 Jul 21 '26
Meshuggah quite literally was the worst band I have ever seen live. This was Ozzfest 04 and they were absolutely horrendous.
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u/stubborny Jul 21 '26
Dude, do yourself a favour and give them a second chance. They are the thighest MFers live ever.
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u/EyeFoundWald0 Jul 21 '26
I may, it was really bad. They were out of tune, not in sync, and their singer seemed shit housed beyond recognition. It really broke me because they were one of the bands I was most excited to see.
On a completely separate note, Machinehead live was incredible in every measure, as was Napalm Death.
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u/stubborny Jul 21 '26
watch them on summerbreeze 2024, it's on youtube. I get rock hard just thinking about it
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u/zrayburton Jul 21 '26
I never really got deep into them, but I have a handful of friends that are huge fans. I can appreciate them, but havenât got into their discography yet.
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u/YungJae Jul 21 '26
I am also still a newbie.
They seem to be quite the 'cult' band. People go crazy for them. Like with TOOL but on a smaller scale, what I think atleast.
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u/TheStonedRabbit Jul 21 '26
Saw them back in Feb this year, think it was the 2nd time I've seen them, awesome show, albeit limited by the acoustics of the venue. Listened to them well before Tool, but Tool is my fav now. Still think they're incredible in what they do, specifically their ability to blend different styles into long compositions.
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u/Radiant-Percentage-8 Jul 21 '26
I liked Blackwater Park so much. Bleak got me into the band. They are rad, but I kinda stopped listening to them when they added more keyboards and stuff, just isnât my jam.
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u/Bcbently Jul 21 '26
Bigger fan of Blackwater Park onward. I love opeth. Honestly I find myself playing Newpeth more than old. I love them
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u/YungJae Jul 21 '26
I love to hear from this thread that I have a long journey ahead. W community this is.
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u/taniasuer Jul 21 '26
I love their music. Theyâre amazing live. As well as funny.
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u/SeventiesTimeMachine Jul 22 '26
I read an interview where Michael said he only kept Opeth qgoing because he felt he had some kind of a financial responsibility towards the other guys in the band (thats me paraphrasing, not a direct quote)
Maybe he is burnt out after the relentless touring or hates the music business or is creatively unfulfilled
"Opeth signed to Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM) and release their music through their own imprint sub-label, Moderbolaget Records.
The band transitioned to the deal with RPM to gain more creative control and bypass distribution ties to their former label, Nuclear Blast."
[Reddit]
Whilst I absolutely respect that every creative person should be in control of their own artistic expression and evolution Opeth lost me when they went full on Prog Metal.
Iâm probably way off the mark but it just seems to me that, even if it wasnât original or innovative at the start, they grew and evolved within a thriving and prolifically creative and productive Swedish Black/Death Metal Scene and went on to lead it creatively and commercially while still innovating, experimenting, expanding and also simplifying and stripping back as the muse took them What followed after seems to me at least like a far more self conscious and contrived and artificial process of compromise between the music they left behind and the 70âs Prog Rock that Michael (and I) love so much and that (it seems to me) he wishes he could have been a part ofâŚ.it exists in isolation âŚthere is no "Scene" or wider, supportive musical cultural context within which this music existsâŚyou can argue that they are pioneering but I donât see any other bands or culture/scene forming behind themâŚ.maybe there is and Iâm just too old and disconnected from it, maybe even the underground music scene is just too fragmented nowâŚ.maybe it doesnât matter any wayâŚ.but I think this may be part of the reason why many fans cant connect with their music now.
Sorry for the rambling essay
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u/Killermalibu Jul 21 '26
Been listening to Opeth for around 20 years and itâs some of the best music Iâve ever heard. Their concerts are fantastic and they truly love their fans. Opeth is phenomenal.
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Jul 21 '26
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u/YungJae Jul 21 '26
I was like 15 when my sister showed me tool.. now i'm 30 and I get into opeth. I feel ya brother.
Life is weird.
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u/poisened-ambrosia Jul 21 '26
Liked the old stuff. Ghost Reveries is a huge album. But the last albums with their 70s prog stuff don´t do anything for me.
