Opeth - Still Life (Dig)
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Free Music Notes for Still Life (Dig)
Free Music Review: Another enthralling work of art.
Hit: 5 Stars
Still Life, like basically any other Opeth album, is a testament to this band's brilliance. This was their fourth album, and marked a few noticeable changes in Opeth's sound. First, Mikael's growl deepened considerably on this release, and it sounds more proggy than the releases prior to this one. It's also their first album with bassist Martin Mendez. This is also the first Opeth album to feature songs that cross the 10-minute mark and beyond since Morningrise.
Still Life, as most people know by now, is about a man sent away from his village. 15 years later, he returns to find his lover, Melinda. He watches her from afar, afraid of being seen by the other villagers, fearing for Melinda's saftey and his own. Eventually, he meets her, and tries to convince her to come with him. But the Council of the Cross, the people who banned him from his village, as well as the people who are in charge of it, slit Melinda's throat. In his rage, he slaughters the people who took part in murdering her, until he is burned at the cross, and sees Melinda waiting for him in the next life, with open arms. Even though this story is ficticious, I could really see it as something that probably happened a lot in the midevil days. There is more to the store than that, but that's the just of it.
In constrast to My Arms Your Hearse, Still Life is softer, and contains more acoustic passages. Like I said before, it also marks the point where they veered from being a spacey, atmospheric band to a more stable, progressive oriented band (not that there's anything wrong with either style). The style of the album still follows the Opeth formula: long, atmospheric inquisitions that makes transitions between brutal (yet still proggy) death metal and quiet, acoustic folk/prog music. But this is the style that we've all come to love and expect from Opeth, so no criticism is called for here! Mikael has awesome guitar solos here with extreme complexity (without sounding too indulgent). Peter provides great rythm guitar riffs that give Opeth their amazing atmospheres. Martin Lopez makes great transitions between maniacal double-bass pounding and soft tapping of the drums. Martin Mendez, as always, is buried behind the rest of the band for the majority of the time, unfortunately. So I can't say much about him, other than the fact that he sounds great whenever he's audible.
My favorites off Still Life are: The opening track, The Moor. This song is about when he returns to his village, expressing his hatred for everyone in his former village except Melinda. Mike's clean voice sounds very haunting on this song, and I get chills everytime I hear it. Godhead's Lament. It's one of the heaviest off the album. GL is when the man is marveling at Melinda from a hiding place, seeing that she's been taken in and brainwashed by the Council of the Cross. He also decides to stay in an attempt to get her back ("What woould they care if I did stay. No one would know, oh-ho"... I love that part!). Great melodies are present on this song, and Mike has a great solo. And finally, Moonlapse Vertigo, which is possibly my favorite track here. Mike sounds like a stray puppy on this song, especially during the part where he sings "I would persih at the given signal at the slightest touch from my soul tainted prophet in flesh for all the plagued and lost." In this song, the outcast reminds himself that he'd be killed if the Council saw him. This is also the point where he decides to meet Melinda and take her with him.
Unfortunately, this album was neglected in the States, because awful trends like Britney Spears and The Backstreet Boys were polluting the airwaves. No one wanted to dig beneath the surface and find the artworks that Opeth have made and are still making. And while they have gained more recognition in the U.S. (and everywhere, really), they still haven't gotten the success that so rightfully deserve. Metal is a highly discriminated genre. A shame too, since there are many talented metal bands out there with immense sophsitication, such as Opeth.
I don't think Morningrise will ever be kicked out of my spot for "favorite Opeth album," but I've come to love this album so much that it has dethroned Orchid as my 2nd favorite Opeth CD. Although, in all truth, I listen to the entire Opeth catalogue and find each album to be a classic, at the risk of sounding like a fanboy. But Still Life, like all of this amazing band's albums, is a spellbinding masterpiece that deserves multiple listens by everyone on the planet, if only people would give it a chance. But hey, maybe all that popularity would corrupt Opeth ;).
Free Music Review: One of those "special" albums.
