STILL LIFE

An outstanding show of Opeth's unique sound, with memorable songs, instrumental passages, and melodies throughout. From the haunting opening of "The Moor" to the delicate acoustic sounds of "Face of Melinda" (oh yeah, and all the roaring in between), this album oozes emotion and moodiness despite its often heavy and savage metal stylings. Mikael's voice is in top form, as is the band's playing; on "Still Life" they progress as song writers as well, crafting tunes which have a much more dynamic impact than on previous releases.

Much has been said about Opeth's appeal to those coming from outside the Death Metal arena, to which I can absolutely attest to, myself disliking the harsh guttural sounds of death metal as a general rule. Opeth defies expectations, and-- if you enjoy ANY genre of heavy music-- then you owe it to yourself to take a listen!

Songwriting: 4 Instrumental Performances: 4 Lyrics/Vocals: 4 Style/Emotion/Replay: 4