Customer Reviews

Still Life (Remastered)

5 star:		(123)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The fact that I usually hate death metal vocals but love Opeth is a testament to their brilliance, I think. I am so impressed by this band's unparalleled sophistication, their originality, and the sheer beauty of their music. Most people wouldn't call them progressive metal, reserving such a distinction for a band like Dream Theater or Symphony X. However, Opeth is progressive in every meaning of the word. They are earnestly pushing the boundaries of style with each of their releases. They are entirely unique, blending myriad styles into their complex web of incandescent, ingenious compositions. There's many so-called progressive metal artists (who shall not be named) who seem to say, "Let's throw in random changes and styles to be esoteric and weird." Opeth's approach, however, seems more discriminating, meshing everything together so naturally and seamlessly without any adverse effect to the music's evocative flow.

More than any previous Opeth record, Still Life attains a greater balance between the vocalist Mikael Akerfeldt's aggressive, bowel-wrenching growls and his chilling clean vocals. There is also a wealth of vocal harmonies during these clean sections, supplementing the melody and the vibe. The songs "Benighted" and "Face of Melinda" are delivered entirely with the clean vocals, and they are paralyzing in their beauty. The growling vocals seem more vicious, powerful, and even emotional. Akerfeldt also enunciates extremely well when growling.

Just as the variance exists in the vocals, this is one of Opeth's most musically diverse records. The reams of acoustic sections seem more informed by a folk influence than before. The heavier riffing is less brutal than on My Arms, Your Hearse, and tends to be more melodic. I think I heard a bit of a Rush (!) influence on "Moonlapse Vertigo." The average song length is about nine minutes, and involves many unpredictable changes between the heavy sections and the acoustic passages. "Benighted" is the "simplest" song on the album, relying on the acoustic guitar throughout (though the solo is on electric), but it's absolutely exquisite. The opening track, "The Moor," is 11 minutes of such striking dynamics it scares me. It begins with a lengthy introduction of haunting guitar creating a haunting atmosphere. Then, after a brief-but-stunning acoustic section, the vengeful heaviness crashes through the ambiance. "Serenity Painted Death," with its tuneful riffing, creates a groove so infectious it could hook almost anybody. "Face of Melinda" is one of the band's finest songwriting moments, being largely acoustic but building to a crippling electric finale. The sheer punctilious fullness of Still Life is almost intimidating, but it ensures long-term appeal. I was blown away on the first spin, but it takes indefinite listens to grasp its magnitude.

Like My Arms, Your Hearse, Still Life is a concept album with a somewhat nebulous story. Akerfeldt is telling the tale of an exiled man, who returns to his home after fifteen years to find the woman he loved. It's a powerful, but tragic, love story. I'm pretty sure I get the gist of it, but I must confess that the poetry is extremely complex and not always easy to understand. This challenge, however, highlights the intelligence of Akerfeldt's lyrics. Very rarely does a Swedish band offer such brilliant poetry in English. There is some brilliant imagery and diction here, especially on the harrowing opener "The Moor" and the gruesome "Serenity Painted Death." "Benighted" has pleasant -- almost romantic -- lyrics.

The word "masterpiece" is tossed around rather carelessly, it seems. It is a title that should be reserved for albums such as this. For 62 minutes and 7 songs, your world belongs to Opeth.

First off, I am NOT a metal expert in any sense of the word. As a matter of fact when I first heard "death" metal growls I laughed. I thought they were just so lame and corny. I bought "Damnation" by Opeth in 2003 and realized (IMO) that this music is a Godly masterpiece. Simply,cold beauty. I digress, Damnation has no growls and it was right up my alley. "Still Life" does have scorching death vox,as if Akerfeldt summoned them from the very pits of hell. Also Michael sings in a "clean" voice that is (IMO)the best voice in any genre of music. I would say 60% death vox and 40% clean, something like that. The concept attracted me, for it's about a man who is kicked out of his community by the town "council" for rebelling against the Christian theocracy held so dear in the town. In the process he loses his true love Melinda. The music and lyrics on "Still "Life are about his return and attempt to retrieve Melinda. The music could not be better in conveying this concept. As far as the growls I looked at the vocals as another instrument(for that's what the voice is)in conveying the tone and composition, that has helped me to not only like the death vox, but appreciate them as well!!! This will take a few listens to be fully revealed, be patient. Opeth is not just a "metal" band. They are all extremely gifted musicians in the truest sense of the word. You would be doing yourself a disservice for not listening to this band because of the death vox. Have an open mind and you will be rewarded. The song Benighted is quite possibly the most beautiful song I have ever heard. The way the clean vocals come in to the music is stunning. Opeth and Pain of Salvation are two metal bands that are completely unique and wonderful. They have certainly set the bar high, for all metal bands to come. All hail the mighty Opeth, Still Life is an absolute masterpiece. Peace.

