Headwaters

Two and a half years after the amazing Watershed, Opeth are recording their next record. They entered the studio today to begin tracking what will be their 10^th studio release. My mind is somewhat blown that they are indeed up to 10 at this point. Opeth have managed to maintain a particular feel, vibe, and style – even when ditching heavily distorted guitars and death metal vocals for an entire record (Damnation). While this Opeth vibe is ever-present in what they do, they still give each of their records its own life and spirit. Like several children of the same lineage they each bare a family resemblance; even at first glance you can clearly see that they are related – created from the same blood – but also that each is unique and represents a different time and has a different story. More recently, Damnation brought along a maturity of Opeth's less heavy moments. The album owes a great deal to the 60's and 70's, infusing psychedelic rock & folk with classic prog rock inspiration. This collection of synth-saturated songs with clean guitars and only sung vocals doesn't go too far for hardcore Opeth fans, and is surprisingly accessible to many who will never like Opeth otherwise.

Hope Leaves from Damnation:

Ghost Reveries, with a vigor, introduced keyboard and synthesizer as a major component to their sound on a "normal"/"usual" record. Rather than sitting back in the mix adding transparent flavor, which is as far as many metal bands will stretch, this new instrumentation provided key parts, both melodies and harmonies, and even sometimes stole the spotlight from Åkerfeldt's impressive signature riffs. It kind of made me want to hear them cover Carry On My Wayward Son by Kansas...but I am a strange man. Opeth's 9th album, Watershed, marked a balance of elements; the pieces involved in Ghost Reveries can all be found in Watershed, but it all just fits together with more fluidity. Watershed's cohesiveness brings the listener on an active auditory journey; it has a power that brings you in and makes you a part of its story via your attention and observation. The listener is well-rewarded with inspired riffs and changes, unpredictable turns, and layers of intricate and subtle variations on its dissonant motifs. Dare I say that it's impossible to find a part on Watershed that is misplaced, or overcompensated?  Using the best-suited vocal style for each part, Mikael's vocal transitions are more frequent and fitting, demonstrating an increase in confidence. One gets the sense that the whole album was written in a similar fashion, each song taking shape on its own, asking its seasoned creators for what it most needs in order to be the best that it can...and Opeth certainly paid heed. Have a listen to a not-so-ideal quality youtube rip of The Lotus Eater:

At this point it can be a bit overwhelming to think that Åkerfeldt is in fact getting even better and more adventurous at songwriting, which begs the question...what will album 10 sound like? I hope it's strange, surprising, and challenging. The band will be working at Atlantis studios in Sweden, with Jens Bogren reprising his role as sound engineer – only this time the renown Steven Wilson will have his hand in mixing the record. According to the official Opeth website “the new material has been described by the band as being 'good'.” (www.opeth.com)