ORCHID

I've been an admitted progressive rock fan for a few years now, yet the massive force known as Opeth has always escaped my grasp in one way or another. That is until I finally pulled the trigger and bought ORCHID, Opeth's debut. Going in, I knew that I would hear death grunts galore, and to be fair, they're actually the best part of the album. But I never expected what I really did hear.

There are five songs that stretch either near or well beyond the ten minute mark. So it looks like Opeth wanted to start with a bang in the epics department in length, and to be fair, the instrumental skills of the band are impressive enough and the production is decent. ''Silhouette'' is a very beautiful piano solo played by drummer Anders Nordin. However, my main issue with ORCHID is the songwriting.

It may not seem like that big of an issue, but the overall songwriting is horrifically weak. Not one riff is distinguishable from another in a separate song unless you've ingrained the album in your brain. The tracks sound like demos of several songs pieced together unorthodoxically to make a thriteen minute piece. For a man used to long jams that used only one idea expanded upon, these twenty idea things are way too much for me.

ORCHID is an insanely fractured and disjointed album that never really gets off the ground despite the players' skills. For those really into Opeth's career or those unconditional death metal fans, this could work for you. Anyone only halfway interested ought to stay away.