Opeth - Watershed
In order to be able to appreciate Opeth, you have to accept the fact that Mikael Åkerfeldt is a genius. The man is, without a doubt, smarter than most musicians around the world today. His genius is what makes Opeth so intricate and complex. Over an 18-year career, they have managed to do something different or add something to their sound with every album. The band’s past four albums - Blackwater Park, Deliverance, Damnation, and Ghost Reveries - are considered by many fans to be the peak of their career. However, Opeth prove with Watershed that they are still on the rise, adding more to their sound, and creating a progressive metal monster that no one can possibly contend with.
Opening with the acoustic “Coil,” the band harkens back to their sound on Damnation, relying heavily on folk elements with no drums whatsoever. Using solely on a bass line for rhythm, the song floats and dances with Åkerfeldt’s beautiful clean singing, accompanied by equally majestic female vocals from Nathalie Lorichs. The acoustic guitar fade-out leaves you totally unprepared for the viciously dissonant chord opening “Heir Apparent.” This intro plods forward with a very doom-inspired lead riff from Åkerfeldt, before coldly transitioning into a piano interlude, re-establishing some semblance of melody. Then the doom riff returns, accompanied by syncopated drumming from Martin Axenrot backing Åkerfeldt’s mighty roars. This is Opeth’s first album to use blast beats in the drumming, and it adds even more heaviness and intricacy to this song especially. The fast-moving double bass kicks offset the slow-moving guitars and bass, with Åkerfeldt’s vocals acting as the timekeeper. Transitioning into back-to-back solos from Åkerfeldt and Fredrik Åkesson, the song then moves back to a melodic section with light acoustic guitars accompanying flutes and clarinets. After another short acoustic interlude, the blast beats return, quickening the pace of the song and driving towards another acoustic solo. Now at this point, we’ve only just reached the halfway point of the song, which is already gone through more elements and movements than I care to remember. This should serve as a lesson that Opeth will get more out of a song than most bands can get out of entire albums, in terms of variety and expression. Continuing, the acoustic solo leads back into the blast beats again, with short guitar licks accentuating each beat. The song then moves into a very melodic, off-beat section, with softer guitars contrasting with technical, Meshuggah-influenced drumming. Following a short solo by Åkerfeldt, the song goes into a death metal-inspired section, with simple drum patterns matching single-note guitar harmonies, all culminating in a rising wave of sound that implodes into a folk-influenced movement. This section is much slower, with a pronounced bass line from Martin Mendez battling with Åkesson’s rhythm guitar line for dominance. This battle continues until the end of the song, closing on a dissonant whine from Åkerfeldt’s guitar. This song is one of Opeth’s greatest, in my opinion, as it uses every possible note to its greatest potential and draws in listeners completely from beginning to end.
Continuing with “The Lotus Eater,” this track opens with Åkerfeldt humming softly, before sharply transitioning into a death metal drum section backing Åkerfeldt alternating between clean singing and powerful death vocals. A simpler guitar section takes over, backing more clean vocals, before a long instrumental interlude takes over, with short sections of singing interspersed throughout. Following more blast beats and death vocals, the song abruptly changes tenor with a repeated downward-moving scale from Åkerfeldt. Moving into a long solo, the song transitions again to a soft guitar track by Åkesson, using more flutes for accompaniment. Slowly gaining strength and adding a harmony line, the rapid inclusion of drums changes the tone into a jazz-infused tune with Per Wiberg’s keyboards pushing the song forward. Adding more layers to the sound, Åkerfeldt’s clean singing creates a new atmosphere of longing and sadness. Rapid-fire blast beats signal the return of Åkerfeldt’s death vocals, followed by dissonant guitar lines creating a very harsh sound, before everything drops off to a low keyboard track overlapped by many sections of spoken word, not easily extracted or understood. This song sounds like it would fit right in on Blackwater Park with its multitude of different atmospheres and tones.
“Burden” opens softly with a piano section, backed by a haunting orchestral section. Adding acoustic guitars and Åkerfeldt’s clean singing, the song slowly builds, creating a very atmospheric, folk metal sound. The orchestral track maintains a very slow tempo, offset by the guitars and keyboards. The keyboard solo that follows is heavily classic rock-influenced, almost sounding like something off a Pink Floyd record, and is one of the most enjoyable parts of the song. Åkerfeldt’s singing is very soulful, and the backing vocals that appear next lend the song the feel of something done by Porcupine Tree. Åkerfeldt’s solo sounds like it could have been played by Jimi Hendrix, creating even more of a classic rock sound, before returning to the acoustic guitars that opened the song. With no trace of death metal anywhere, this song will appeal greatly to fans of Damnation.
