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pianomandust View Drop Down
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Posts: 55 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: My thoughts on Opeth's Still Life
    Posted: September 08 2009 at 08:34
I have been trying to get into Still Life for a couple of years now.  I have probably listened to the album hundreds of times in that span, but I cannot for the life of me bring myself to enjoy it nearly as much as any of the albums after it (runs for cover).  Am I missing something here?  I find the songwriting to be much less developed and matured, and I find the vocals a bit sketchy.  Am I alone in this thought?
and then there was music...
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Posts: 27681 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 08 2009 at 08:49
You're not alone.  It is my least favorite of the Opeth albums I have.
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Posts: 2626 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 08 2009 at 09:02

Yep I enjoy every album after Still Life ( except Damnation) more than that one. Itīs still a masterpiece IMO thoughBig smile.
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Posts: 14581 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 08 2009 at 10:17
My advice would be to listen to it less and listen to the albums you enjoy more. 
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Posts: 4993 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 08 2009 at 10:27
I enjoy it alot....but it's a matter of taste. If after 10 listens you aren't getting much out of it, you're probably not going to.
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Posts: 46 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 08 2009 at 13:32
Originally posted by Equality 7-2521

My advice would be to listen to it less and listen to the albums you enjoy more. 


Yeah that's all you need.

I really like the lyrical side of it. Music is OK, but it's much better on their other albums. However, the concept is genious, I love the story told on Still Life.
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Posts: 3347 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 08 2009 at 13:57
I don't exactly know what's less developed or matured about the songwriting but hey, I'm not going to argue. Personally it's in my top 3 metal albums ever created. But as I say, to each his own.
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Posts: 7818 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 08 2009 at 15:53
Got a 5 star from me, and easily in my top 10 prog metal albums. I clearly am missing what you are complaining about.
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Posts: 55 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2009 at 08:20
Originally posted by J-Man

Got a 5 star from me, and easily in my top 10 prog metal albums. I clearly am missing what you are complaining about.


I am not complaining per se, just wandering if I am missing something genius in it.  The Moor, White Cluster and Face of Melinda are my three favorites from it, but the rest of it I just can't really distinguish after many listens.  Since Opeth is one of my favorite bands, I wanted to know what it is about it that makes it such a great album - storyline, music itself, lyrics or all of the above?
and then there was music...
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Posts: 55 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2009 at 08:25
Originally posted by The Pessimist

I don't exactly know what's less developed or matured about the songwriting but hey, I'm not going to argue. Personally it's in my top 3 metal albums ever created. But as I say, to each his own.


It seems less developed to me because it seemed like the beginning stages of what they would perfect later - seamless transitions, haunting melodies, and a bit more influence from the blues/jazz side of music.  All of this was evident in the album I thought, but not as strongly as what they would progress to toward their masterpiece IMHO Ghost Reveries.  I have many friends that swear by Still Life though, and I can't blame them, but just can't grasp it I guessWink
and then there was music...
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Posts: 14494 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2009 at 17:23
Its a great album, but I'm finding that in the three years that I've had it its not holding my interest as well as Blackwater Park and My Arms, Your Hearse is and I'm not really sure why. Much better than anything released after BWP though. 
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Posts: 7818 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2009 at 17:49
Originally posted by pianomandust

Originally posted by J-Man

Got a 5 star from me, and easily in my top 10 prog metal albums. I clearly am missing what you are complaining about.


I am not complaining per se, just wandering if I am missing something genius in it.  The Moor, White Cluster and Face of Melinda are my three favorites from it, but the rest of it I just can't really distinguish after many listens.  Since Opeth is one of my favorite bands, I wanted to know what it is about it that makes it such a great album - storyline, music itself, lyrics or all of the above?


I didn't really mean complaining, but more so that I love this album, and I find every moment to be pure genius. The storyline, music, and lyrics (as mentioned) are all incredible IMO. This album has one of the best stories EVER written in it, as well as being a transitional album between their first 3 albums being a little less prog and more death metal, and their newer albums which are in a more prog metal direction. I find Still Life to be the perfect combination because the compositions are complex, melodic, and deep, but still having that on-the-edge feeling between the death metal and dark acoustic sections that aren't as present on their later albums. One of the problems I have with Watershed is that it is just a progressive metal album, without being too unique. Still Life and BWP are unique masterpieces that few other bands can pull off.

