DELIVERANCE

After the massively successful Blackwater Park, Opeth went into the studio to record two albums for the cost of one. The resulting albums were Deliverance and Damnation. Deliverance is easily the heaviest album Opeth have attempted since My Arms, Your Hearse. The only problem with this album is that Opeth seemed to have pulled a Train Of Thought, meaning long instrumental sections that at times can get on the boring side. The musicianship is among the best they've done on the metal side of things. Intricate riffs and death metal grunts are among the highlights off the album, as well as thoughtful and deep lyrics from Akerfeldt. Martin Lopez and Mendez provide a cohesive and tight rhythm unit while Peter Lindgren and Mikael Akerfeldt provide the metal onslaught. Lindgren gives many stand out performances on this album, his bluesy Gilmour-esque guitar solos create an emotional atmosphere to the thunderous guitar riffs.

From the opening drum fill of Wreath to the silent outro to By the Pain I See in Others, there is something all metal fans can like here. Even the somber and quiet For Absent Friends offers many different atmospheres to the album. Steven Wilson creates many atmospheres with his mellotron and does a great job from the production standpoint. My favorite tracks on the album are Deliverance, A Fair Judgment, and For Absent Friends. The first beginning with a powerful guitar riff and some stand out drumming from Lopez. It soon changes riff structure very quickly and becomes one of their most complicated riffs. A Fair Judgment and For Absent Friends are the most mellow tracks on the album. The first provides some of Akerfeldt's best lyrics, and some of his best acoustic work. As the piece progresses, the riffs get heavier and heavier, but Akerfeldt's vocal only very subtly goes from his clean voice to his growl. And the final being a short instrumental break, with some standout work from Lindgren and Wilson.

Overall, this is a very metal album, but the acoustic sections (the few) are stellar additions to a great mixture. I wouldn't recommend this to someone who wants to get into Opeth, but it is a great effort and should not be overlooked by fans. 4/5.