Having always been a fan of Opeth's quieter moments, I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of this album and it doesn't disappoint. Eight songs over forty three timeless minutes, it is the ideal accompaniment to a quiet night in.
“Windowpane” kicks off proceedings with a beautiful guitar sound and Martin Lopez's disjointed drumming. The vocals soon kick in and to be honest, are beautiful and soothing. If we think of the vocals on Deliverance for example, it really is amazing how much of a vocal range Mikael has. Not a growl to be found on this album, yet it is still distinctively Opeth. From the guitar sound to the vocals, nobody else could have written and recorded this album.
The rest of the album is also very mellow, but we are treated to different tempos and atmospheres. The guitars often remind me of some of Mark Knopfler's work and also Katatonia, but they remain essentially Opeth. On “Closure”, there are brief hints of a distorted guitar, but this is soon replaced by Mikael singing over an acoustic background. “Hope Leaves” follows and is one of my favourite tracks on the album. The lyrics appear poignant and make the listener think. Smatterings of piano can be found in “To rid the disease” and work nicely with the bass sound and with the overall sound of the album.
What can be said about an Opeth album that hasn't already been said? They are an incredible band, end of story. I just hope that the thirteen year old kids that nearly killed me at a recent concert get it and don't dismiss it because there aren't any “real” guitars on it.
RUNNING TIME: 43.19
note: 9/10
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