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Opeth - Still Life CD (album) cover

STILL LIFE

Opeth

 

Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

4.29 | 1832 ratings

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zravkapt
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
3 stars A lot of 4 and 5 star reviews for this album. Yikes. I was aware of these guys in the '90s but never listened to them. When this came out I no longer listened to current metal. I never liked growling. I thought it was silly. I thought it was a fad and wouldn't last long. Consider me as ignorant as people who said "that rap stuff will be gone in a few years" back in 1990. Obviously, my favourite parts of this album is where there is no growling. This is the first full Opeth album I have heard. To me this about 75% metal and 25% prog.

The best part on the whole album is the first 2 minutes of "The Moor". Absolutely great guitar sounds. The rest of the album is a let down after that. The song then goes into acoustic guitar territory. Then gets heavy with the awful growling. Nice riff halfway through with harmony vocals. Acoustic guitar again and then harmonized guitars. Some great tremolo/vibrato guitar before everything gets ruined with more growling and heavyness.

The best part of "Godhead's Lament" is when the acoustic guitar and 'normal' vocals come in. The harmony vocals near the end are good and remind me of Alice In Chains. "Moonlapse Vertigo" has a bit of Hendrix-style guitar playing in the middle. "Face Of Melinda" has more Alice In Chains style harmony vocals. First half mostly acoustic and slightly jazzy. Jazzy snare drum with brushes in the middle. Gets heavier later.

"Serenity Painted Death" has yet more Alice In Chains harmony vocals. In the middle there is some great guitar sounds before the growling comes in. Nice jazzy guitar at the end. This is not a horrible album nor is it great. I've heard better non-prog and prog metal. This would appeal to prog fans who enjoy non-prog metal. Basically this is death metal with some folky and slightly jazzy strains. I think this deserves 2.5 but I'll round it up to 3 stars.

zravkapt | 3/5 |

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