Blackwater Park [Enhanced] [Limited Edition]

Blackwater Park [Enhanced] [Limited Edition]

Track Listings
Disc: 1

1. Leper Affinity

2. Bleak

3. Harvest

4. Drapery Falls

5. Dirge for November

6. Funeral Portrait

7. Patterns in the Ivy

8. Blackwater Park

Disc: 2

1. Still Day Beneath the Sun

2. Patterns in the Ivy II

3. Harvest [Multimedia Track]

Tracks:

Leper Affinity
Bleak
Harvest
Drapery Falls
Dirge for November
Funeral Portrait
Patterns in the Ivy
Blackwater Park

Tracks:

Still Day Beneath the Sun
Patterns in the Ivy II
Harvest [Multimedia Track]

Customer Reviews:

The "Devil's Diaphragm" SUX and ruins everything it touches!!.......2007-04-21

I have heard Death metal growl-style vocals referred to as "The Devil's Diaphragm" so that is what I mean by the above. For the record I HATE IT and find the style more nauseating than the worst attitude posturing rap garbage!!! They are the primary reason I could never get into the whole Death-Metal (and similar) genres and, in most cases, would rather listen to static!!!! And, with most of the bands, they have no real talent for singing so I guess this is all they can do!!

But Opeth is different!! The music is GREAT, they have a LOT of talent and the guy obviously can sing when he wants to so I really don't get it. When I first heard this CD I wondered if he was "in character" or something but, now having heard several other Opeth CDs, every Opeth CD is like this (except one, so I read...might have to check that one out). In fact, if the music wasn't so magnificent I probably would have sold the CD and never listened to them again.

Bottom line, if it wasn't for "The Devil's Diaphragm" I would have given this 5 stars, the music alone certainly deserves it, but the vocals are so annoying to me that it knocks off not just one, but 2 stars!!! But...if you like well made heavy music....by all means check it out and decide for yourself!!

Masterpiece!.......2007-04-09

As a lover of many different types of music from rock to classical to reggae to hip hop and everything in between, I must say that this album is a masterpiece. It is a true work of art. It sucks you in and takes you away to another place, it is truly hypnotizing. It gets better with age and repeated listens. At times it is angry and aggressive, other times it is beautiful and peaceful. One of the greatest albums of any genre, ever. Only true music fans will apreciate this though, this isnt for the casual FM radio listener. The only thing better is the new Ashley Simpson record...yeah right!!!

Good stuff - extra tracks worth it.......2007-04-05

These Swedish prog-metal masters/closet folkies are a breed apart and a cut above just about any band that might get mentioned in the same breath. The two extra tracks on the deluxe edition -- "Still Day Beneath the Sun" and "Patterns in the Ivy II" are good examples of the band's alter ego: acoustic guitars, pastoral themes and quiet vocals. Mikael Akerfeldt can sing sweetly and growl nastily with equal effect. Tunes such as "Harvest" and "The Drapery Falls" betray the South American roots of Opeth's rhythm section, which can swing in 6/8 time as adeptly as it can rock out in the more traditional 4/4.

Opeth Perfects Themselves.......2007-02-06

Words cannot really describe just how great this cd is.I am completely floored by the precise musicianship of these guys. The songs are majestic and the melodies are constructed with such perfection.

My favorite is BLEAK,this experiments with the mediterranean style and such wonderful guitar on it. On most of the songs,there are like songs within songs and complex time-changes and tempo boosts that one who does not like the "growl",like me,will find themselves so engulfed with the music that everything else is secondary. I truly believe that,that's what Opeth is all about,making complex music to its extreme nature,pushing the limits of metal in prog.you've gotta respect that.
Metal Rules ! \0/

opeth, as usual..........2007-02-02

i'm warning you; after listening to opeth, your whole perception of music might change.and blackwater park is the right place to start this change.all the tracks are breathtaking, especially the orient-influenced track "bleak".this limited edition is even better since you'll have the chance to hear akerfeldt's heavenly vocal on two amazing songs.the video for harvest is also great for showing us that opeth are actually human beings who eat, drink and breathe just like us(i thought that people who create such unbelieveable good music cannot be humans!).highly recommended, you won't regret...

Average customer rating:

Great musical achievment!
This Is The Band's Most Comprehensive Effort
Out of my league
Dark, symphonically constructed, metal masterpiece
"And you are just like them all..."

