Hey guys,
I had said that I wanted to get to get back here before too long and talk about Opeth's new album Heritage.
Here I am.
It was their highest selling debut in the U.S. and I'm sure it's not done charting songs, but there is one single out right now... and also a music video for that single.
So, in the tradition of what I've done with all the other albums, here's the first single and music video off Opeth's 10th studio album Heritage, entitled The Devil's Orchard.
It's probably one of the most eerie and psychedelic videos I've ever seen. Even folks who aren't fans of the band are spreading good buzz about the video.
Check it out and I'll hopefully see you guys before too long with my full mini-review of Heritage.
Be well until then.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
H2Oshack
Hey guys,
So...
I've let about three months get away from me when it comes to the updating of this blog.
I've just been kind of floating to and fro on things (like I do), shifting between reading prose, reading comics, watching a bit of TV and movies, and listening to tunes.
Also, if any of you readers here are into comics, I've started a new blog here http://bestcomicsquest.blogspot.com where I've found a massive list of some acclaimed graphic novels in the form of a huge book. There are 500 of them and I'm reviewing them one by one there. That's also one of the things that's kept me away.
Anyway...
When I last posted, we were going through all the albums of the band Opeth. I was breaking them out, doing a short preview post, giving them a couple week's listening and then giving you my two cents on them.
When I stopped, I had done the sort of preview post for the ninth album Watershed.
I've long since digested that one and all the rest of the first eight. I'm back here today because Opeth's tenth album Heritage has come out and I'd like to finish what I started with Watershed and move onto that one and then perhaps some other music that's recently wormed its way into my listening time.
So, without further ado (and before I disappear from you loyal Llog readers' sight for another three months!), let's get down to Watershed.
If you'll recall when I had been posting this summer, I'd pick my favorite two tracks from each Opeth album, usually a heavy one and then a lighter one, and then post vids for them and tell you why they were my favorite, pointing out moments in each that were special to me.
Let's mix it up a bit and go lighter first and also give you something I haven't done yet: post a video of a live performance of one of the songs. Here's the opening track to Watershed: a beautiful track entitled Coil. (Fear not when you hear the hosts of TV4 introduce this tune in Swedish. The lyrics are in English, like all other Opeth stuff. Stay tuned and give it a listen.)
Coil
Ahhh... There we have it. Coil...
As I said, this one is the opener of Watershed, and it's just your basic pretty ballad. Nothing really busy going on, certainly no traces of Opeth's death metal roots, but a song that just grabs you.
The song is a bit faster here than on the album and there's a bit less here in the instrumentation department, but I wanted to post a nice, simple acoustic version. And guest female vocalist on the song Nathalie Lorichs certainly isn't difficult to look at or listen to, either. ;-)
Now, let's get into what's probably my favorite heavier track on the album, if I've got to pick just one. If you're so inclined, give The Lotus Eater a listen below.
The Lotus Eater
I think I knew the name of this track before any others on the album because of the beginning. That odd, meterless singing by Mikael makes the start of this one really stand out.
From there we go into a ripping, punishing onslaught by the instruments with droning guitar and blast beating drums. When the lyrics start, they're nice, sweet harmonies over this fantastic chaos morphing into brutal death growls and back again. And back and forth we continue to go.
At around 3:40, we get a guitar solo into a nice mellow break that you almost wouldn't believe was the same song.
At 5:10, we come back up a little bit with a slightly distorted guitar leading into a nice little lead guitar piece which, in turn, leads into a little jam that's almost in the jazz/fusion vein.
All these different parts I've listed so far are the reason I love this song and this band. This musicianship is what makes Opeth different from any other band. You can pigeonhole them as death metal and say they're too heavy for your tastes, but I'd say that if you've done that and listened to everything I've posted simply in this one entry, you've got to get the inkling that your argument might be faulty.
After that little jazzy part, we get a nice solid drum fill that leads seamlessly into a more "metal" portion of the song and a bit of the lyrics that I personally find very ensnaring and always find myself singing along to in the car or what not... (The "And the pride of a mother..." part). :-)
Well, loyal, loving, Llogsters... There you have Opeth's Watershed and my two cents. I hope to get back here soon to post on Heritage and then perhaps move onto the work of Devin Townsend. (Can you tell I've been in the mood for metal lately?)
Again, the blog on comics/graphic novels (and probably the one that I'll be updating a LOT more frequently than this one) is at http://bestcomicsquest.blogspot.com . Stop on by there if sequential art is as close to your heart as it is to mine.
