Heritage

This album is a musical side-step for Opeth and is likely to divide their fans big-time. Those who like the death metal side of their music will probably loathe this (no grunting!), but those who prefer their lyrical, romantic side will love the whole album. There is plenty of piano, acoustic guitar, flute, with only an occasional drift into the heavy side ('The Devil's Orchard' reminds me of of some of Djam Karet's music, a fairly jazzy experience in places but a good rock song at heart with a decent little guitar solo at the end). The acoustic beginning of 'I Feel The Dark' has a Gordon Giltrap feel about it, but it's a gorgeous track that develops nicely into a melancholic rock groove that gradually gets heavier as it progresses. Some of the musical motifs on the album seem a bit simplistic but this is a good, modern progressive rock album that will appeal to many fans. It's an odd first listen and it takes two or three complete hearings to appreciate just how good an album this is. It's a brave and wondrous record and I like it better each time I hear it. I confess that I prefer Opeth's lyrical progressive side and have little time for the death metal grunting that, to my mind, spoils some of their earlier work. Many new listeners will be drawn to Opeth through this album and that is no bad thing - this talented band deserves to be heard more. This is adventurous music and the band's collaborations with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson seems to have broadened their horizon. The production is first class and cranking up the volume pays dividends! I found this a fascinating listen and recommend it. It's one of the most interesting albums released this year.

I am a big Opeth fan but not a good reviewer, so I'm just writing this to spread the love for the band.

I own all their CD's and have been a big fan for a while and I was very excited about hearing their new album.
This album blew my mind in a way I didn't think possible for Opeth, because they have already amazed me so much on their previous outings. I am a big prog fan, listening to both new and old prog, like Yes, King Crimson, Porcupine Tree, Riverside and a lot more obscure bands. That's probably why I loved this album so much. If you're not that into prog rock and love their previous CD's, this CD might confuse and disappoint you. It's not easy listening, it will challenge you. If you can embrace their new style though, you'll discover a great prog record. The sound is great on this album and their musicianship has never been better. Mikael has reached a new level with his vocals as well. I hear some mixed opinions on this CD, but if you have some trouble getting into it, open your mind, take the journey, embrace it and maybe you'll be as amazed as I am. Give it a few spins, it might grow on you if you have trouble getting into their new style.

This is already my favorite Opeth CD and I hope the rest of their fans will embrace it. I have the special edition and the Surround Mix is fantastic as well. Definitely worth buying.

Go buy this CD :)

Sorry for my english.

Trying something new is something that is often looked down on in the world of metal, don't get me wrong we metal heads can be open minded to new styles of music but the moment Opeth announced that their new album would feature no growled vocals more than a few people raised their eyebrows. Some people even went as far as writing off the album upon hearing this information, the first single released The Devils Orchard didn't help matters with its unique sound dividing old school Opeth fans. If you were still behind the band you couldn't help but feel almost worried, god knows I was. I couldn't help but worry that maybe the band had gone too far sacrificing their trademark style of contrasting their heavy sound with their clean progressive sound. Thankfully I was totally stupid for ever doubting the band, not only is Heritage a great album but it's also a perfectly natural progression from 2008's Watershed.
From the opening piano track Heritage you clearly hear that Opeth have lost none of their ability to create an album that oozes atmosphere. It is important to note though that Heritage sounds completely unique to the bands discography whilst being feeling strangely familiar. Tracks such as I Feel The Dark and Haxprocess continue to demonstrate that Opeth are still at the top of their game in terms of musicianship and quite frankly have never sound tighter as a band. From clearly the audible bass lines to the great key board/piano sections, Heritage feels like a more collaborative effort with the mixing of the album allowing all of the instruments fully breathe rather than being smothered by the distorted guitars. Don't get me wrong I'm not knocking any of Opeths previous albums and I have the feeling Blackwater Park and Watershed will still remain my favorite Opeth albums, but as a fan of progressive music it's really great to hear instruments such as the keyboard really coming into their own on this release. The album also features a great amount of variety never staying in one place for too long or becoming predictable. Tracks like the almost upbeat Slither perfectly contrasts tracks such as Nepenthe.
From the great title track to its last instrumental Marrow of The Earth, Heritage displays Opeth at their most brave and challenging. Undeniably I was sceptical at first, after my first listen I was unsure what I thought of the album all I knew was that I had listened to something genuinely special. Now that I've had time to take it in I can't help but praise the band, not only have they defied modern metal trends they have allowed themselves to stay fresh whilst never betraying their fans. It may take a while to sink in but Heritage is a brilliant listen that will challenge as well as delight even the most hardened Opeth fan