Hit: 5 Stars
Well I actually picked up Still Life on a limb. I only had Ghost Reveries up to this point and for whatever reason it just didn't do too much for me (at the time that is). Now I really appreciate the album. I popped in Still Life and my ears were open to an extremely haunting, yet soothing guitar melody. I gotta say that this album completely floored me with it's brilliance. It's one of those special albums to me that you just don't really expect that much out of and it completely excedes your expectations and it really opened my musical senses up to something I have never experienced before. After listening to this album, I finally saw all the hype and praise that Opeth get. They are truly modern day innovators and I have never heard anything remotely close to what these guys are doing. They can go from the most brutal, insane black/death metal esque sound to a beautiful, haunting, folky, jazzy acoustic melody. And believe me if you haven't heard these guys before, they are definitely one of the most talented and complex bands I have yet to experience. Mikael Akerfeldt truly is a musical genius and in my book he has yet to fail in the least bit. Still Life is my favorite Opeth album, closely followed by Blackwater Park and that's saying something because everything these guys have put out is instant gold. It really is hard to exactly put in words just how diverse and excellent these guys are. As for this album, it is their most "balanced" I would say. They have all of their signature sounds and elements in here and they have plenty of acoustic portions in every song. The passion and melody in Mikael's voice found here is superb and he is definitely one of the most distinguishable, best sounding singers in this day and age. It's hard to believe that it's the same guy on this record singing over delicate acoustic harmonies and then the next second he sounds like he's gonna rip somebody's throat out. It makes a great mixture of sounds and textures and just overall variety though.
It really is hard to pick out a favorite song on this album. The two tracks that stand out the most though and that caught my attention would be the acoustic tracks- Benighted and Face of Melinda. Both contain folky, intricate acoustic guitar harmonies that even the most accomplished guitar players would have to work at to perfect. Benighted contains somne of Mikael's most breathtaking/ stunning vocals to date and he can nail that high note. It's a very ambiant tune and definitely one of Opeth's finest acoustic tracks ever. Face of Melinda is a classic live staple of theirs and for good reason. It has alot of jazz in it, put don't fret. I'm not a lover of jazz and I never listen to it as I'm sure many of you don't. But it's something about the way Opeth does it that makes it their own and shows off their amazing talent. This is another very ambiant sounding song. Now for the others. The Moor starts off the album with a very dark/ haunting melody which eventually breaks in to a brutal attack with some very harsh vocals. It kind of drops back down to mid-tempo and goes back and forth between electric and acoustic guitars with clean and muffled vocals. One of the best for sure. Godhead's Lament has one of the best choruses on here, although they never really have a true chorus on any of their songs parsay (take some give some). Moonlapse Vertigo and Serenity Painted Death both continue in the same vein as Godhead's as they both go back and forth from heavy to light to slow/ fast guitar over different vocal techniques. And finally the album is ended off with White Cluster which starts off probably heavier than any other track on the album and ends with beautiful acoustic guitars with a crackling sound in the background.
This is a must have album for any metal fans. It is so much different than anything out there and it is so beautiful, yet so brutal and haunting. This is Opeth's best and as usual every song is an epic, except for Benighted that is. It's truly a different experience in the metal realm and it shows a innovative, technical band at the top of their career. If possible, I would definitely get the new remastered version which has a hard case almost like a book cover and has a real nice fold booklet and a second disc with Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound for DVD players and a live performance of Face of Melinda, which is amazing. I have not heard the older versions of this album, seeing that I'm still fairly new to these guys, but I can say that the production is supberb and for $15 or cheaper this is probly the way to go. Still Life is a modern day classic to say the least and is truly a musical journey.
Free Music Review: A statement to Opeth's greatness
Hit: 5 Stars
Still Life marks Opeth's most noticeable foray into exploring more progressive sounds, utilising a cleaner and more pristine production work compared to their first two albums produced by Dan Swano. Not as heavy as My Arms, Your Hearse, their first album engineered at Fredman Studios, Still Life contains more clean vocals than before, merging the band's interest in death metal, progressive rock, and Scandinavian folk, while still retaining their heavy approach to songwriting. After this disc, Opeth would move on to work with Porcupine Tree mastermind Steven Wilson, venturing into more 70's prog with thicker soundscapes and layered melodies.
