Orchid [EXTRA TRACKS] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED]

Opeth

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 17, 2003)
• Original Release Date: June 17, 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording reissued
• Label: Candlelight
• ASIN: B00009W8N2
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #39,127 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

2003 reissue of 1995 album includes the bonus track 'Into The Frost Of Winter'. The band's blending of both acoustic and electric guitar with the dual personality of Akerfeldt's vocal outpouring made Orchid immediately a genre-setting release. 8 tracks. Guitar World call them 'Metal's most brilliant band'. Candlelight.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Orchid: The Legacy Begins, September 17, 2004

By	Cyanide Angel (Germany) - See all my reviews

I wish I'd have listened, way back when, as one of my high school friends went on and on about this new band from Sweden that no one knew about. I didn't, and it was 4 years later, with the release of My Arms, Your Hearse, that I got to know the wonder that is Opeth. Of course, I was immediately compelled to pursue the back-catalogue, and find this jewel in the rough.

First off, the disclaimer: This is not the best Opeth has to offer, and new fans may have a better time starting with Blackwater Park, or MAYH, as they are much more accessible and the production has drastically improved since this debut.

Now with that out of the way, Orchid is still probably one of the strongest debut offerings of the 1990's (and this was while America was still stuck neck-deep in alternacrap vomit).

The music here is slick, well arranged, and very progressive. Two guitars interweave throughout the album in intricate melodies, with the occasional death or thrash riff that will have any strong metal fans banging heads profusely. The bass is actually clear and strong in many places, a rare concept for a lot of heavier metal bands, and actually has a part in many of the melodies. And of course, the drumming is top notch, even if the double-bass tends to find its way into places it might have been better off left out of.

Mikael's clean vocals are convincing and clear, while his growls (and sometimes utterly chilling shrieks) give the music a definite mood and tone. The only real problem here is that the production was somewhat limiting on the total effect (this would improve greatly in later albums)

The good:
- Forest of October. Just listen to it already.
- Parts with dual lead guitar. This sort of tandem is a rarity (especially in metal) and finding bands who do it this well is nearly unheard of.
- Silhouette. Wonderful piano piece, and they really haven't done anything like this since.

The bad:
- Nothing, but there are some things that needed improvement (hey, it's a debut after all). The songs were somewhat unstructured, and in places seem to ramble (Twilight Is My Robe, In Mist She Was Standing) and the overall production of Orchid did diminish the quality of the album a bit.

Grab this, but get BWP or MAYH first.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Supreme, August 15, 2006

By	Club Status Chill "Der Spanken Haus" (Simi Valley, California) - See all my reviews

A supreme piece of music from this amazing band. Has a much more shadowy, midieval feel to it, portraying a cold, archaic, beautiful landscape. Production not as lush as subsequent releases, but perfectly suits the mood of the songs. Each song is outstanding, right down to the interludes "Silhouette" and "Requiem". My first Opeth album, a great place to start for fans of any kind of Scandinavian metal. Not a weak point to be found in the entire disc, you cannot be disappointed.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great start for an incredible band, November 3, 2005

By	A. Stutheit "Teyad" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

On their 1995 debut, "Orchid," these Swedish metalheads more-or-less laid their cards on the table. All of the songs on here are around or more than ten minutes long. Plus, while some of these songs are either pretty or heavy, most of them are both. Opeth blend death metal (with electric guitars and heavy barks) and lighter, prog rock (which includes acoustic guitars and proper crooning). Since few (or no) other bands can seamlessly intertwine these two polar opposite genres into one song, Opeth are kind of in a league/genre of their own. And that should really show you how incredible and interesting this band is. The opening song is mainly heavy, but its sporadic acoustic breakdowns make "In Mist She Was Standing" have several different tempos and rhythm changes. At a mere three minutes, it is only an interlude track, but "Silhouette" is, in my opinion, one of the prettiest song ever written by Opeth. Drummer Anders plays the piano, here, and makes the whole song sound very cool and delicate. The very next track, however, returns to their heavier roots (with a surging guitar and double bass attack and a few wicked bellows). "Twilight Is My Robe" features light, almost prog-ish strumming, but also a few rapid, propulsive tempo changes which quick, walloping drum work. Track six, "Requiem" is the other interlude, but its soft acoustic guitar strings make this song very pretty, as well. The last track I'll mention is "Apostle In Triumph." It begins with more acoustic plucking and some hand percussion, but, with the help of double bass drumming and Mikael's violent vocals, the song gradually builds and becomes heavier.

The only thing that actually drags "Orchid" down is the bonus track (which was included on this album's re-release). This track, "Into the Frost of Winter," seems really forced, out of place, and just kind of odd. Also, if you listen to Opeth's later albums (like "Deliverance"), you'll realize that Peter's guitar playing has greatly improved over time (and that it is really quite amateur, here.) But this is still a fine album, and a great place to start if your new to Opeth. Recommended to all fans of the band, and fans death and prog metal.