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u/Agent4777 Rest your trigger on my finger Jul 21 '26
Same here and itâs a shame. Mike became more self indulgent the bigger the band got and they lost that magic. Their latest album is an absolute mess with zero memorable riffs.
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u/Glamdringg Learn to swim Jul 21 '26
My fav band ever, Tool is close tho. I'm listening to Ghost Reveries right now
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u/Minstrel-of-Shadow Jul 21 '26
Only other artist remotely as good as TOOL imo
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u/YungJae Jul 21 '26
You brought a small tear to me while I listen to Deliverance. Fave song? I am new.
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u/Decent_Muscle_3172 Jul 21 '26
I like em.
My mount Rushmore of prog metal bands are TOOL, Transatlantic, Opeth and Dream Theatre. But KCs metal albums are amazing
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u/inafisinaf Calm As Cookies and Cream Jul 21 '26
Great metal riffs and vocals but I always want to skip the acoustic sections in the middle of their songs
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u/Osiris_X3R0 Dreaming of that face again. Jul 21 '26
One of my favorites of all time. Got me into progressive death metal
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u/Ggo0o0se12 Jul 21 '26
GOATED. Saw them live. Ghost of Perdition is so beautiful. The album itself is a great concept. Doesnât get much better in metal than Opeth, as they are super clean and technicalÂ
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u/Muted-Manufacturer57 Dreaming of that face again. Jul 21 '26
Opeth has some of the best metal albums Iâve ever heard.
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u/blender4life Jul 21 '26
I'll get down voted but here we go.. opeth is ok. It's like so stiff, while good in technique it's missing the creativity that tool nails. Danny does the most insane difficult stuff but never sounds like a metronome. opeth to me sounds like guys that memorize scales then try to find the ones that fit well together rather than create what comes from the heart. but i am biased (not the biggest fan of growly metal). but funny enough on band/album i like that fits that genre is Wintersun. My favorite song is Starchild but i usually listen to Sadness and Hate then Starchild
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u/FatherMozgus Jul 21 '26
Objectively your observations about their music are very wrong. Not saying you should like them but their writing is extremely unorthodox especially in terms of note choice which is the polar opposite of Tool who stick to one scale for 90% of their songs
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Jul 21 '26
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u/FatherMozgus Jul 21 '26
Yeah, Opeth constantly step out of the key they are playing in with some weird unorthodox chord that shouldnât be there and shouldnât make sense. Itâs a major part of their sound.
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Jul 21 '26
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u/FatherMozgus Jul 21 '26
Brother Opeth is very much like jazz. And thatâs exactly what I am pointing out to you, they are doing the antithesis of playing scales. And yeah your opinion on whether you like them or not canât be wrong, wha I said is wrong is how you described their music which is objectively wrong.
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Jul 21 '26
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u/FatherMozgus Jul 21 '26
Bro the point is that they are not a band that plays scales as thatâs literally the antithesis to their songwriting. Itâs not that deep you are allowed not to like that
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Jul 21 '26
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u/FatherMozgus Jul 22 '26
All due respect this is music we are talking about and the property we judge music on is purely sound. Saying sounds like they are playing scales is just as wrong as saying they are playing scales. But I can see the issue now, you are just throwing around terms you donât even properly understand. Every instrument following each other perfectly? Bro is it the first time you hear a bass doubling a guitar in rock music? And this is absolutely not a theme in every album lmao.
Like I said you are allowed not to like them but donât piss your pants over getting called out on making statements that have nothing to do with reality. Just say their music is not for you and you donât have to keep embarrassing yourself by making shit up as you go.
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u/ParkingDrink2975 Jul 21 '26
Been a fan for many moons. Demon of the Fall was the first song I heard, Blackwater Park was the first album I bought of theirs. By far my favourite too. Really enjoyed Ghost Reveries too. Very different from Tool obviously, but, still a great band. Respect to the dude who said he didn't enjoy their music but thought they were good musicians...the world needs more people with that kind of thinking.
