Opeth for a symphonic prog fan?? (see my comment)
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Topic: Opeth for a symphonic prog fan?? (see my comment)
Posted By: J-Man
Subject: Opeth for a symphonic prog fan?? (see my comment)
Date Posted: October 24 2008 at 16:32
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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?? ------------- 
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Replies:
Posted By: Endless Wire
Date Posted: October 24 2008 at 16:50
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I was in the exact same position before I got into Opeth. I heard the raving reviews but simply didn't like the growling. Although some people will never like them, I grew from hating them to tolerating them to even loving them. Growling in Opeth is much better than many other bands that growl because it really seems to blend with what the music is doing. And plus, Opeth often features beautiful singing passages. I was soon hooked and now own everything they have released. Basically what I'm saying is, if you keep an open mind and give it time there is a very good chance that you will like them.
Watershed is a good place to start because the growling is less prominent, though I think Ghost Reveries is overall their strongest musically. Many people will recommend you listen to Damnation, which might not be a bad idea since it is entirely mellow, but it is not an accurate representation of their sound.
I say give them a try! ------------- . |
Posted By: horsewithteeth11
Date Posted: October 24 2008 at 17:14
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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. ------------- 
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: October 24 2008 at 17:18
Not sure that I would, but: definitely get Damnation, it's an excellent album that's growl free, and if you're feeling a bit more adventurous and want to see if you can stand the growls, get Blackwater Park. If the growls are too much and kill the entire experience for you, I'd stop there. |
progrocker2244 wrote:Posted By: Lofcaudio
Date Posted: October 24 2008 at 18:06
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:
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: October 24 2008 at 19:22
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first off, listen to this:
then this...
and if those melodic growls were too much for you, console yourself with this...
but if you're comortable with those, you can progress onto this...
...and if you make it through those four then you've listened to the middle section of Stil Life  ------------- What? |
Posted By: JoaoPirucas
Date Posted: October 24 2008 at 20:20
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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. ------------- 
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Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: October 24 2008 at 20:44
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Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: October 24 2008 at 21:38
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Since you felt that way about Still Life, definitely get Watershed too.
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Posted By: TGM: Orb
Date Posted: October 24 2008 at 22:32
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Surprisingly enough, I'm pretty fond of Opeth. I'm not really someone who's ever been put off by 'heavy' music... I don't really consider things heavy or not half the time. On quite a few other bands, however, I've been put off by the growls. With Opeth, however, the growls really did work for me. Can't explain why, but it might be like that for you. |
Posted By: tszirmay
Date Posted: October 24 2008 at 23:01
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Damnation is fine stuff ------------- I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth. |
Posted By: Darklord55
Date Posted: October 24 2008 at 23:42
| I was very animate and stubborn regarding the growls in music. Hated em'. Then I heard Opeth. 100 degree turnaround for me. Opeth is not all about growls of course. I really dig all the aspects of their music. And I have come to like more death metal over the last few years. But Opeth is the King!! Saw them in Kansas City recently. Wow!!!! What a show. Cheers! |
Posted By: Zitro
Date Posted: October 25 2008 at 09:49
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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 |
Posted By: Abstrakt
Date Posted: October 25 2008 at 11:09
| Opeth are famous for converting non-metalheads into metalheads, so YES! |
Posted By: LiquidEternity
Date Posted: October 25 2008 at 12:23
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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.
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Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: October 25 2008 at 15:51
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Damnation and Watershed are the places to start. If you like Watershed and dont mind/like the vocals, then move on to Blackwater Park, Still Life, My Arms, Your Hearse and Ghost Reveries.
------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
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Posted By: b_olariu
Date Posted: October 25 2008 at 17:43
Maybe you didn't listen to Edge of Sanity - Dan Swano did the same (singing voice combined with harsh vocals),so i think Opeth is not the only one convincing band , at least for me
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Posted By: Zargus
Date Posted: October 25 2008 at 18:20
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Why not, i dident think i whuld like em but i did, maybe not love but they are okay. You can never know before you try. ------------- 
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Posted By: darksideof
Date Posted: October 28 2008 at 09:56
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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: Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Metallica. Judas Priest. ------------- http://darksideofcollages.blogspot.com/ http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Darksideof-Collages/ |
Posted By: The Pessimist
Date Posted: October 28 2008 at 12:32
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Yes, of course. But all albums except Deliverance, My Arms Your Hearse and Orchid. The song i'd check out first though is To Bid Your Farewell, as it is simply stunning and purely progressive.
