Hi guys, I just found this on Opeth's website:
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"Watershed" is the name of Opeth´s 9th studio observation. The album has just been mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren with M. Åkerfeldt. The album consist of 7 songs and the titles are as follows:
1. Coil
2. Heir Apparent
3. The Lotus Eater
4. Burden
5. Porcelain Heart
6. Hessian Peel
7 Hex Omega
All the songs have been written by M. Åkerfeldt apart from "Porcelain Heart" which was co-written with Fredrik Åkesson. One additonal track, "Derelict Herds" has also been recorded and this was written by Mikael Åkerfeldt and Per Wiberg. On top of this, 3 cover songs has been recorded. "Bridge of sighs" from Robin Trower´s 1974 Lp with the same title, "Den ständiga resan" (sung in Swedish) by Marie Fredriksson as well as the classic Alice in Chains song, "Would?".
The album was recorded at Fascination street studios during November 1 and December 13. Some addtional recordings were done between January 3rd and 7th. Produced by Jens Bogren and Mikael Åkerfeldt and Opeth.
Says Mikael Åkerfeldt: "I´ve worked so hard with these songs for quite some time now, I´ve listened to 'em a zillion times. I don't hate them just yet! The album sounds great sonically and I think I can hear us evolving as the record plays on. It is taking us somewhere musically and I don't know where. It's very exciting to say the least! I can't remember having enjoyed a recording this much ever before."
The cover was (as usual) designed by Travis Smith in co-operation with Åkerfeldt. Release date is yet to be confirmed but Roadrunner worldwide will have it out sometime in the Springtime of this year.
I'm really excited about this.*horns* But for now.........there's nothing left for us than just wait...
Tom
Coolies 8)
Thanks Tom. I'm excited too *horns*
Their Ghost Reveries was a true masterpiece, so I'm curious to hear what they have to offer now.
And whenever Travis Smith is involved, we can be sure that it's somethin great.
Nicky.
Great news indeed! *horns*
I've read that most of the songs, if not all of them are 10 minutes+ songs. I like it already. ;D
I think I just became even more excited after reading this post from some guy on Mike Portnoy's forum! He quoted a message from http://runningthevoodoodown.blogspot.com/2008/02/new-opeth-album-update.html :o
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The new Opeth album just landed in my lap. I can't wait to play it again - listening to it through recording-studio speakers in Sweden, it struck me as awe-inspiring and exactly the kind of paradigm-shifting move they need to make at this point in their career, and I'm curious whether that impression will linger on hearing it through iPod headphones. It's simultaneously their most prog and their least metal album to date, but it's guaranteed to make the faithful fill their jeans with huge, milky loads of Åkerfeldt-love. The sonic palette's really broad - acoustic guitars, female vocals on the first track, church organ, oboe, Mellotron, etc., etc., plus some of the heaviest riffs Opeth's ever played. The second track, "Heir Apparent," starts off with a riff straight from Dio-era Sabbath before going through about six other moods in its just-under-nine-minute running time, including possibly Opeth's single fastest, thrashiest break ever. Plus, it justifies its title by featuring solo spots for both new-ish drummer Martin Axenrot and very new guitarist Fredrik Åkesson. In a way, Axenrot's drum break about two and a half minutes into this track - and, indeed, his playing throughout - is just a giant "fuck you" to anyone who might bitch about Martin Lopez's absence.
Tom
That makes me even more *horns* *horns* *horns*. :D
I must admit that I'm curious to this release.
Especially the "less metal, more prog" thing.
Still I'm a bit reluctant to Opeth... But you already knew that! ;D
-Paco
It's taken me quite a long time to get into Opeth, but since hearing their collaborative stuff with Steven Wilson, I'm getting to like them much more.
I read that Opeth also has recorded a cover of Robin Trower's "Bridge of Sighs." Not sure if it will turn up on a "Special Edition" CD or not. Also coming is a 5.1 remix of "Still Life." I'm in the process of finally installing a surround-sound system in my house and I'd be curious to hear Opeth in surround sound.
Guys.....
You can listen to 2 tracks from Opeth's forthcoming album Watershed........and it's 100% legal! ;D
The first one is a song called The Lotus Eater, which is audio only. You can download it here:
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/Music/
The second song is called Porcelain Heart. It is the first single off the album and you can find the video here:
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/video/
Be prepared to be amazed! :o
Tom *horns*
I've watched the video.
And now I wonder what this is about...
Quote from: PH on Wed, 2008-04-23, 20:54:05
I've watched the video.
And now I wonder what this is about...
Don't ask me why but I simply
knew you were gonna say that.....
Quote from: The Butterfly Man on Wed, 2008-04-23, 21:08:29
Don't ask me why but I simply knew you were gonna say that.....
Ok, rather then me telling you, let's do it the other way round.
Why do you think that I would say that? ;)
Quote from: The Butterfly Man on Wed, 2008-04-23, 20:41:36
Be prepared to be amazed! :o
Yeah, awesome *horns*
It's beyond me too, but both music and video are terrific.
The new drummer Martin Axenrot is simply unbelievable.
