Metal Reviews

It's not that CoL and Isis sound the same, it's just that the traits they do share happen to be ones that I dislike.

What, slow riffs? Growly vocals? Heavy / light bits?

They both seem to aim for slow, heavy grooving riffs- as if they are trying to describe the movement of tectonic plates. A truly admirable objective- but there just seems to be a certain rawness, or heavyness that is missing- preventing me from becoming swallowed up in their sound the way many people seem to be.

And you like Lacuna Coil! Try earlier tracks from both.

Lacuna Coil are a band with nice melodies sung nicely. I respect that CoL and Isis have loftier ambitions, but to me they just don't really achieve them.

The puzzler for me is that so many people swear by these bands... Intelligent people with respect-worthy musical opinions, who are hardly likely to be taken in by "Emperor's new clothes syndrome". There must be something in there that I'm missing... A lot of people seem to find almost spiritual qualities in there. Being a thoroughly non-spiritual person, perhaps I am just unable to engage with something on that kind of level?

Maybe you just have shitty musical tastes! [/joke]

Seriously, I like them but don't find spirituality in them. I go by whether I like a song or not. If yes, good, if not, I may try harder for some things, but otherwise...

"Nice melodies sung nicely" ?! I'd love to see you review something!

Hey I can describe things intellectually when I want to!

Yes. Sure.

How did Pelican/Isis/Neurosis get brought into an Opeth thread? Besides playing metal and having longer than average songs the two bands have nothing in common. Pelican/Isis/Neurosis songs build up to a climax while Opeth songs are a sequence of ideas that fit together...

WTF MATES? (Also I'm surprised people don't realize that Pelican/Isis/Neurosis are a very acquired taste, I mean I like all three bands but I can easily see how other people don't)

Anyways back on topic the video was average and the song was boring, although the shortened version was kinda interesting because I found the full length version kinda boring (Opeth should keep their songs to around 6-8 minutes IMO, the only time they suceeded at doing longer was on their first two albums)

Well, no, Opeth songs are randomly written little pieces of nonsense mishmash that make no cohesive sense.

I brought them up as examples of bands that successfully juxtapose sonic weight and beauty.

Wrong. (I love how that's a suitable argument in a discussion about music)

I'm really sick of arguing with people about Opeth, so I'm not going to bother.

Suffice it to say that I happen to think that you are wrong, and that you probably don't care.

Technically we're both right, since they just go into the studio with a bunch of ideas in their head and then assemble those ideas into songs. I just happen to think they succeed at making good music while you dont 8) (except their last 2 heavy albums, those have kinda sucked)

Ghost Reveries actually wasn't conceived in the studio, for a change.

Anyone see Grand Magus' video for Kingslayer? Probably the first metal vid I've ever seen I managed to take seriously. Don't know why.

For what it's worth, I believe Opeth writes amazing riffs, solos, bass lines, whatever. I can recall many more Opeth riffs off any album than I can say... and of those off more recent (even highly quoted) death metal albums. While thats all well and good, the brilliant aspect of their music comes not from mind numbing speed, sudden shifts from maddening chaos to sweet melody, or what seems like random notes played to some blast beats, but for their ability to write cohesive songs that flow from one chapter to another, one mood to another, in order to create a certain appeal that I've rarely felt, if ever, with any other band. I have not heard a MORE focused band in which I truly feel every note they play is intentional and crucial for enjoying the song in its entirety. I cannot understand the arguement that they simply play slower versions of melodeath riffs. I haven't heard it and neither have many others.

How could it go wrong with a name like that 8)