I love it. Just my opinion though, so if you do like more traditional prog metal Still Life isn't for you I guess.

-Jeff
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Posts: 7044 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 10 2009 at 02:31
Deliverance, Damnation, Blackwater Park, even Orchid it its way - I love 'em all. Still Life tops the lot IMO, but as an Opeth fan I can only say it's my favourite. As I'm not a musician I guess I find it harder to quantify my reasons for preference than some people here. To me it's just amazingly good prog metal.
It's not that I can't find worth in anything, it's just that I can't find worth in enough.
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Posts: 3347 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 10 2009 at 09:45
Originally posted by sleeper

Its a great album, but I'm finding that in the three years that I've had it its not holding my interest as well as Blackwater Park and My Arms, Your Hearse is and I'm not really sure why. Much better than anything released after BWP though. 


Interesting you should say that actually, because I do prefer Still Life, but I find myself playing MAYH more. Maybe it's because it's darker, or because it's got more bollocks, who knows.
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Posts: 10632 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 10 2009 at 11:26
Still Life was fairly immediate for me. Good songs, good atmospheres. I've no complaints. 3.5 stars maybe..

Edited by Blacksword - September 10 2009 at 11:32
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Posts: 5347 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 10 2009 at 14:35
Maybe the different elements in that album when compared to Opeth's later releases are the ones that don't let you enjoy it as much.

To explain: to my ears, Still Life brings out a more ''doomy'' feeling in the vein of My Dying Bride/earlier Anathema and is less groovy than later releases. For me, one of the best albums of atmospheric metal... I rate is as high as Blackwater Park.
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Posts: 14494 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 10 2009 at 15:12
Originally posted by The Pessimist

Originally posted by sleeper

Its a great album, but I'm finding that in the three years that I've had it its not holding my interest as well as Blackwater Park and My Arms, Your Hearse is and I'm not really sure why. Much better than anything released after BWP though. 


Interesting you should say that actually, because I do prefer Still Life, but I find myself playing MAYH more. Maybe it's because it's darker, or because it's got more bollocks, who knows.
Thats certainly two reasons why I like MAYH a lot, and interestingly its been my most listened to Opeth album recently as well.
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Posts: 734 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 10 2009 at 15:59
Originally posted by The Pessimist

Originally posted by sleeper

Its a great album, but I'm finding that in the three years that I've had it its not holding my interest as well as Blackwater Park and My Arms, Your Hearse is and I'm not really sure why. Much better than anything released after BWP though. 


Interesting you should say that actually, because I do prefer Still Life, but I find myself playing MAYH more. Maybe it's because it's darker, or because it's got more bollocks, who knows.
Could just be Demon of the Fall Smile even though i like all of Still Life better I listen to MAYH often just for that song to come and explode, it puts me in such a 'metal' mood.
As for the OP, for alot of people i think Still Life was the first Opeth album to click, and usually holds a special place for that, at least it's true for alot of my friends
'Yeah, thats.. Whatever you're talking about for ya' - Zapp brannigan
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Posts: 5098 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 10 2009 at 16:22
Strange, because I only recently bought it, and I think it's beautiful! 
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Posts: 14494 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 11 2009 at 05:25
Originally posted by Synchestra

Originally posted by The Pessimist

Originally posted by sleeper

Its a great album, but I'm finding that in the three years that I've had it its not holding my interest as well as Blackwater Park and My Arms, Your Hearse is and I'm not really sure why. Much better than anything released after BWP though. 


Interesting you should say that actually, because I do prefer Still Life, but I find myself playing MAYH more. Maybe it's because it's darker, or because it's got more bollocks, who knows.
Could just be Demon of the Fall Smile even though i like all of Still Life better I listen to MAYH often just for that song to come and explode, it puts me in such a 'metal' mood.
As for the OP, for alot of people i think Still Life was the first Opeth album to click, and usually holds a special place for that, at least it's true for alot of my friends
Yeah, but April Etheril, The Amen Corner and When are fantastic songs as well, and I quite like Karma too.
To be honest I find this the more transitional album than Still Life as it mixes what they were doing on the first two with what would come later. Maybe thats why I likeit so much.
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