"Still Life" is yet another example of what makes Opeth such a unique and compelling band. No metal band composes epic songs quite like they do, and their talent and emotion is nearly unparalelled. As the reviews on this site attest, if you like melodic metal, death metal, or even prog rock, you can get into Opeth. The reason is simple: Opeth combine elements of all three genres. Raging metal shares space with mellow folk- and jazz-influenced passages, allowing Opeth to explore a broader range of musical and emotional territory than most bands would even dream of. This band isn't content to abide by the "rules" of one genre; they instead stake out their own ground by taking the best of several styles.

Mikael Akerfeldt, the band's frontman, is doubtless one of the most singular vocalists you could ever hope to hear. He can spew forth earth-shattering death vocals one minute, and then turn around and soothe your frayed nerves with some smooth singing. The music, meanwhile, is as complex and virtuosic as always. Insinuating guitar harmonies, screaming solos, thumping bass, and Martin Lopez's technical drum work add up to one of the most impressive sonic onslaughts I've had the pleasure of hearing.

All you have to do is listen to the eleven-minute opener, "The Moor," and you know you're in for a treat. The intro may be soft and acoustic, but it's deceptive, as if the band were trying to lull the listener into a false sense of security. "The Moor" turns out to be one of Opeth's heaviest songs, but it combines its gut-wrenching heaviness with stunning virtuosity and melody. While "melodic death metal" is a term that's come into vogue in recent years, much of what falls into that category is really just melodic metal with harsh vocals (In Flames and Soilwork are good examples). Opeth are one of the few bands I've heard that can infuse melody into true death metal without compromising the genre's trademark heaviness, and "The Moor" is one of the best examples of how well they do it. Fans of Morbid Angel or Suffocation (as I am) should love this song.

The next track, "Godhead's Lament," is another classic. Even more than "The Moor," it demonstrates just how effectively Opeth can combine disparate elements. This song is so complex and diverse I don't even bother trying to anticipate what's coming next; I just enjoy the ride. One minute Akerfeldt and Peter Lindgren are unleashing shredding volleys of violent guitar work, the next they're slowing things down for a pleasant acoustic passage. Akerfeldt's vocals are pure venom early in the song, but that just makes it even more sound even more heart-wrenching when he turns on that mournful singing voice. These constant shifts in vocal and musical style give songs like "Godhead's Lament" a dynamic that's rare in any genre, metal or otherwise.

The quality doesn't stop there, either. "Benighted" is a soft, largely acoustic song with all clean vocals that provides a nice break after the heaviness of "The Moor" and "Godhead's Lament." At five-plus minutes, it's a bit longer than I think it had to be, but it's still a very pretty song in its own right. The combination of acoustic and electric guitars that opens "Moonlight Vertigo" is easily one of the best intros ever, setting the stage for yet another of Opeth's diverse masterpieces.

"Face of Melinda," another choice cut, is an epic eight-minute ballad, easily one of Opeth's most moving songs. The first half consists of little more than acoustic guitars and clean vocals, but the pain and vulnerability in Akerfeldt's voice makes it work. And when the guitars turn electric about halfway through the result is, well, electrifying. "Serenity Painted Death" is another viciously heavy song that will definitely appeal to those that liked "The Moor" and "Godhead's Lament." For whatever reason, the guitar leads on this song in particular stand out to me. Good stuff, I say.

"Still Life" ends on the best possible note with the ten-minute "White Cluster," which basically encapsulates everything that's come before it. The song is yet another epic that combines sounds as it seems only Opeth can do. Intricate arrangements, addictive melodies, fearsome death vocals, soaring clean vocals: it's all here. It's up against some stiff competition, but "White Cluster" may well be the best song on here.

So, there you have it. "Still Life" is seven more tracks of the customary brilliance that we've call come to expect from Opeth. At sixty-two minutes, it manages to never sound pretentious or boring. Considering how much mindless "music" is polluting the airwaves these days, it's really sad that great bands like this one don't get more attention, but those of us who appreciate something well-written and well-played know where to look. And be sure to check out "Damnation" next week!

I already held "Still Life" as one of my top 5 CDs, so the 5.1 mix enticed me to buy this. Definitely a good choice!