And Per Wiberg on keyboards adds a lot of delicious spice despite the music being so heavy.
Looks like Opeth have now decided to take the lead.
Thanks, Tom :)
Nicky.
Less than a week to go, now. 8)
Quote from: Steve Jones on Wed, 2008-05-28, 18:38:42
Less than a week to go, now. 8)
Hehe, some are actually a week 'overdue'. ;D
If you know what i mean. ;)
Yeah I can't wait to get the new album in my hands, I'm really looking forward to it! It's getting closer........and all we can do is wait.
Tom
Excellent album and number 34 in the UK album charts *horns*
*puts on "to get" list...
I bought this album a week ago and since then no single day has passed without listening to the album from start to finish at least one time. I'm loving it to bits. I don't really have a favourite track, I simply like the most of them....Only Porcelain Heart doesn't do that much for me yet.
A tip for the (symphonic) prog-lovers in the room (are there any at all? ;)): Listen to the last section of Heir Apparent, it's so brilliant! :o
I think this is (after Damnation, obviously) the album to get for those of you who love Mikael's singing but hate his growling. Sure, the growls are one of the key ingredients that make Opeth the awesome band that it is today, and they are present on this album, sounding more ferocious than ever! However...... only 3 songs out of 7 feature them. In one of those songs (Hessian Peel) the growls don't make their way into the song until past the half way mark (which lies around the 6 minutes or so).
That's it for now, I have work to do! ;D
I'm looking forward to reading more opinions on the album.
Tom
Loving the album , in fact playing it now , but where is the lyric sheet ???
http://www.darklyrics.com/o/opeth.html
Read them.
If you dare!
A lot of them just sound like "Grwwwll ... Grwwwwwl ... Roaaarrrr!" though ;D
Does anyone know how to get the three "bonus tracks" off of the DVD? I put all my music files on portable hard drives. The FAQs with the disk say it is possible to do, but Windows Media Player doesn't know what to do with this DVD.
After the first few spins, one of the things I'v enjoyed most is the guitar duel on Burden (track 4). Well OK, the whole song is real nice, but what really gripped me is the duel at the end. Since it switches between right and left speaker, I'm guessin that it's a duel between Mikael and the new guitarist, Fredrik Åkesson, two remarkable guitarists.
The wacky screwin down/up at the far end of Burden is great too.
I consider that the new keyboardist Per Wiberg adds a lot of fine atmosphere to the album.
Martin Axenrot on drums is topnotch too.
Hey guys, how about sharin some experiences in this thread ? It's not every day that a fabulous album like Watershed is released.
Grrrrowl *horns*
Nicky.
Quote from: Nicky007 on Wed, 2008-06-18, 15:13:22
Hey guys, how about sharin some experiences in this thread ?
As you can read a couple of post above, I agree! So come on guys, share your experiences!
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The wacky screwin down/up at the far end of Burden is great too.
Well, I'm not so sure about that...I know, its cool and original the first couple of times you hear it, but it grows old really fast. Now I mostly skip this part and that's a shame, because Burden in itself is such a great track. Great singing and an awesome guitarsolo!
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I consider that the new keyboardist Per Wiberg adds a lot of fine atmosphere to the album.
Well he's not really that new anymore...he's been a touring member for several years but became a fulltime member before Ghost Reveries. But you're right, he adds a lot of atmosphere throughout the album.
After listening to the album for a couple of weeks now, I think it's safe to say that it's among their best albums (which are Blackwater Park and Ghost Reveries in my view).
Tom
Quote from: The Butterfly Man on Wed, 2008-06-18, 16:32:20
After listening to the album for a couple of weeks now, I think it's safe to say that it's among their best albums (which are Blackwater Park and Ghost Reveries in my view).
I definitely agree with that, Tom. Now the big question is whether it's
better than GR :-\
I'm catching more and more of Martin Axenrot's drumming. I'm really swept away by it. The guy's in a league of his own - well, maybe in league with Mike Portnoy; they have similar styles and both are superb. I'v added MA to my list of fave drummers.
Quote from: The Butterfly Man on Wed, 2008-06-18, 16:32:20
Well, I'm not so sure about that...I know, its cool and original the first couple of times you hear it, but it grows old really fast. Now I mostly skip this part and that's a shame, because Burden in itself is such a great track. Great singing and an awesome guitarsolo!
Tom, maybe I don't need to tell you, but you don't need to skip all of Burden; you can just press skip when you get to the screwy part.
Quote from: The Butterfly Man on Wed, 2008-06-18, 16:32:20
Well he's not really that new anymore...he's been a touring member for several years but became a fulltime member before Ghost Reveries.
Yeah, you're right, Tom. One just doesn't notice him that much on GR. He's more present on Watershed.
Hopefully they'l all stick together now. Then we can expect more great music from this great band *horns*
However, there is a thing that disturbs me (from Wikipedia - Watershed): "The song Hessian Peel contains a backwards recorded verse - 'My sweet Satan, I see you' can be heard. This might be a reference to a well-known example of backmasking featured in Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven, which purportedly contained the phrase 'Here's to my sweet satan'."
