Classical composer reacts to Cusp of Eternity & Moon Above, Sun Below (Opeth) | The Daily Doug Ep156
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- Опубликовано: 7 июн 2021
- #Opeth #CuspOfEternity #MoonAboveSunBelow
In this special double episode of #TheDailyDoug, I'm reacting to the second and third tracks from Pale Communion, Opeth's 11th studio album, released in 2014. These are epic songs with top notch production value. Take the journey with me! There's some interesting musical and lyrical correlations.
Reference Video: • Opeth - Cusp Of Eterni...
Reference Video: • Opeth - Moon Above, Su... 
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Nah, the scratch in his voice is what makes that part beautiful;)
Agreed, I feel like scratchiness of his voice in that part really sells the energy he's trying to put out into it
11:31
@@EricGreenFrightened-Crayfish I feel like there is a difference between raspy touches to notes and scratchiness to notes. What I am talking about is the difference between here(11:31)which is scratchiness and here(14:20) which is the rasp. It sounds more soulful with the notes.
Yeah, I feel like if that wasn’t a vocal take Mikael wanted he would have gone for another one. I prefer the rawness and humanity of it, and it fits with the overall analog sound the band has been going for the last decade or so.
@@flightgravity7483 nah mikael has stated he likes when his voice struggles like that. He’s going for that. When you’re a composer with no classical training you try things and develop tastes that are outside of the norm. This is one of mikaels. He does it in In Cauda Venenem as well a lot when he can’t quite hit the right note on the falsetto.
Moon Above, Sun Below is just such an incredibly rich piece of music, I love that song!
Masterpiece!
IKR ❤️
And they played it live last tour. That was a really nice surprise :)
Faith in Others is beautiful
is he react that masterpiece?
Fun fact: Mikael Akerfeldt, guitarist, lead singer, and primary songwriter of Opeth (in case you didn't already know that), has never studied music theory. I've read, watched, and listened to many interviews with him over the years and he does not know the names of chords or scales or anything like that. Perhaps that's why someone who is an expert in music theory might find Opeth's music a little bit tricky, or at least strange, to analyze. It was "sculpted" by ear, not designed by textbook.
That's a proof that music is one of those things that truly are for everyone... one of my favourite guitar players ever, Paco de Lucia, was similar. I do acknowledge that it's great to know this stuff (I attended a school of music myself way back when) but sometimes what truly matters is the way you express yourself through this medium. I love both trained musicians and those without any formal training who have something to say!
I’ve played for over 30 years and know just a little theory but not a lot. Im self taught mostly but other musicians love my work and can get around by playing by ear. Lol. Depends on the musician some are straight woodshed guys and some are ear guys. Im the later.
Goddamn, can you show me at least one of the "experts in music theory", who struggles with the analysis of anything related to music? You've never even tried to understand what theory is used for and you keep sowing your misconceptions
"designed by textbooks"? What the hell, who has ever done it this way at all?? Music theory is not a set of rules or laws, it's more of a systematization or classification, it acts as an information model.
I wonder if you've ever been to school, not even music school, haven't you studied physics or something? Do you know what the word 'theory' means?
what? he didn't studied music theory? it's impossible bro he is like music god
If you want more Opeth with that octatonic whole-half diminished usage, "Hessian Peel" is one to react to
I’m in the “missing heavy Opeth” camp but have to say Pale Communion is one of my favorite Opeth albums of all time.
Steven Wilson and Opeth...it does not get much better.
Uh...
ANY better imo 🏆🤠
Eternal Rains Will Come by Opeth. This is a brilliant song no one recommends and a brilliant opening to this album.
This is my favorite clean era Opeth song which doesn't seem to be as popular as it should be XD
@@jcrosato My thoughts exactly.
fuck fuck fuck! Same. Please react to Eternal Rains. Bets song ever.
could be my favorite opeth song that isnt on blackwater park.
Yes sir, I love Eternal Rains Will Come! An all-time favorite Opeth song. Pale Communion is a damn good album. I really dig In Cauda Venenum as well. Hell, I love everything they do though I wasn't as high on Heritage.
Doug's genuine enthusiasm is infectious, I love it
Do "faith in others". Its an amazing ending song on this album!
I couldn't help but think of Doug reacting to that before I saw your comment 😁🤘
One of the most depressing songs ever.. "but you're grasping melting ice" damn Mikael, damn
definitely my favorite track off that record
That would be a great song for a piano reaction.
Side 4 of Pale Communion is amazing... Voice of Treason into Faith in Others
I think Moon Above, Sun Below has one of the best endings to a song I’ve ever heard. Opeth has an almost scary talent when it comes to wrapping up songs (Deliverance, Harlequin Forest, All Things Will Pass, this one, I can go on…)
Opeth with clean vocals is just so good. This album is one of my favorites by them.
pale communion marathon...needs to happen
your reactions on them are so intresting
greetings from greece
Brilliant analysis Doug. It is just great when you explain the notes the band are selecting....and Opeth songs go in many directions.Opeth are one of my favourite bands .. I do love the early albums with the growls but also the later albums with the clean vocals. They are heavy prog metal ...Michael Akerfeldt is heavily into 70's prog rock ..you can hear the influences...and the band have gone up another level..