The "CD" portion of this package is just the same old "Still Life" with a slight fix on some of the audio. It no longer drops in places (such as the moor) but you won't get anything else new. The CD is just a nice addition to replace your old one.

The real seller is the 5.1 audio DVD. One quick warning though: there is no LFE channel in the mix, so technically it was only mastered for 5.0. This is not to say your sub wont work, just that there wasn't a dedicated channel to the lower frequencies. It has plenty of bass, it just wasn't mastered in true 5.1 Don't let that dissuade you though, the sound is quite superb.

The use of the surround speakers to add ambiance to the music is great, and the center channel pushes Akerfeldt's voice right out. The mix is absolutely amazing, and the music sounds totally different and new (in a good way of course). The acoustic guitars and some leads sound as if they were re-recorded (very apparent in Benighted), and the music takes on a different dynamic, becoming more drastic in changes from crunch to clean. (if you can imagine "Still Life" having more drastic dynamics)

All in all, a solid re-mix and re-master. The bonus footage of Face of Melinda live is great as well.

This is probably Opeth's most accessible album (Blackwater Park comes close but comes in second because of its length, although it's not overlong by any stretch of the imagination). For people who are already familiar with Opeth, you should own this already; I'm writing this for people who are dissatified with the current music scene and looking for something new. Opeth are a unique combination of intelligence, beauty, and brutality. Simply put, they are the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, or Guns N Roses of this era. This is no ordinary death metal; you'll notice that there are no Satanic or Paganistic lyrics. "Still Life" is actually a concept album. I have heard many different interpretations, but I see it as based on Shakespeare's "Othello" (the first track is entitled "The Moor"). Basically the storyline is that a man goes away for a long time and comes back to find his wife, Melinda, with another man. The story is pretty interesting and even comes with a surprise ending.

As far as the music goes, this music is more accessible than some of their older stuff, but they sacrifice none of their musical vision to get there. "The Moor" starts out with an acoustic section, but don't be fooled, this is probably Opeth's heaviest song ever. The vocals, both death and clean are fantastic, and the guitar riff stuck in my head for days. "Moonlapse Vertigo" continues Opeth's tradition of thinking of awesome names for their songs. Opeth has claimed the British prog-rock band Camel as one of their biggest influences, and it is quite evident in this song. "The Face of Melinda" is a two-part song; the first part is entirely acoustic, while the second part employs distorted guitars but Akerfeldt continues with the clean vocals, giving this well-written song a doom-metal sound. "Serenity Painted Death" starts out with some memorable guitar work before giving way a slower riff that metal-heads like me find it nearly impossible not to headbang to. The riff in the chorus is good as well, but the death vocals in the chorus don't work so well; Akerfeldt sounds like he's burping the words "Serenity Painted Death." They make up for that, though, with a good guitar solo. Unfortunately, the rest of the song isn't as memorable as the beginning, but overall this is still a worthwhile song. "White Cluster" also features impressive guitar work; Opeth isn't noramlly known for their guitar solos, but the solo in this song isn't really complex or technical, but still is powerful and arguably their best solo in any song. When the song ends, it does something that very few songs in concept albums do; close out the album and leave the listener satisfied.

Now let me remind you that Opeth is in no way "musical fast-food," if you will. It took me about ten listens before my I started picking out my favorite parts, yet I still am discovering new aspects of the songs that I hadn't noticed before, nearly three months after I first listened to it. So if you give it time, I can guarantee that it will pay off. Do I really need to say that this album is highly recommended?

