STILL LIFE

Opeth´s fourth album marked the end of their "underground" status, after this Opeth would become one of the most known non-mainstream metal bands in the world, and the absolut kings in their death melodic style. This album also gives us the classic Opeth line up for the fist time, with Martin Mendez in the bass...the "uruguayan-Martin-rythm section" was born.

The music in Still Life is classic Opeth, all songs are long, with the exception of Benighted, all songs have that light/dark feel and a certain sence of melancholy is always present. There is no weak song, they are all good, with some of them being among their best... but, something is just not quite right. This is a concept album, yet the songs don´t seem to have a flow between themself, every track seems to be too individual. This is very clear in Godhead's Lament, which opens at full blown (classic Opeth), but just seems to lack a certain connection with the previous song, the amazing The Moor (probably Opeth´s best song ever), which for me is nothing but a weak point in the album. And this happens in more than one song... definitly not good, even more if it´s a concept album. Apart from that, the album is excellent. One of their softest also, with Mickael singing with clear voice quite a lot, not only in the soft parts. The result is ohh so good, with some of his best melodic work, definitly a high point of the album. Also the acoustic work in this album is beautiful and maybe the best they have achieved yet. The "uruguayan-Martin-rythm section" is tight with Mendez playing some excellent bass lines, like the one in the seventh minute of Godhead's Lament and Lopez as always delivers his personal drumming style where he combines rythm and melody with great results (such a pitty he left the band ).

The stand out song from this album, at least from my point of view, are the amazing The Moor, the beautiful acoustic piece Benighted, Face of Melinda and Moonlapse Vertigo, yet the rest of the songs are also excellent. A great album from Opeth, not my favorite, but objectivly I may consider it to be their best (along with Blackwater park), but still amazing and very important for any prog metal fan... better yet, make it for any prog fan.