DAMNATION

After the disappointment that was called Deliverance, my hopes weren't up very high for it's mellow companion album Damnation. At the first few listens I liked some of the songs but my general prejudice was confirmed. Opeth had lost it.

I returned to this album after Opeth re-established themselves with Ghost Reveries and ever since I can fully appreciate it. It's not my favourite Opeth, nor is it their strongest, but if there's ever going to be one album to win you girlfriend over to prog rock then this is that very album! Or as Mike puts it in his subtle tongue-in-cheek inbetween song chatter on Lamentations: 'The next song should get us some chicks backstage'. Well, it sure worked with my other half :-)

For that reason alone ('we need more chicks here') this album would deserve 5 stars! But Opeth has at least 3 albums which are better then Damnation so 4 will have to do.