“Porcelain Heart” immediately brings back the metal, opening with the same style of doom riffing that began “Heir Apparent.” An acoustic section with piano accompaniment makes way for Åkerfeldt’s singing, before a cold transition back into the slow main riff gives way to very technical, off-beat drumming by Axenrot, leading back to another acoustic section. The tempo then speeds up, and a new lead riff pushes its way forward, as Åkerfeldt’s vocals keep the folk mood alive. Yet another acoustic section backs Åkerfeldt singing some of the highest notes of his career, alternating with haunting clarinets and oboes. An end point is interrupted by rising guitars and keyboards, coming back to the new lead riff slowly, before an even slower fade-out begins, all the while maintaining the alien-sounding keyboards and folk atmosphere. This song harkens back nicely to Still Life and other parts of the band’s early career, showcasing their roots in fine form.
The album’s longest song, “Hessian Peel,” opens with a thick, sustained bass chord backing Southern-influenced acoustic soloing. The acoustic section transitions into the rhythm line, with Åkerfeldt playing a muted lead guitar and softly singing through the movement. Flutes and clarinets add to the sound, before the drums abruptly change the tempo and a full string ensemble creates an entirely new lead line. Alternating with Åkerfeldt’s singing, the strings and drums move slowly and gracefully, creating a floating atmosphere. Åkerfeldt then takes over the lead line with a strong guitar duet with Åkesson, before the acoustic guitar and flutes return, slowly winding down into a soft piano interlude. This all immediately disappears as yet another powerful doom chord harshly interjects, backed with full instrumentation and Åkerfeldt’s deep death vocals, leading into a very technical guitar solo and another, less intricate solo. A folk section then takes over, with echoed clean singing, more strings, and an amazing lead bass line by Mendez. This atmosphere is maintained until a sharp chord obliterates the string section, and short licks by Åkerfeldt lead into a heavy, dark, doom-influenced movement, featuring more blast beats and dissonant chords. Rapid tempo changes and more short licks accompany a leading drum section, which culminates the song nicely as more dissonant chords fade into a muted keyboard section that closes the song in an urgent, strange mood. Straddling the band’s career with influences from both Morningrise and Deliverance, this song is the heart of the album, displaying all facets in equal measure.
“Hex Omega” starts out with yet another doom-inspired lead riff, before backing off into a flute section with Åkerfeldt singing nostalgically. The acoustic follow-up is very slow-moving, stretching notes out as it leads into a faster symphonic metal section, with strings backing the lead riff. This alternation repeats once, with an excellent solo by Åkerfeldt taking over the second symphonic section, before a keyboard interlude from Wiberg takes over, leading back to more flutes and an even slower acoustic part. Åkerfeldt’s distorted singing changes the atmosphere from nostalgic to deeply sorrowful, before a striking guitar solo signals a return of the rest of the band, creating another wide, expanding doom atmosphere. A sustained keyboard chord takes us out, leaving us breathless and complete at last.
Without a doubt, Watershed is my favorite Opeth album to date. It features the classic Opeth sound, with the addition of a number of new elements and styles, to give this album a different feel than any previous album. While so many other progressive metal bands are stagnating in their styles, Opeth have shown that they are unafraid to take chances and broaden their horizons. Watershed is just the latest example of this – an album that will make you want to listen again and again, just to gain a little more comprehension of its genius each time.
Album Score: 10 out of 10
Opening with the acoustic “Coil,” the band harkens back to their sound on Damnation, relying heavily on folk elements with no drums whatsoever. Using solely on a bass line for rhythm, the song floats and dances with Åkerfeldt’s beautiful clean singing, accompanied by equally majestic female vocals from Nathalie Lorichs. The acoustic guitar fade-out leaves you totally unprepared for the viciously dissonant chord opening “Heir Apparent.” This intro plods forward with a very doom-inspired lead riff from Åkerfeldt, before coldly transitioning into a piano interlude, re-establishing some semblance of melody. Then the doom riff returns, accompanied by syncopated drumming from Martin Axenrot backing Åkerfeldt’s mighty roars. This is Opeth’s first album to use blast beats in the drumming, and it adds even more heaviness and intricacy to this song especially. The fast-moving double bass kicks offset the slow-moving guitars and bass, with Åkerfeldt’s vocals acting as the timekeeper. Transitioning into back-to-back solos from Åkerfeldt and Fredrik Åkesson, the song then moves back to a melodic section with light acoustic guitars accompanying flutes and clarinets. After another short acoustic interlude, the blast beats return, quickening the pace of the song and driving towards another acoustic solo. Now at this point, we’ve only just reached the halfway point of the song, which is already gone through more elements and movements than I care to remember. This should serve as a lesson that Opeth will get more out of a song than most bands can get out of entire albums, in terms of variety and expression. Continuing, the acoustic solo leads back into the blast beats again, with short guitar licks accentuating each beat. The song then moves into a very melodic, off-beat section, with softer guitars contrasting with technical, Meshuggah-influenced drumming. Following a short solo by Åkerfeldt, the song goes into a death metal-inspired section, with simple drum patterns matching single-note guitar harmonies, all culminating in a rising wave of sound that implodes into a folk-influenced movement. This section is much slower, with a pronounced bass line from Martin Mendez battling with Åkesson’s rhythm guitar line for dominance. This battle continues until the end of the song, closing on a dissonant whine from Åkerfeldt’s guitar. This song is one of Opeth’s greatest, in my opinion, as it uses every possible note to its greatest potential and draws in listeners completely from beginning to end.
