HERITAGE

I always wanted to like Opeth. I found them musically interesting, but one thing prevented me from listening to them - the "cookie monster," death metal vocals. I tried listening to them, but once those growls came in, I immediately lost interest. The one exception, prior to 2011's "Heritage," was, of course, "Damnation," which I thought was very good. But, with Mikael Akerfeld claiming that "Damnation" was a one-off album, and that the band would return to its death metal form, I left Opeth behind. With the release of "Heritage" my interest in Opeth was restored, and my faith in great new music being made was fulfilled.

"Heritage" is a turning point point for the band and I can understand why many long-time fans were unhappy with the album. I, too, have been disappointed when some of my favorite bands have turned in a direction not to my liking. However, as long as a band is changing direction in order to stay true to their musical interests, and not merely trying to go with what is more commercially viable, I have always had respect for those bands, even if I did not like the new music they were making. So, with "Heritage" being far from a commercial "sell-out," I am puzzled by many of the old-school fans' contempt for Opeth's new direction.

I feel "Heritage" is a great, classic prog rock album. I have read many reviews bashing the song writing and complaining about a lack of flow, and I strongly disagree. When first listening to "Heritage," it can come off as disjointed, or lacking in flow as an album. However, this is a truly progressive album, with complex, non-traditional songwriting, and can only be appreciated after many listens. While you can certainly hear the influence of 70's prog rock, Opeth injects their own style into the songs, making it a truly unique listening experience.

To conclude, Opeth's "Heritage" is wonderful piece of heavy prog that can only be appreciated by repeated listens and having an open mind. It is a stepping stone to Opeth's next effort, "Pale Communion," which I feel is less progressive than "Heritage." I give it a solid 4 1/2 stars. If you only gave "Heritage" a few listens and were unimpressed, try listening a few more times. You may end up changing you mind, like I did.