For starters, there is a wealth of clean vocal harmonies on this album, which have Akerfeldt sounding a lot more emotive and elaborate. This would be the album where he found his true self as a clean vocalist. Still alternating between demonic death growls and fragile, soothing clean passages, the album became a logical next step for the band's future albums, where they experimented with more complex harmonies. However, the first two songs on Still Life are arguably Akerfeldt's finest moments, as far as clean choruses are concerned. "The Moor", the album's first track, is comprised of innumerable threads of melodies that range from the slow, haunting intro to the acoustic and electric riffs respectively. Actually the acoustic intro of this song remains among Opeth's most remarkable to this day. Infused with clear folk elements which particularly come to the fore during the amazing chorus that starts with the lyrics "If you'll bear with me, you'll fear of me", the melody of this section is reproduced on guitar impressively. There are several guitar themes soaring above the piece, while neat acoustic elements are played on top of them, and Akerfeldt's melodies convincingly hummed. Without doubt, when contrasted with his possessed death growls, the dynamics make for an incredible song overall.
"Godhead's Lament" is another Opeth classic. Starting with sudden shifts of metallic riffage and a paralyzing lead solo, the song retreats to its anticipated calm mood, where a fantastic guitar theme is played to generate atmosphere. Unlike the opening song, this time Akerfeldt delivers the lyrics staying true to the theme played, singing "What would they care if I did stay, No one would know", stressing the final word and producing heart-wrenching melodies. For a brief moment, the bass, acoustic and electric guitars are all played in synch before the song ventures into its initial heavy path, only to highlight another clean chorus that is arguably the most moving part on the album.
The all-clean sung "Benighted" and "Face of Melinda" are both sublime. The former maintains its careful flow throughout, with subtle blues-inflected leads; while the latter does take on a heavier vibe in its second half with a great electric solo. By many considered Opeth's most engaging ballad, it is also interesting Mikael Akerfeldt would name his new-born daughter Melinda a few years later. On the heavier side, "Moonlapse Vertigo" and the amazing riff-master "Serenity Painted Death", besides highlighting Opeth's death metal heaviness, are also punctuated by creepy middle sections underpinned by tranquil elements and quirky sound effects. Needless to say, these parts are very brief and only serve to enrich the dynamics, as they are both followed by punishing death metal riffs and brutal growling. "Serenity Painted Death" particularly stands out for its endlessly creative riffing and climactic ending that follows a throbbing bass and syncopated drum workout.
Still Life is one of Opeth's two concept albums (the other one being My Arms, Your Hearse). The lyrics are poetic and rather hard to understand on first reading; it's a tragic love story based around the Middle Ages about an exiled man who returns to his village after many years in order to find the woman he loves. Also, as was the case with My Arms, Your Hearse and Blackwater Park, the title seems to have been inspired by another 70's band Akerfeldt highly respects: namely Van der Graaf Generator's 1976 album. However, given the amazing artwork by Travis Smith, it could also be the art term for a type of painting which consists of predominantly inanimate objects. Speaking of which, the packaging is among Opeth's best as well.
If you have never heard any Opeth before, start with Still Life.
Free Music Review: Opeth's Finest
Hit: 5 Stars
With Still Life, Opeth treats listeners to one of the most intricate and complex albums in metal history. More impressively, Still Life is beautifully melancholic aggression in the form of song.
It all begins with an eerie and sparse intro. which literally explodes into one of the heaviest tracks Opeth has ever put on wax: The Moor. This opening opus is a perfect taste for what is to come, and at this time in Opeth's career, ushered in a new level of vocal and songwriting proficiency. When this song finally hits the verse section at the 3:30 mark, all hell breaks loose as Mikael unleashes the beast that has now become one of, if not the best death metal vocals in the business. As the song violently twists and turns through pulverizing riffs, drum blasts, and solos, Opeth integrates their trademark acoustic sections with a grace not present before, or replicated since.
In giving this album the edge over Blackwater Park, I think this very element, the seemingly impossible symbiosis of the distorted and clean sections, is indicative of what makes this the crowning achievement in Opeth's career thus far: the songwriting.
Instead of simply attaching clean and distorted passages together, Opeth splices them. The effect is often a haunting soundscape which can can unfold into more intensely quiet acoustic movements, or continue to emphasize the endlessly sustained distorted gutair melodies.
