MY ARMS, YOUR HEARSE

This is it, this is where it all began. From here onwards, OPETH would only mature the innovations they decided to adopt in their musical style. Vivid, lush and seamlessly fluid storytelling is the band's paramount (and most noteworthy) achievement, fueled by their usage of everything - vocals, instruments, atmosphere - to make its narration credible.

Lyrically, OPETH uses a complicated language which, nonetheless, suffices to understand the story's unfolding. They mix introspection and actual events and it gets rather confusing to define when is something is objectively happening and when it is the character's perception of the world, but that's not an issue; in fact, its one of the narration's charms. MY ARMS, YOUR HEARSE tells the tale of a man who dies but, for some reason, returns to life and bitterly turn against the woman who pretended to love him during his time alive. In this way, the album's title is fitting: the embrace of a dead vengeful spirit is the demise and grief of a guilty living person.

Akerfeldt's growl is styled to sound demonic and ferocious (listen to Karma's outro - insane roar!) as his character is a spiteful entity but there are times the singer uses clear vocals - the moments the undead remembers of his earthly memories and gets in touch with his smoldering, long forgotten humanity. Also, from their very second album OPETH's un-metal tendencies began to crystallize: there are lots of acoustic passages permeated in the songs, and three tracks features features solemnly their black, folksy acoustic guitars. But when the metal riffs kick in, when the Demon of the Fall is awake and enraged, boy, you better be ready (highlight to The Amen Corner's monstrously headbanging intro).

After listening to MY ARMS YOUR HEARSE, I could understand a little better the reason behind OPETH's hype; now I can't help but to think that, assuming this isn't their best effort yet still manages to pose as terrific, the band's acclaim is more than deserved.

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