Opeth for a symphonic prog fan?? (see my comment)

I love syphonic prog, heavy prog, progressive metal, and even some straightforward metal. However, I don't like growl metal, death metal,or a ton of screaming. Would you recommend Opeth to me??

Absolutely give them a try. Granted it's easy for me to say that Opeth aren't that hard to get into because I listened to a lot of metal before getting into prog and was used to harsh vocals. However, the one thing that separates Opeth from any other death metal band I've heard is: Mikael's singing voice. I've also heard cases of other death metal bands trying to be melodic or trying to pull off a Damnation, and Opeth is the only one I've ever heard that was convincing. If you want to start with Damnation, that's fine, but as Endless Wire said, it's not a representation of their full sound. I'd recommend you start with Still Life, Blackwater Park, or Ghost Reveries. Although you might think about trying Watershed since it has growling in it but it's much more limited and is the mellowest (and maybe proggiest) Opeth album next to Damnation.

I hate growling (or grunting, whatever you want to call it), but like Opeth.  Still Life is my favorite Opeth album, but Watershed is growing on me.  But I second those who have recommended that you start with Damnation.  You get a good glimpse of the soft side of Opeth.  I would also recommend that you NOT start with Deliverance.  Here's the progression I would recommend that you follow to get into Opeth:

1. Damnation
2. Watershed
3. Still Life
4. Blackwater Park
5. Ghost Reveries

 

I have the same tastes that you have. I don't like Death Metal in general, I don't like death growls in general... do I like Opeth? No! I WORSHIP THEM!

So my answer is Yes.

Since you felt that way about Still Life, definitely get Watershed too. 

Damnation is fine stuff

Watershed is their most progressive and dynamic album. Not only that, it's more symphonic, has keyboards, and is the album with their least growling (if you exclude Damnation, which is growless, but their least complex album)

in their myspace, the song that pops up "Lotus Eater" is a very neat song from that album. It is one of the 3 tracks that have growling, but they are scarce. The last song in the playlist "Ghost of Perdition", despite it's growl-heavy intro, is a very dynamic and coherent song with a very beautiful acoustic break.

http://www.myspace.com/opeth


Edited by Zitro - October 25 2008 at 09:54

Yeah. If you're not sure about death metal and growls and all that, look into Watershed and then Ghost Reveries. Anyways, Opeth gets less interesting the farther back into your discography you go. I know it's heresy, but you can live without any albums prior to Blackwater Park. After ten or fifteen listens, Still Life to me is still a flat, monotone, grating release that shows the Opeth formula but not the Opeth creativity.

birdwithteeth11 wrote: Absolutely give them a try. Granted it's easy for me to say that Opeth aren't that hard to get into because I listened to a lot of metal before getting into prog and was used to harsh vocals. However, the one thing that separates Opeth from any other death metal band I've heard is: Mikael's singing voice. I've also heard cases of other death metal bands trying to be melodic or trying to pull off a Damnation, and Opeth is the only one I've ever heard that was convincing. If you want to start with Damnation, that's fine, but as Endless Wire said, it's not a representation of their full sound. I'd recommend you start with Still Life, Blackwater Park, or Ghost Reveries. Although you might think about trying Watershed since it has growling in it but it's much more limited and is the mellowest (and maybe proggiest) Opeth album next to Damnation.

Opeth Is damn lucky Band because we prog fans seens to like them a lot. Including myself. I am just like everyone else I don'tt like "Death Metal" or Thrash Metal, but Opeth is a winner here eventhought the lyrics are so danm stupid sometimes. Their Sounds separates from the rest. I do have to confess that the first time I heard them. it scared the Hell out me. However after many listening and knowing that Steve Wilson was their Engine for awhile I had to adore their music.

Now I highly Recommended them.

However I believe that the traditional ( old school Prog fans) won't like them much unless they like hard rock.

I think  in order for you to getting their music or at least likethem  a bit. you have to be into any of these hard rock bands:

Edited by darksideof - October 28 2008 at 15:04