'Still Life' might just be my favourite heavy metal album. There, said it. I want to discard hyperbole in this review, and lead anyone who reads it into the core of this remarkable piece of work.
Opeth are like a ten ton hammer wrapped in velvet. Its actually almost impossible to describe them and fully get across how their music SOUNDS though. Theres deat metal growls, which I used to hate (I wonder how many fledgling Opeth fans find themselves typing that?), theres incongrous, simply catchy parts, theres stunning acoustic guitar playing, theres thrash runs vicious enough to rip your eras off. But Opeth, despite having all that, are something....more.
'Sill Life' has a very important edge over the bands other albums, and many of its competitors: it tells an intriguing, bleak, enthralling story. I wont (and cant) give anyrthing away here, as I havent even come close to deciphering all Akerfeldt's lyrics. Essentially, the album follows a man returning to his home after 15 years, searching for a character called Melinda. Following, analysing and being gripped by the story is half the fun of this record. So, its a conecpt album, or a theme album I suppose, but what really propels it above so much dire, bland and ludicrous extreme metal music is the sheer diversity, the range, the techinical ability and musical ingenuity contained here. Opeth sprinkle touches of progressive rock, psychedelia and wistful acoustic balladry throughout this record, but pull it all together in impossibly seamless fashion. Akerfeldt
, who writes the lyrics and plays one hell of an acoustic guitar, draws on and perpetuates the ideals of his death metal roots, utilizing the bleak lyrical style, evoking reams of misery and despair and growling his way through songs that are entirely unconventional in structure.
Opener 'The Moor' is out and out stunning, with a dreamy intro and gorgeous mid section. 'Godhads lament' has one of the most bizzarely catchy parts Ive ever heard in a song so brutal: 'searching my way to perplexion' It even has some 'ahh, ahh's. 'Benighted' discards growling vocals and crunchy guitars entirely, focusing on melody and a delightful chorus. 'Face of melinda', the albums centrepiece, is jaw-dropping, letting a vivid intro explode into life suddenly late in the songs.
Ok, I've droned on enough. If you like metal, prog metal, or are just open minded enough to go for an album that, I assure you, is actually fairly physically and mentally draining, then buy this instantly. Look past the growls and wild riffs, and discover some extremely original and vital music. Remember, your parents wont like it, your girlfriend might not like it, your pets wont like it, but embracing Opeth might just make you a better person.

Before I recommend this album, I suppose I should give a word of warning to Death Metal fans. Opeth is NOT the usual death Metal. If you plan on buying Still Life (or any other Opeth record) thinking its a normal standard death album, you will be disappointed - or maybe pleasantly surprised. Opeth is much, much more.

Still Life is a concept album, about a man who is banished from his village, only to return and find his lover already married. The songs vary from extremely heavy riffs with superb death growls (such as on Godhead's Lament) to sweet acoustic melodies with clean vocals (Benighted). That is to many people a surprise, since many cannot imagine death growls and clean vocals in the same song. Yet Opeth manage that, to create songs with an electrifying, and at times soothing, atmosphere. That said, the songs might take some getting used to, since the transition from heavy riffs to acoustic guitars (and vice versa) may be a surprise to some people. The cover art is pretty good and the booklet features lyrics to the songs as well as pictures of the band. The lyrics in my opinion are an excellent description of the feelings of the banished man, and are some of the best lyrics I have heard for a while.

A recommended buy for anyone who appreciates melodious art.

As a long time fan of heavy metal I was of two minds when I purchased this cd. I had heard to many good things about it, but was apprehensive regarding the stereotypical "death" metal singing style that is used on some of the songs. A few listens to this cd changed everything. The music that is woven on these songs just dispels all stereotypes. These guys are very good composers and musicians. The styles run from very melodic, acoustic passages to brutal heavy metal that is in your face, with some jazzy feels and tempo changes added for good measure. Add Mikael's storied lyrics and you have a great set of songs. The opener, the "Moor" showcases everything there is about the band in one song: melody, brutal riffs, excellent lyrics and tempo changes. From the start, they make their point that they are not just another metal band. I quickly forgot about the harsher vocals by the time the track "Benighted" had appeared. It is a very atmospheric and surreal acoustic flavored number that showcases Mikeal's voice. The whole album is full of these surprises and should please any fan of heavy metal: period.

The first Opeth song I ever heard was Harvest. I heard it as part of a random collection of songs that came packaged with a magazine. I'd never heard of Opeth but loved Harvest. Of course I had no idea then that Harvest doesn't give a good impression of what Opeth really does. Harvest is only half of Opeth.

Before that, I wasn't a fan of metal at all, and surely not death metal. The genre was completely foreign to me and not even something I wanted to explore. Still, this was the time of Napster so I got a few more Opeth songs from Blackwater Park to see what else they had. Needless to say, they didn't compare to Harvest much and I wasn't much interested at first. It sounded like noise and screaming. Not to mention the songs were really long.

I got to like it, though. There are two things I think separate Opeth from other metal acts: Mikael Akerfeldt's voice, and the dumming. For the albums that I was first into, Martin Lopez was the drummer. He's awesome. (I've watched and re-watched the documentary that comes on their "Lamentations" DVD and I'm awed just not by Lopez but by all of them.) I don't see a lot of other people say that drumming is Opeth's main draw, and I agree, it's not. But I ask myself, why don't I like other progressive metal acts as much as Opeth? Take Agalloch's "The Mantle," for instance. It's supposed to be highly regarded. When I listen to it, though, I'm just bored. The musicianship just isn't as good. And the vocals don't even come close to Akerfeldt's.