Also, if you're noticing that you're into most of the stuff that I'm into and want to "hear" rapid fire rants, praises, thoughts, musings, ramblings, insanities, and snippets, head on over to Twitter and follow me @lloydduvalljr .
I hope you're all well.
Peace...
So...
I've let about three months get away from me when it comes to the updating of this blog.
I've just been kind of floating to and fro on things (like I do), shifting between reading prose, reading comics, watching a bit of TV and movies, and listening to tunes.
Also, if any of you readers here are into comics, I've started a new blog here http://bestcomicsquest.blogspot.com where I've found a massive list of some acclaimed graphic novels in the form of a huge book. There are 500 of them and I'm reviewing them one by one there. That's also one of the things that's kept me away.
Anyway...
When I last posted, we were going through all the albums of the band Opeth. I was breaking them out, doing a short preview post, giving them a couple week's listening and then giving you my two cents on them.
When I stopped, I had done the sort of preview post for the ninth album Watershed.
I've long since digested that one and all the rest of the first eight. I'm back here today because Opeth's tenth album Heritage has come out and I'd like to finish what I started with Watershed and move onto that one and then perhaps some other music that's recently wormed its way into my listening time.
So, without further ado (and before I disappear from you loyal Llog readers' sight for another three months!), let's get down to Watershed.
If you'll recall when I had been posting this summer, I'd pick my favorite two tracks from each Opeth album, usually a heavy one and then a lighter one, and then post vids for them and tell you why they were my favorite, pointing out moments in each that were special to me.
Let's mix it up a bit and go lighter first and also give you something I haven't done yet: post a video of a live performance of one of the songs. Here's the opening track to Watershed: a beautiful track entitled Coil. (Fear not when you hear the hosts of TV4 introduce this tune in Swedish. The lyrics are in English, like all other Opeth stuff. Stay tuned and give it a listen.)
Coil
Ahhh... There we have it. Coil...
As I said, this one is the opener of Watershed, and it's just your basic pretty ballad. Nothing really busy going on, certainly no traces of Opeth's death metal roots, but a song that just grabs you.
The song is a bit faster here than on the album and there's a bit less here in the instrumentation department, but I wanted to post a nice, simple acoustic version. And guest female vocalist on the song Nathalie Lorichs certainly isn't difficult to look at or listen to, either. ;-)
Now, let's get into what's probably my favorite heavier track on the album, if I've got to pick just one. If you're so inclined, give The Lotus Eater a listen below.
The Lotus Eater
I think I knew the name of this track before any others on the album because of the beginning. That odd, meterless singing by Mikael makes the start of this one really stand out.
From there we go into a ripping, punishing onslaught by the instruments with droning guitar and blast beating drums. When the lyrics start, they're nice, sweet harmonies over this fantastic chaos morphing into brutal death growls and back again. And back and forth we continue to go.
At around 3:40, we get a guitar solo into a nice mellow break that you almost wouldn't believe was the same song.
At 5:10, we come back up a little bit with a slightly distorted guitar leading into a nice little lead guitar piece which, in turn, leads into a little jam that's almost in the jazz/fusion vein.
All these different parts I've listed so far are the reason I love this song and this band. This musicianship is what makes Opeth different from any other band. You can pigeonhole them as death metal and say they're too heavy for your tastes, but I'd say that if you've done that and listened to everything I've posted simply in this one entry, you've got to get the inkling that your argument might be faulty.
After that little jazzy part, we get a nice solid drum fill that leads seamlessly into a more "metal" portion of the song and a bit of the lyrics that I personally find very ensnaring and always find myself singing along to in the car or what not... (The "And the pride of a mother..." part). :-)
Well, loyal, loving, Llogsters... There you have Opeth's Watershed and my two cents. I hope to get back here soon to post on Heritage and then perhaps move onto the work of Devin Townsend. (Can you tell I've been in the mood for metal lately?)
Again, the blog on comics/graphic novels (and probably the one that I'll be updating a LOT more frequently than this one) is at http://bestcomicsquest.blogspot.com . Stop on by there if sequential art is as close to your heart as it is to mine.
Also, if you're noticing that you're into most of the stuff that I'm into and want to "hear" rapid fire rants, praises, thoughts, musings, ramblings, insanities, and snippets, head on over to Twitter and follow me @lloydduvalljr .
I hope you're all well.
Peace...
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