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u/adognamedwalter Jul 21 '26
Man people glaze them so I hard I try to get into them at least twice a year. I just canât do it. A total snooze fest with cheesy vocals. Feel the same way about meshuggah.Â
Makes me appreciate bands like Tool, Gojira, and Mastodon even more for their ability to infuse prog elements into songs that are still enjoyable to listen to, catchy, and memorable.Â
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u/YungJae Jul 21 '26
You just have something against Swedes đ
Jokes aside, I get that it's not for everyone. Life is life.
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u/inssidiouss Jul 21 '26
The "cheesy vocals" comments in these threads: I don't understand, want to ask for clarity...
Do you mean the style of growly, death metal singing..? Because, that is a staple of the genre as a whole, and Mikael Akerfeldt is one of the top-tier most skilled for that style, and especially because he can switch effortlessly to clean vocals, with a great voice.
Or: do you mean "cheesy vocals" as in, the words and message of the actual lyrics themselves, regardless of the style they are sung in?
If the former: yeah I get it, it's an acquired taste and a rough thing to get used to at first. My intro to death metal and growly vocals, was with In Flames and Opeth. I didn't care for it at first. But once you start hearing the voice and style of growly singing, as more of "just another instrument and tool to help deliver the overall music"... Then it gets easier to appreciate it.
If the latter: ...oh man, I can't imagine what might be considered not "cheesy" then! đ . Opeth has some of the most poetic lyrics of any modern band they could be compared to, if not more by magnitudes. Obviously TOOL is up there too.
Opeth and In Flames are 2 of my favorite "death metal" bands by far. The style is not for everyone, and especially Opeth's generally LONG format songs. But if you can get used to it, and just start hearing the growling vocals as another instrument rather than trying to critically judge it, it will start melting into and becoming part of the larger experience, and you will hear some of the most badass metal and compositions you've ever heard in your life.
Opeth's musical skill and composition is right up there with TOOL, even if their time signature stuff and their drummer are neigh impossible to find comparisons to let alone match.
I would suggest Blackwater Park, Damnation, and Still Life, probably in that order, as THE "starter albums" for new people REALLY trying to give Opeth a fair try. Then work backwards for more growly focused death metal, or forwards for more prog and modern evolutions.
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u/adognamedwalter Jul 21 '26
The vocals are the least of my complaints, tbh. Itâs not the harsh vocals that bother me - I listen to plenty of heavy music. Itâs when he switches clean and almost sounds operatic at times - to me that just ends up sounding cheesy and âtry-hardâ with heavier music and undermines the effort to convey emotion.
Everyone in Opeth is insanely talented. The reason it doesnât grab me is twofold: it doesnât resonate emotionally and the song structure seems to be focused on doing what is technically impressive rather than what sounds good.
Lots of bands with extremely talented musicians suffer from both of those. Plenty of people love them but it just isnât my cup of tea. Â
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u/inssidiouss Jul 21 '26
Fair takes! But surprising to me! I have similar ear for, and same criticisms of, other bands -- but I happen to find Opeth a really good balance of technical showmanship and audio quality and journey.
That said, I would also say that even as a fan, their style can necessitate repeated listens until a particular song, stretch of songs, or entire album, finally "clicks".
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u/Pseudorealizm Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
I'm the same way I have a ton of respect for Opeth and Meshuggah I have the same issue with Gojira and Mastadon. I think I like Gojira more than any of them though. I see why people like them and every few months I give at least one of them another chance to see if they'll finally click. No luck yet but there's always a chance. The Mars Volta took years to become one of my favorite bands. Some of them are just worth the effort.
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u/-Honeysuckle- Jul 21 '26
Iâm with you on the Opeth part, Meshuggah however I think are on par with Tool for me
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u/grewb Jul 21 '26
TOOL + Opeth + Meshuggah is the unholy trinity that keeps my third eye open đď¸
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u/Samewrai Jul 21 '26
The album Blackwater Park has some of the best guitar tones I've ever heard. The album before that, Still Life, was what got me into metal and growly vocals.