Blackwater Park
Opeth
Manufacturer: Koch Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Death Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Still Life
Deliverance
Damnation
Ghost Reveries
My Arms, Your Hearse

ASIN: B0000584V3
Release Date: 2001-03-13

Tracks:

The Leper Affinity
Bleak
Harvest
The Drapery Falls
Drige For November
The Funeral Portrait
Patterns In The Ivy
Blackwater Park

Customer Reviews:

Great musical achievment!.......2007-07-01

This is the album that first turned me on to Opeth and the first album that gave me a lasting hunger for progressive/experimental/obscure music. This could truly be the highlight of any music fans' collection. If you are new to Opeth, I implore you to give the band a chance. On my first listen of this album I thought that all the songs dragged on for too long, and I hated the harsh vocals; it's amazing how this band has become a member of my favorite band list! If you need any more convincing, I gave this album to my friend who only listens to bands like The Eagles and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and he says this is one of his favorite albums! Okay enough gushing, here's the track-by-track:

"The Leper Affinity"
I could not have hoped for a better track to start off the album, truly showing the brutality Opeth is capable of. Cutting right to the chase after the eerie intro, "The Leper Affinity" pummels the listener with awesome riffs that can't help but send shivers down the spine. The guitar solo is very fitting for the song as well, nothing too over the top, but it captures the mood. Then, just as we get used to the harsh side of Opeth, the guitar takes a very harmonic route into the beauty that Opeth is known for. The listener is then given the pleasure of an incredibly beautiful little passage featuring Mikael Akerfeldt's clean vocals. Last but not least the song ends with a solo piano piece; they could not have ended the song any better!

"Bleak"
At first, this track did not impress me too much, but it is now one of my favorites. As many have said before, the song gives off a very Middle-Eastern vibe, and in my opinion, Akerfeldt's growls could not have been better placed. The ghostly guitar work in the background is just perfect as well. After the creepy beginning, the song turns into my favorite aspect of Opeth; the discordant guitar riffs. This is truly awesome because it takes a lot to turn a seemingly ugly riff into something that is not only listenable, but surprisingly stunning. Then the song fades into a more accoustic-driven portion accompanied again by the eerie guitar feedback. This soothing passage soon comes to a harsh end and the song doesn't take any time bringing you back to the visciousness that it had at the start. The song comes to a fitting end with the guitar playing alone.

"Harvest"
As Mikael Akerfeldt describes it, the most beautiful display of guitar follows directly behind the most obscure display. I could not agree more. As if Opeth has not already proven that they are more than just a death metal band, they show us why they are different than all of the other death metal bands out there. Harvest is still my definition of what atmospheric music is. The song always reminds me of Autmn or Winter when I'm listening to it. It is so easy for anybody to get lost in the melodies of this song; truly a great track.

"The Drapery Falls"
I've always thought this was the centerpiece of the album, but maybe that is just because this is the first Opeth song I was introduced to. The opening is so delightfully melancholy and depressing and doesn't lose that feeling when the vocals kick in. The chords strummed through the accoustic guitar project the utmost feeling of sadness. After the depressing verse portion, the song turns into a turbulent ode of anger and agression. This will probably be one of the favorites on the album for new listeners.

"The Dirge for November"
Not one of the most memorable but I still love the track. The whole song is not dissimilar to a lullaby, the intro always has stricken me as the beginning of a story about a long sad quest. When the electric guitars come in is where the song really starts speaking. If Jimi Hendrix was the first person to make a guitar cry, then Mikael Akerfeldt and Peter Lindgren were the first people to make the guitar utterly weep; they prove beautifully that their are no boundaries to what a guitar can do.

"The Funeral Portrait"
Oh I adore this song! The ethereal accoustic guitar opening gives the listener the feeling that something is coming right around the corner; and indeed this is proven true with the extremely catchy riff that soon follows. I love all the riffing in this song especially at about two minutes into the song, that riff always gives me chills! I also love that this song is pretty harsh all the way through, it doesn't ever really break in the intensity. The outro in this song is probably the highlight, I always feel like the song is going in a downward spiral and then ending (and that is not meant to be a negative thing).

"Patterns in the Ivy"
This short accoustic guitar and piano duet is just awesome and is sort of like an appetizer for the title track, but still its own song. The piano adds perfectly to the accoustic guitar; this is a very enjoyable little track.

"Blackwater Park"
Ah yes, the twelve minute title track. This song encompasses all that is Opeth, from its beautiful melodies to harsh vocals. The song starts off with a riff that almost requires you to nod your head to the beat. Then the song starts to get harder and suddenly drops into a very mellow clean guitar passage that lasts for a couple of minutes; some say that it gets too repetitive but I think it is very fitting to the song and does not drag on to me at all. Then we are launched right back into the heaviness that started out the song. The guitar solo in this song is also very good, Opeth seems to have a knack for making guitar solos fit the song really well.

