Opeth could have it so easy

Cut a few of those prog-rock tendencies and they could move in on Mastodon’s fan base, shorten some of the songs and they could thrash with Arch Enemy. Get an operatic singer and extended solos and they’d co-headline with Dream Theater now, or indulge their acoustic side and they'd write a bitchin’ medieval record. But Sweden’s most popular metalheads (sorry In Flames) pander to no one, and they continue to make atypical, challenging and sometimes great records like Watershed.

The acoustic “Coil” is a strong, bare bones is a strong start to the album, even if “I can see running through the fields of sorrow” was an unwise choice for the chorus. It leads nicely into “Heir Apparent,” a signature Opeth track with copious progressions, unyielding percussion assaults and an acoustic breakdown that could soundtrack any Lord of the Rings movie. New guitarist Fredrik Akesson (of Arch Enemy) provides some nasty solos, and relatively new drummer Martin Axenrot sounds right at home. Most metal bands could have made full-length albums based on the components of the organ-laced “Burden” or wailing, relatively accessible “Porcelain Heart.”

As expected for a metal band on their eighth album, there is more singing, acoustic segments and orchestration than on previous albums. “The Lotus Eater” starts with Akerfeldt’s soft humming and a keyboard-spawned violin sound, and it features a chamberlain melody and a truly awesome electric keyboard breakdown further down the song. “Hessian Peel” tries to throw all the band’s best jazz, folk and metal elements into 11 and a half haunting minutes, and it can afford to be excessive by never running out of hooks. This is strictly a headphones record, one that rewards multiple listens and would be better suited for your lonesome self than your next kegger.


The album never sounds anything less than great when it’s playing, although the songs don’t stick the way they did on Blackwater Park and Ghost Reveries. Bandleader Mikael Akerfeldt might want to give some of his ideas more room to breath on the next album, perhaps focus more on one specific indulgence and let it spotlight. That may not be a popular move with his prog-rock fans, but since when has Opeth done anything to be popular?