I'm digressing a lot. The point I'm trying to make is that Opeth isn't just for people who are into metal, anger, and screaming. This music is beautiful. True, it's brutal sometimes. Lyrically, it's not something you'd hear in church. The death growl is jarring at first and hard to take seriously if you're not used to it. You have to get past those things, though. Do not be scared to give this album and this music a chance.

Anyway, after buying Blackwater Park and then the others, Still Life is my favorite Opeth album. It's got all the same elements as other Opeth albums so it's hard to put into words why I like this one just a bit more than all the others.

And if you buy this at retail, and have a chance to listen to it on a 5.1 system, it's quite an experience, especially if you've been listening to the album for a number of years. You'll hear it in a whole new way.

I remember the first time I heard Opeth. It was the samples on this site. After a couple of songs I was in love this band but then I heard the vocals... death vox, something I hated at the time. After hearing the vocals I abbandoned the band on the spot.
Later, after hearing much postive stuff about the band I decided to give them a chance. After hearing the song "The Moor" I was confused but enthusiastic about the band. The music was great throughout with great metal riffs, rocking melodic vocals and top notch acoustic work. I had to give the band a chance despite the obnobsious death metal vocals.
After several listens I began to come around to the death metal vocals. They were tolerable. Then after a month or two of listening to the album I noticed I loved the vocals. Mikeal doesn't just scream for the sake of it. He does it where its neccacery in the music and in the lyrics. He also has great control and range with his growl making it a perfict instrument to convey the dark, sad and angry lyrics.
Still Life is a concept album about a man who is outcasted from his village for his religous beliefs. However he returns for his lover Melinda, only to see she is married. Melinda decides however to go off with him. However the story takes a turn for the worst and has a very Shaksperian ending.
As for the music, it is nothing short of brillient. Containing beutiful acoustic segments followed by powerful metal riffs as well as some good rock, blues and jazz moments the album shows the bands wide array of tatse in music. However the album comes together perfictly with none of the music sounding too out of place or far out of style.
Starting out with the masterful "Moor" the album gets going with a bang. After a long haunting intro, theres a short spanish guitar peice which feeds into a brutal metal movemenat. Finaly the vocals come in with all they're fury. After switching bettween clean and death segments for a while there is a beutiful acoustic part where Mikeal sings alone with his guitar. This puts most singer songwriters to shame. Then the song concludes with one more burst of furry. This song is the highlight of the album, as well as one of the best songs in the Opeth catalogue. The next song "Godheads Lement" is similar to the first song, containg an equal amout of death and clean vocals. However the highlight of the song is the rennacance part in the middle where Mikeal beutifuly sings "what would they care if I would stay, no one would know-know-know" conveying a masterfuly painful want for Melinda to be with him always. The next song "Bnighted", is a change being all clean vocals and all acoustic (other than the solo). The song contains some beutiful mellonchollie plucking and semi pornographic solo. "Moonlapse Vertigo" is basicaly a typical Opeth song other than the jazzy middle part. Then theres another all clean vocaled song "Face of Melinda". After a lot of bitter sweet acoustic jazz the song explodes into a drmatic metal climax, although the vocals remain clean. Then comes the heaviest song on the album, "Serenity Painted Death". In this song Mikeal almost raps in the grovvy chorus. There are also some good clean vocal lines in this song. The only problem I have with the song is the ending cuts off right in the middle of the song. No conclusion, no fade out, just STOP! Its very frustrating and one of the few flaws of the album. The final song is "White Cluster". After a massive metal start and then some good rocking grooves the song slows down to a single guitar and then explodes into a final vicous growl before the final clean vocal part and a concluding acoustic movement. The song is a masterful ending to a masterful album.
After hearing this album I moved on to buy every Opeth album there is. Also thanks to Opeth I have leared to understand death/black vocals for what they are. I've learnd that it takes real talent to be a good growler. Anyone who is interested in Opeth should definatly start out with this album. The first three have little to no repitition wich make them harder to get into especialy if your not used to Opeth's unique style. The newest one, Blackwater Park was the hardest for me to get into out of the whole lot, so I would say Still Life is the place to start. Soon you will notice the enitire Opeth collection has been added to your record collection. After hearing this album I can almost garuntee you will be a full fledged fan or at least hear something very one of a kind that you have to apriciate for its creativity.