Continuing with “The Lotus Eater,” this track opens with Åkerfeldt humming softly, before sharply transitioning into a death metal drum section backing Åkerfeldt alternating between clean singing and powerful death vocals. A simpler guitar section takes over, backing more clean vocals, before a long instrumental interlude takes over, with short sections of singing interspersed throughout. Following more blast beats and death vocals, the song abruptly changes tenor with a repeated downward-moving scale from Åkerfeldt. Moving into a long solo, the song transitions again to a soft guitar track by Åkesson, using more flutes for accompaniment. Slowly gaining strength and adding a harmony line, the rapid inclusion of drums changes the tone into a jazz-infused tune with Per Wiberg’s keyboards pushing the song forward. Adding more layers to the sound, Åkerfeldt’s clean singing creates a new atmosphere of longing and sadness. Rapid-fire blast beats signal the return of Åkerfeldt’s death vocals, followed by dissonant guitar lines creating a very harsh sound, before everything drops off to a low keyboard track overlapped by many sections of spoken word, not easily extracted or understood. This song sounds like it would fit right in on Blackwater Park with its multitude of different atmospheres and tones.
“Burden” opens softly with a piano section, backed by a haunting orchestral section. Adding acoustic guitars and Åkerfeldt’s clean singing, the song slowly builds, creating a very atmospheric, folk metal sound. The orchestral track maintains a very slow tempo, offset by the guitars and keyboards. The keyboard solo that follows is heavily classic rock-influenced, almost sounding like something off a Pink Floyd record, and is one of the most enjoyable parts of the song. Åkerfeldt’s singing is very soulful, and the backing vocals that appear next lend the song the feel of something done by Porcupine Tree. Åkerfeldt’s solo sounds like it could have been played by Jimi Hendrix, creating even more of a classic rock sound, before returning to the acoustic guitars that opened the song. With no trace of death metal anywhere, this song will appeal greatly to fans of Damnation.
“Porcelain Heart” immediately brings back the metal, opening with the same style of doom riffing that began “Heir Apparent.” An acoustic section with piano accompaniment makes way for Åkerfeldt’s singing, before a cold transition back into the slow main riff gives way to very technical, off-beat drumming by Axenrot, leading back to another acoustic section. The tempo then speeds up, and a new lead riff pushes its way forward, as Åkerfeldt’s vocals keep the folk mood alive. Yet another acoustic section backs Åkerfeldt singing some of the highest notes of his career, alternating with haunting clarinets and oboes. An end point is interrupted by rising guitars and keyboards, coming back to the new lead riff slowly, before an even slower fade-out begins, all the while maintaining the alien-sounding keyboards and folk atmosphere. This song harkens back nicely to Still Life and other parts of the band’s early career, showcasing their roots in fine form.
The album’s longest song, “Hessian Peel,” opens with a thick, sustained bass chord backing Southern-influenced acoustic soloing. The acoustic section transitions into the rhythm line, with Åkerfeldt playing a muted lead guitar and softly singing through the movement. Flutes and clarinets add to the sound, before the drums abruptly change the tempo and a full string ensemble creates an entirely new lead line. Alternating with Åkerfeldt’s singing, the strings and drums move slowly and gracefully, creating a floating atmosphere. Åkerfeldt then takes over the lead line with a strong guitar duet with Åkesson, before the acoustic guitar and flutes return, slowly winding down into a soft piano interlude. This all immediately disappears as yet another powerful doom chord harshly interjects, backed with full instrumentation and Åkerfeldt’s deep death vocals, leading into a very technical guitar solo and another, less intricate solo. A folk section then takes over, with echoed clean singing, more strings, and an amazing lead bass line by Mendez. This atmosphere is maintained until a sharp chord obliterates the string section, and short licks by Åkerfeldt lead into a heavy, dark, doom-influenced movement, featuring more blast beats and dissonant chords. Rapid tempo changes and more short licks accompany a leading drum section, which culminates the song nicely as more dissonant chords fade into a muted keyboard section that closes the song in an urgent, strange mood. Straddling the band’s career with influences from both Morningrise and Deliverance, this song is the heart of the album, displaying all facets in equal measure.