Overall I would say this album is easily in my top ten. I hoped I helped to convince you, because this album is awesome!

This Is The Band's Most Comprehensive Effort.......2007-04-04

This is not your typical Death Metal band. Everyone marvels at their ability to go from heavy to light, but listen to what they are doing with their LEFT hands. Maybe it's their lack of formal training, maybe it's just their desire to break new ground, but no one ever told them that what they do isn't supposed to work. Mikael Åkerfeldt is writing some of the most unique material available today. Everyone compares them with King Crimson rather than their Death Metal contemporaries for a reason, their song writing is that unique. These guys definitely know more than 3 chords and 2 speeds. For those that just can't deal with the the Death Metal growls, pick up a copy of Damnation .

Out of my league.......2007-02-01

A friend recommended Opeth to me. Now I have limited knowledge of death metal and usually listen to rock, prog, or jazz, but new musical experiences are a must and I picked "Blackwater Park" because it seems to be a favorite of Opeth fans. I've been listening to this for over a year and like the music, dynamic changes, and musicianship but I'm not a fan of growl vocals. I don't find monotone speech musical. The diversity of this album was surprising. "The Leper Affinity" changes from brutal to calm in an instant and the transitions are smooth, "Harvest" is a great popish song and the non-growling vocals on this song are relaxing, and my favorite, "The Drapery Falls", is intense with an intro/outro riff that sounds similar to King Crimson's "In the Court of the Crimson King". Definitely interesting, and the high ratings are warranted if you like this style of music, but it's out of my league because of my issues with growls.

Dark, symphonically constructed, metal masterpiece.......2007-01-24

This is the first CD that has completely changed my mind about an entire genre of music that I previously thought I hated. There is no mistaking the fact that Opeth is a death metal band, nor the notion that a fan of jam bands, classical music, jazz, and world music would not be too open to Opeth's sound at first. But Blackwater Park has taught me that metal, beauty, aggression, virtuosity, and composition can exist in one intense and unified sonic space. Mikael Akerfeld is somewhere on the order of a genius, and his bandmates are more than up to the task of performing - no, not a mistake in word choice - the pieces that make up this darkly beautiful landscape. From the heart-pounding opening of The Leper Affinity to the simple unaccompanied guitar postlude of the title track, Opeth's songs move through musical moods and colors with an almost classical-esque ease. The jewels of this album are Leper Affinity, Bleak, Dirge for November, and Blackwater Park...the last of these is a 13-minute exposition of the astonishing abilities of this band, with some of the best riffs and acoustic/electric interplays I have heard anywhere. It's also a great test for an audio system or headphones; if they show the rawness and refinement that somehow coexist in this track, they're a good buy.

If you listen enough times, you even get used to Akerfeld's growling, almost blending organically with the bass. Hints of Opeth's primary influence, Led Zeppelin, abound in Blackwater Park, but Akerfeld's voice falls at the opposite end of the spectrum of the talented Robert Plant. Like his Zep predecessor, Akerfeld can stop growling or screaming and sing quite nicely when he chooses to. ("A Fair Judgment" on the album "Deliverance" is ample evidence of this.) If you think you hate death metal, make sure to listen to this album the entire way through and see if you can hang on to that opinion. My friend who introduced me to Opeth calls them the "gateway band" for non-metal fans. Sure, my standards for metal bands are quite high - I expect a band the caliber of Opeth, or I'm not too interested - but true to my friend's description, these Swedish guys have opened my mind to an entire genre that I had previously, and far too quickly, closed off.

"And you are just like them all...".......2006-11-23

Wow. I've never heard anything like this before. I bought this album about a month ago, and since then, I've been trying to comprehend how an album like this could be made. I know that sounds pretentious, but you'll feel the same way if you listen to Blackwater Park. Opeth vocalist/guitarist Mikael Akerfeldt can rip your face off with his inhuman roar, but he can also soothe you with his clean whispering vocals anytime he wants to. The mix of aggressive metal and progressive rock is brilliant, and you'll never hear another band quite like Opeth. Even when Blackwater Park is at its heaviest, it's still quite melodic. Mikael, along with his brilliant vocal switches, is a great lead guitarist. I love his solos on The Drapery Falls and the title track. Peter Lindgren, while not as good as Mikael, provides a strong rythm guitar for Mike to work off. Martin Mendez's bass is kind of buried behind the rest of the band, but if you listen carefully you can hear him. I'd say he's most audible on Harvest and a certain part in the title track. Martin Lopez is an awesome drummer; his double-bass kicks and symbol tapping are done brilliantly on songs like The Leper Infinity and The Drapery Falls. I currently own 2 Opeth albums (this and Ghost Reveries), and while the other is great, I'd have to say that this is the better of the two.