Now, why do they have to do something like that ? It seems outright dumb. They ought to know that there are many Christians who enjoy their music. Here in the Room we had a discussion a year ago on whether there were any snags in Opeth re Christian sensibilities, and at least Keith and I agreed that we could not find any. Now I actually
hear that passage in Hessian Peel, and it disturbs me. What do you guys make of it ?
Nicky.
Quote from: Nicky007 on Wed, 2008-06-18, 23:01:59
However, there is a thing that disturbs me (from Wikipedia - Watershed): "The song Hessian Peel contains a backwards recorded verse - 'My sweet Satan, I see you' can be heard. This might be a reference to a well-known example of backmasking featured in Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven, which purportedly contained the phrase 'Here's to my sweet satan'."
Now, why do they have to do something like that ? It seems outright dumb. They ought to know that there are many Christians who enjoy their music. Here in the Room we had a discussion a year ago on whether there were any snags in Opeth re Christian sensibilities, and at least Keith and I agreed that we could not find any. Now I actually hear that passage in Hessian Peel, and it disturbs me. What do you guys make of it ?
I read this before but I have to say I really don't mind...
In my view it's just something that is backwards recorded, nothing more, nothing less.
You really cannot hear what is said (or you have to reverse it with some audio-edit program) and it lasts only a couple of seconds. Besides, you probably didn't know it was there until you read it on Wiki. So from now on no more Wiki for you! :D
Tom
Tom, there aint much of a Crusader in you !
;D
But honestly, as a Christian, this playing around with satanism does bother me, even if it's just meant as a joke or tribute. And of course Mikael & Co. know that they're provoking good citizens, also some of their biggest fans, with such stuff. So why ? Honestly, I don't get it. I liked Mikael's pagan poetry a lot till now, but henceforth I'l be reserved, and that's a pity :'(
Nicky.
"Backward masking" in the traditional sense never bothered me. I always thought it was a lot of fuss over nothing. I suspect Mikael did this as a bit of a joke. I'm sorry that he did it at all but I don't think he meant it as anything else. Had the words been recorded forward, I would have a different attitude altogether.
I really like that selection on the album, aside from that annoyance.
Oh, and I found a way to get the bonus tracks off the DVD and on to my hard drive. I then burned a CD with all the Watershed songs on it.
Yeah, Keith, maybe I can take it a bit more lightly too. But you agree that it was dumb of Mikael.
I mean, here he got a bunch of Christians diggin his dark pagan music, and then he plays this dirty trick on us :'( or ;D ???
Nicky.
Well, I bloody well love it, satanistic references or not *horns*
I bought it, but still haven't listened to it :o
Quote from: Appelmoes?? on Sun, 2008-07-13, 14:12:59
I bought it, but still haven't listened to it :o
Be careful when you do. My mate Spud reckoned if he played it sideways he could hear Sir Cliff Richard exhorting him to knit scarves for the church jumble sale. We're really worried about him, he' s not been to black mass for nearly three weeks now. ;)
Quote from: Appelmoes?? on Sun, 2008-07-13, 14:12:59
I bought it, but still haven't listened to it :o
Appy, the side (a disc has two sides) with the stuff written on it should turn upward - of course supposing that your player is turned the normal way around. Then there's some sorta buttony thingy that's gotta be pressed - it doesnt help waiting for it to start by itself. And there must be a glass of beer standing next to it. If you need an explanation as to what to do with the beer, drop me a note and I'l return 8)
;D
Nicky.
Quote from: Nicky007 on Sun, 2008-07-13, 16:04:19
If you need an explanation as to what to do with the beer
Sorry, you think anyone needs to know what to do with beer ;D ;D ;D
Quote from: Appelmoes?? on Sun, 2008-07-13, 14:12:59
I bought it, but still haven't listened to it :o
I bought it, listened to it twice, then it got lost by a little girl, and then my wife found it again in a DVD case of Bob The Builder. ::) :D
Bob the Buiilder Rocks!
Quote from: kmorse on Sun, 2008-07-13, 20:54:49
Bob the Buiilder Rocks!
It indeed does but that wasn't the issue here. ;D
Quote from: PH on Sun, 2008-07-13, 22:07:26
Bob the Rocker Builds!
Build the Rocker, Bob! ::)
You rockers are all bonkers...
And Wendy builds a rocky Bob. :P
The Gob Builder Bros.
You guys could write a Ulysses II. Just associate further to some masturbation ....
OK, so what happened to Opeth ? Got put away in some box ? ;D
Nicky.
Quote from: Nicky007 on Mon, 2008-07-14, 22:21:58
You guys could write a Ulysses II. Just associate further to some masturbation ....
OK, so what happened to Opeth ? Got put away in some box ? ;D
Nicky.
Yep, the wrong box. Posted to the wrong address so to speak. ::)
But it's resurfaced again a few days later. But I still have only listened to the album twice.
Quote from: maddox on Mon, 2008-07-14, 23:03:21
But it's resurfaced again a few days later.
Bobbed to the surface, in fact. ;D