“Hex Omega” starts out with yet another doom-inspired lead riff, before backing off into a flute section with Åkerfeldt singing nostalgically. The acoustic follow-up is very slow-moving, stretching notes out as it leads into a faster symphonic metal section, with strings backing the lead riff. This alternation repeats once, with an excellent solo by Åkerfeldt taking over the second symphonic section, before a keyboard interlude from Wiberg takes over, leading back to more flutes and an even slower acoustic part. Åkerfeldt’s distorted singing changes the atmosphere from nostalgic to deeply sorrowful, before a striking guitar solo signals a return of the rest of the band, creating another wide, expanding doom atmosphere. A sustained keyboard chord takes us out, leaving us breathless and complete at last.
Without a doubt, Watershed is my favorite Opeth album to date. It features the classic Opeth sound, with the addition of a number of new elements and styles, to give this album a different feel than any previous album. While so many other progressive metal bands are stagnating in their styles, Opeth have shown that they are unafraid to take chances and broaden their horizons. Watershed is just the latest example of this – an album that will make you want to listen again and again, just to gain a little more comprehension of its genius each time.
Album Score: 10 out of 10
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Duck Bills on -
I honestly don't get the Damnation comparisons, man. I guess you probably say that because "Coil" and "Burden" are "softer" songs, but I could also infer that it is because you do not have ears. Damnation is a very, obviously dark, brooding, relatively simplistic album which in my opinion stands in blatant contrast to the instrumental complexity and upbeat tone of the aforementioned songs.
+ acoustic guitars do not a folk influence make. Just gripin' is all.
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Permalink Reply by Chris the Mad Scientist @ WSOU on -
Understandable. My thoughts on how it sounds are not always going to be the same as everyone else's. Thank you for the feedback nonetheless!
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Permalink Reply by GITTER on -
Chris, the check is in the mail.
'Watershed' is definitely a different record than anything they've ever done before (but what Opeth record isn't?) -- plundering rock's past to move forward. "Coil" is probably more Zep; "Burden", more Purple; echoes of Pink Floyd, Camel, Krautrock and a zillion other influences drifting through the entire record.
It's a veritable 55 minute history lesson in rock.
Professor Akerfleldt just wants to turn you on baby.
And class is definitely in.
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Permalink Reply by Chris the Mad Scientist @ WSOU on
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I'm glad I'm not the only one who could hear the classic rock influences throughout the record. As I said, the man is a genius. Glad you liked the review.
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Permalink Reply by Dan on -
Too many words. But this album is, in fact, great. It made for a great Sunday afternoon.
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Permalink Reply by Izzy on -
How can their last FOUR albums, eight years of their career, be considered their "peak"???
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Permalink Reply by Ogre on -
Good point, if half of your career is considered your peak, then you're having one hell of a career!! Opeth have yet to offer a poor effort. I may lean towards Blackwater as their peak, but I've not been disappointed with any of their material.
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Permalink Reply by chubbiesquirrel on -
They wont reach there peak for atleast a few more albums (hoping not though) havent heard anything more than The Lotus Eater but damn there peak I feel could be this album but as I said they probly have a few more albums till then.
Sure Ghost Reveries was good but you can see the extreme influence Per Wieberg had on that album. Personaly there greatest melow song to me to this day is To Bid You Farewell and for there heaviest song I would say is Blackwater Park along w/ Deliverance...
Oh and phew the Pens are gonna pull off a 7 game series...What the fuck ever w/ the last 2 games, there mostly a rookie team (Jitters u know)
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Permalink Reply by Matt on -
Opeth is one of the only band that gets more melodic, but still remains ridiculously brutal. Watershed is a great album and a fine addition to a engaging catalog.
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Permalink Reply by shatteredaesthetic on -
there hasn't been anything posted here in a while, but i just don't give a fuck. here's my two cents
the sections within the songs are well written and expertly performed. the production is top-notch, so why doesn't this album grab me?
as good as the sections are, i don't feel like they ever cohere into actual songs. on previous releases they would state a theme and evolve it over a few minutes, then move on to another theme related to the first. the songs on watershed just moves from theme to theme with total abandon. i get the feeling you could probably take the songs, cut the songs into sections, and put any 7 or 8 together, and you would end up with a song just as good as what was given to us.
that said, the first half of 'heir apparent' is awesome; you know, before it meanders another 5 minutes...
i'm not denying akerfeldt's skill in songcraft, but this just feels phoned-in and half-assed. i guess after five masterpieces he feels he can coast a little, but i would have gladly waited longer for a more cohesive effort.
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