PALE COMMUNION

Opeth

Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

4.16 | 1276 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Evolver
Special Collaborator
Crossover & JR/F/Canterbury Teams

It appears that Opeth has left behind their death metal roots. They seemed to be gradually moving to a more mature,

less growly tone. "Heritage" completed that move, garnering wide attention, even earning them a featured artist

spot on NPR and the NPR website. Pale Communion cements that change and improves upon it.

Like "Heritage", "Pale Communion" blends classic prog sounds and themes with modern metal, with an emphasis on

Middle Eastern motifs. Like Haken, Opeth works this to come up with their own original sound that also pays homage

to their prog forbears.

The album starts out impressively. Eternal Rains Will Come begins like an avant- metal fusion piece, but then eases into a psychedelic folk piece, with hints of Allman Brothers-like southern rock. Quite unecpected, and a complete joy. Cusp Of Eternity expand on the Middle Eastern themed metal of the previous album, and leads to the best track, Moon Above, Sun Below. This piece is a multi-themed epic, that must be heard.

Other standout tracks (on an almost flawless album) are Goblin, a classic seventies styled fusion track, complete with that ubiquitous electric piano sound, and Faith In Others, a track that owes more than a little to King Crimson's Epitaph.

This album has dominated my stereo for much of the summer, even edging out the fantastic new recording of Thick As A Brick.

Very close to perfect.

Evolver | 5/5 | 2014-9-23

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