------------- "Market value is irrelevant to intrinsic value." Arnold Schoenberg |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: October 28 2008 at 12:41
I would agree with this 100% I bought Ghost Reveries and Blackwater Park after hearing Damnation (which I would highly reccomend) and I do like their heavier music. They're a great band musically, but I'll always have a problem with growls. |
Posted By: Alberto Muñoz
Date Posted: October 28 2008 at 13:17
 Good Tracks Dean!-------------  |
Posted By: Alberto Muñoz
Date Posted: October 28 2008 at 13:22
Well i actually like the Extreme Metal, Death and others forms of metal, and also like the 70's prog, and also the Jazz be bop, and avantgarde , and also like the entire folk european movement, and Dvorak and other classical composers.
 i hear too much music!------------- |
Posted By: Alberto Muñoz
Date Posted: October 28 2008 at 13:23
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And Neo prog and other forms of prog
I'm a Music Eater, hahaha ------------- |
Posted By: Trademark
Date Posted: October 28 2008 at 14:03
Skip Opeth and go straight to Hatebeak.
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Posted By: darksideof
Date Posted: October 28 2008 at 15:06
Me too!!  but I can only tolerated Opeth.------------- http://darksideofcollages.blogspot.com/ http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Darksideof-Collages/ |
Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: January 14 2009 at 06:49
Exactly my thoughts... except that Blackwater park and Still life are their strongest efforts ------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
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Posted By: Trial and Error
Date Posted: January 14 2009 at 07:26
I would start at To Bid You Farewell as well, their best soft effort for me. Then progress to Still Life, if you can stand the growls, the rest of Morningrise and My Arms, Your Hearse. Orchid only if you like guitar harmonies, the one thing that is throwing me off the most. It's not really heavy though, imo, though. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Trial_And_Error/?chartstyle=SidebarRed1"> 
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Posted By: TheCaptain
Date Posted: January 15 2009 at 21:46
| I've listened to hours of Opeth spanning many albums and I can't stand them. I was in your position too as far as general music taste. Opeth is definitely one of the most popular progressive bands out there today if you break out of the main prog community. As so many people have said before, Opeth is the band that turns people from hating that kind of music to loving it. It hasn't worked on me but I guess it's best to be open-minded. Don't buy anything of theirs yet though, that's for sure. Give them as many listens as possible until you either can't stand them anymore or you like them. |
Posted By: hagguhsem
Date Posted: April 19 2009 at 06:59
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Start with Damnation (only progrock, no deth metal), the get Blackwater Park |
Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: April 19 2009 at 10:19
| The growls employed by Akerfeldt are not generally so full on at least on the Opeth albums so it should not be too much of a problem, but then, that's easily said for me being a metalhead. You could try Agalloch too - as in look up some videos or last.fm - to get used to growl-techniques in general. |
Posted By: Plankowner
Date Posted: April 19 2009 at 13:03
Since this was posted in October, was wondering if you own any Opeth albums yet?
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Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: April 19 2009 at 18:24
Yes I do. I have Still Life, Damnation, and Blackwater Park. I'm becoming an Opeth fanboy! I guess it's time for the admins to close the topic now. -------------
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Posted By: cronholm
Date Posted: April 22 2009 at 14:52
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Since this was posted in October, was wondering if you own any Opeth albums yet? [/QUOTE]Yes I do. I have Still Life, Damnation, and Blackwater Park. I'm becoming an Opeth fanboy! You have seen the light. Now young acolyte, bring the word to other people still stumbling around in the dark. |
Posted By: Harold the Barrel
Date Posted: June 15 2009 at 22:06
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I listen to both. But you wont find Opeth as proggy as symphonic prog ---------------- Now playing: http://www.foxytunes.com/artist/genesis/track/get+em+out+by+friday - Genesis - Get 'em out by Friday via http://www.foxytunes.com/signatunes/ - FoxyTunes |
Posted By: horsewithteeth11
Date Posted: June 15 2009 at 23:42
*Says nothing*  -------------
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Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: June 15 2009 at 23:53
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If itt wasn't for the growls it would be a great band, that noise simply ruins everything.
Iván
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