The Leper Infinity opens up with some very hushed piano chords, but then everyone's instruments kick in, and they create a very dark atmosphere for the song. Then, Mikael's demonic, yet comphrehendible, roar comes shattering through with "We entered winter once again!!!" I believe this song is about dying from a blizzard. Around the 5-minute mark, it quiets down with acoustic guitars, and we experience how Mikael can switch from a death metal growl to a prog rock voice. After a few verses of that, the song gets heavier and Mike sings away until the whole song collapses on itself, leaving some quiet piano chords to play, different from the ones played in the beginning. My 2nd favorite off the CD.

At first, I didn't really see the genius in Bleak. But after a few more listens, it grew into possibly my favorite song off the whole album. The guitars are at possibly their best here, with Mike shredding away on lead. I also love the lyrics. I can't really explain why I like them so much (other than that they're just really dark, which I LOVE in my music), but somethingg about them sends chills down my spine. And I love how, um, "bleak" the song ends, too. Even though it ends very dark, the lyrics around the end give you some sort of hope, if that makes sense.

Harvest is the first song that fully explores Opeth's progressive roots. It's completely out of acoustic guitars, with the exception of an electric guitar that is quietly wailing away, and Mikael's singing is very clean. The calm atmosphere of the song is really haunting. Ehy? I can't say why, but something about it can chill you....

After that prog rock epic, the album gets heavier with The Drapery Falls. My only complaint with this song is that the opening and the ending are a little longer than they need to be. Other than that, this is an amazing song. There are death metal growls in it, but this song is mostly overtaken with Mikael's clean singing. He even sings the opening lyrics, "Please remedy my confusion," in clean vocals. I guess you could think of this song as a heavier version of Harvest with a little bit of death metal growls, which aren't used until the end of the song.

Dirge For November has the least amount of lyrics out of the songs on this album that have lyrics, but that doesn't matter. The real brilliance of this song is the music. This is possibly Opeth's best music performance on this album. Mike's clean voice and an acoustic guitar hit the song at the same time until it gets heavier with awe-inspiring musicianship. Unfortunately, I feel it isn't as strong as the previous tracks. Still, quite an excellent piece of work.

The Funeral Portrait opens up with some creepy acoustic guitar chords which give you the hint that it's definitely building up to something HEAVY. And heavy it is. It has the darkest lyrics, and the way Mikael mixes his clean singing with heavy musicianship near the end is brilliant in the best sense of the word.

Patterns In The Ivy is a quiet piano/acoustic guitar interlude that fits in the album perfectly. Umm, since this is the song I listen to the least, I can't really say much more about it.

The title track is my 3rd favorite song off the album. Other than the quiet intro, it's HEAVY, and the heaviest song here. It's the only one that doesn't have any clean vocals, and, along with Harvest, it's the song where Martin's bass is at its most audible (his bass is still audible, but those are the 2 songs where it's the most audible). And you gotta love the closing lyrics of "The sun sets forever over Blackwater PAAAAAARRRK!!!!!"

This is an amazing album, and one of the best metal albums I've heard, let alone one of the best albums period. These guys really are geniuses, and this album shows it. This album has a very dark mood and dark lyrics, yet at the same time, it's beautiful in every sense of the word. It's the best album of 2001 (along with Radiohead's Amnesiac and Children of Bodom's Follow The Reaper), and possibly the best metal album of the decade.

All 'n' all, I STRONGLY recommend Blackwater Park along with Ghost Reveries.

Long live Opeth!!!!!!

Average customer rating:

Without a Doubt....

Blackwater Park
Opeth
Manufacturer: Sony/Bmg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Death Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Progressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Hard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Damnation
Still Life
Deliverance
Ghost Reveries
My Arms, Your Hearse

ASIN: B000FGGERM
Release Date: 2006-07-17

Tracks:

Leper Affinity
Bleak
Harvest
Drapery Falls
Dirge for November
Funeral Portrait
Patterns in the Ivy
Blackwater Park

Customer Reviews:

Without a Doubt...........2007-01-10

If you like prog and heavy music that challenges and takes you on a journey, Opeth is the band for you. This music is absolutely amazing, dark and mysterious. Without a doubt, the best band out there for prog fans. Not for the light hearted though. Kamelot's that particular band. If you like Khan artists and cloneryches, seek Kamelot. If you like your music progressive, search for Opeth.