STILL LIFE

For anyone who was introduced to this great band by the mellow Damnation album, Still Life would be the best step to go after that. But I guess to people who already knew Opeth from day one, this album is a really pleasant surprise as both musically and in creativity this album is far better than its predecessors.

Our introduction to the album is The Moor and this track has everything in it. It is like the "Ghost of Perdition" track of the Ghost Reveries album. The intro is very soft and eerie followed by some great acoustic guitar part. At the 2:30 time mark the track gains a lot of weight and when Mikael's growling kicks in the heaviness is complete. Around 5:30 we are treated by some of Mikael's clean vocals and around 6:00 there is a mellow intermission after which all hell brakes loose again. We get some more growls and the music is almost about to explode in your face. Around 07:20 again a nice mellow part which seems to be faded out, but here the acoustic guitar continues and once more we are treated by Mikael's clean vocals. This part is truly beautiful!

There is no forgiveness in these eyes

For any of you but one

Dispel the mist for now

Melinda is the reason why I've come

The second track Godhead's Lament also contains a very catchy part similar to the wonderful Devious movement in your eyes part in Bleak

Searching my way to perplexion ah hah hah The gleam of her eyes In that moment she knew

I won't continue discussing Still Life track by track as some really good reviews on PA have already been written about this album.

So in the song the Moor we were introduced to the beautiful Melinda already. Later on on this album we get two mellow tracks sung by merely clean vocals; Benighted and Face Of Melinda. Those songs are my personal favourites of the album, probably because I still prefer Mikaels clean vocals rather than his grunts and growls, but on "Still Life" I can certainly stand the pain. :-)

4.5 stars overall