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32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I shudder in awe., December 16, 2001
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.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'm going to play this album for my kids, April 15, 2003
"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!
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Frighteningly all encompassing., December 30, 2003
'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.
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