STILL LIFE

Out of sheer curiosity because of the praise, and out of awe at the beautiful, gloomy cover art, I blindly bought Still Life at a local record store. This was one of the best decisions I made 2 years ago.

From first listen, I loved the music, and I'd already been able to tolerate growling vocals, so they weren't a hampering my experience in the band. However, on further exploration, I found so much more in the music, and in the background that created such a violent, majestic, beautiful atmosphere that corresponds so perfectly the concept of the album. With each new listening, I found nuances that made me love the songs even more.

I almost cannot listen to simply one song from this album without listening to the entire thing because I love every single one of them. They all flow perfectly and create such an unexplainable atmosphere of emotional intensity and clever musicianship.

While this album can be difficult to digest because of the growling vocals, it is brilliant by all means and is my favorite by Opeth. Recommended for all who can at least tolerate harsh vocals