Matching the polarized quality of the instrumentation is a stunning juxtaposition of clean and death vocals. The clean vocals on "The Moor", "Godhead's Lament", and "Face of Melinda" are exquisite, and provide a perfect complement to the menacing growl so unmatched in contemporary metal. Unlike all other Opeth albums, Still Life also finds the vocal arrangements at their most natural. At times, it seems that Opeth songs make the vocal transitions out of habit/expectation. Like the integrated acoustic/heavy passages though, every vocal change on this album is methodically and effectively placed. On this masterpiece, the vocals match the mood, and not necessarily the intensity of the musical backdrop.
The result of this assiduous songwriting is a perfect collection of vivid tapestries, all telling their own stories, which, as stories mimic life, do not just lean on one emotion, but follow a progression of cause and effect. Each dark composition weaves together the mutually dependent feelings of melancholy, rage, despondency, isolation, betrayal, and regret. And while anyone who knows my opinion of Opeth knows that its ability to create palpable emotion is, in my opinion, what truly sets it apart from other metal bands, no other Opeth release can match the pathos of Still Life.
With Still Life, Opeth secured the place as my favorite band. A band of epic, progressive, and crushing proportions, Opeth exploited its assets to the absolute fullest on this release. Any fan of true metal, even those who do not tolerate death metal vocals, must hear this album. To hear Still Life is to witness the unavoidable change and progression of life. As should be the task of us all, Opeth has taken the accumulation of the greatness of the past to create an indelible and unparalleled mark upon the world which reflects a respect for the past, and the added ingredient of its own originality. Not only is Still Life Opeth's finest, but it's one of this music fan's top five albums of all time.
Free Music Review: Opeth's most unearthly album
Hit: 5 Stars
This is not Opeth's catchiest or most immediately memorable collection of songs, but it is possibly their most successfully thematic, along with the masterpiece "My Arms, Your Hearse", another concept album. All of Opeth's trademark elements are definitely here in abundance- the beautiful leads, the harmonically expanded riffing, the flowing yet progressive songwriting, the breathtaking build ups from acoustic passages to violent explosions of dissonance... but most of what makes this album truly special is the hardest thing about it to describe- the emotion of the music.
"Still Life" is, on the surface, stylistically very similar to its follow-up "Blackwater Park" and, to a lesser extent, its predecessor, the aforementioned "My Arms, Your Hearse". However, there is one aspect that distinguishes "Still Life" from all of this band's other great records: its ghostly, lonely, forelorn, truly twisted atmosphere. It feels just like its red, blood-toned artwork and the mysterious, dark concept (as described in other reviews) that drives the album only serves to plunge it further into strangeness. It's one of those rare albums that feels almost divinely inspired, like its creators were possessed by some force to create it. It has all the macabre appeal of one of those morbid folk tales, and fittingly, it's also Opeth's most 'folky' album, containing the most real acoustic guitars and finger picked segments out of any Opeth release except possibly "Morningrise". It is a rainy day album, and it does not have a happy ending.
What I said early about the album's lack of catchiness does not apply to the first two tracks, haunting opener "The Moor", which contains one of my favorite dramatic shifts in any song (the way it becomes so nostalgic and wistful right after the line "Melinda is the reason why I have come", as if the protagonist is remembering their past together), and "Godhead's Lament", simultaneous one of the heaviest tracks on the album and home of the most hummable folk melody on the CD. Each of these would be great tracks to introduce someone to this band with.
As far as the other songs go, "Serenity Painted Death" is probably one of the band's most moshable songs, and it really does rock. If you loved "Demon of the Fall", this is for you. "White Cluster" is a bizarre and absolutely crushing conclusion to the album, containing one of the final, apocalyptic riffs I've ever heard and generally containing an atmosphere of dread so thick you could cut it with a knife.
"Face of Melinda" and "Benighted" are a different kind of ballad than Opeth typically does, again showing more of the folk direction on the album. Both are soothing and feel like the light of a campfire barely holding back the pitch darkness of the surrounding woods.
Occasionally there are lyrical elements (bad rhymes) that take you out of the mood somewhat, but that's the only complaint I could possibly make about an otherwise flawless album. "Still Life" is on par with Opeth's usual ridiculously high standard. Newcomers should maybe start with "Blackwater Park", but this album is very highly recommended as well. 5 stars.