I don't usually watch reaction videos - I find them to be boring and I don't think they add anything to the source material. You and Key of Geebz are my two exceptions to that rule. The clear passion you have for music and the way that you don't just sit there and emote but really dig into the piece often makes these videos more of an on-the-fly analysis than just a simple reaction. Thanks for doing what you're doing, man and I'm glad to see more Opeth on the channel.
Wish double Opeth Tuesday was a weekly thing!! Great analysis, and I'm a huge Other fan (they're my favorite band), yet it was my first time hearing that second song, so thanks for the introduction, looks like I've got to step up my Opeth game.
Mikael's clean voice are magnificent. Every year it's better and better. What a musician!
Thank you for reaction!
Fascinating analysis as ever, Doug. Cusp of Eternity is the song that really introduced me to Opeth (as a full-on traditional prog fan) and I haven't looked back since. The first song on the album, Eternal Rains Will Come, is also well worth a good listen. I've since grown to love of a lot of their catalogue and reckon the whole Blackwater Park album is a masterpiece. Mikael Åkerfeldt is a songwriting genius who also possesses a bottomless well of memorable, but never dull riffs.
Eternal Rains is my favorite on the album... after a listen it just nestles in the back of your mind all day long.
NEVER a dull riff is right!
@@milton1448 I don't know how he does it. It's like he has a hidden riff factory that churns them out, one after the other. They always seem to have interesting chord voicings that refresh the parts other composers can't reach (if you'll excuse the Heineken reference...).
@@arbonne1805 Well stated and fully agree
Man, I’ve been hoping for more opeth reactions!
"This takes me back to 70s prog". I think you just became Opeth's best friend :)
Oh, how I adore the guitar solo in cusp of eternity.
Yes, very cool iconography. I think I have 3 Pale Communion t-shirts. 😎
Fuck yes! That solo just screams Ritchie Blackmore, as with most middle eastern sounding solos.
"Faith In Others" from the same album is one of the best songs that Mikael and Opeth ever created. The lyrics are so haunting and some of the best in all of music.
Yes, a very good song
Man, I love that I've discovered this channel. It's almost like rediscovering so many of the bands I love, but have drifted away from them a bit. Thank you for being here Doug
WHAT! just missed my favorite song on the album ( Eternal Rains Will Come)!
ok.. let's watch!!
One thing is sure, you'll never get bored with an Opeth reaction Doug. One of my favorite bands, thank you!
This album is a masterpiece
It’s very underrated. Cusp is one of their best tracks
@@linusfotograf eternal rains and river as well
Well, the scratch in his voice makes the whole difference... It's cool, it's sounds like a real human, a real take from a real singer... The flaws sometimes are attractive and weird.
Faith in Others from this record is just... mind-shatteringly good.
"Some singers just have a way of delivering a lyric - and you believe 'em" - well said!
As much as you're enjoying the later Opeth more and more, I'm thinking once you get to In Cauda Venenum you're just gonna be on cloud nine.
Such a masterpiece of an album. My favorite release of 2019
All things will pass is one of their best songs
@@luirmi1 This song is in my top-5 of anything, along with Ninjas and pudding.
@@bryanmack3380 Oh
In Cauda Venenum immediately grew to be one of my favorite Opeth albums (next to Ghost Reveries & Watershed). In my opinion it's a complety journey. As much as I like its songs on their own, they become even better when listening to the complete album. Masterpiece!
FINALLY! Really excited to see some newer Opeth from you, Doug. I think Pale Communion is the best of latter day Opeth. Mikael really started to let his prog roots take over the entire course of the band in around 2010. They haven't done anything death metal-ish since then.
Haven't watched the video but already liked it. Daily Doug on Opeth, old or new, never disappoints.
Mr Doug, please react to Hessian Peel by Opeth. There is some growling but also beautiful singing by Mikael Akerfeldt. It is mind-blowing song
Oh, I almost forgot... and this fingerstyle, beautiful guitar and oboe (I think that's oboe) melody in the beginning and later, and these strings, and this odd guitar riff in the end, and ofcourse the grooving drums. I love this song
Yes this please
Hessian Peel is such a complex piece of music. I agree that Doug needs to hear it.
God bless. I love your reactions. “Thats an A major!!”. Lol! Also, Opeth is incredible and it’s refreshing to see someone like yourself listen and appreciate their art. Sincerely, thank you.
I love the way you perk up whenever a band plays an unexpected major chord!
This album was really important to me during a time when I needed resolution, it’s full of moments where the dissonance resolves just like you need them to.
If you're liking this style of Opeth, check out Continuum + All Things Will Pass from their newer album In Cauda Venenum. The album is arguably their best since they switched to prog rock.
Been waiting for this since your first Opeth video, I knew that you would enjoy their newer material. Thanks Doug 👍
OMG, Doug… I don’t have time to watch now but this is going to be GREAT! All of Pale Communion is stellar!
The pulse during the chant "With the moon above and the sun below" is awesome. Not sure it classifies as syncopation, but it is awesome.
The wandering vocals over and almost static chord. Love it!
Makes sense why the first song had a huge Arabic/Middle East feel to it. It's the same Phrygian Dominant Scale, the 5th mode of the harmonic minor scale, used in "Rainbow - Stargazer" solo section, that was on B Phrygian Dominant over E harmonic minor. This song was the same thing, G Phrygian Dominant over C harmonic minor. It's a cool exotic scale you don't listen very often in Western music.
On that same vibe, I'd suggest you check "Iron Maiden - Powerslave" on a Maiden Monday.
I was literally going to ask why it has that middle Eastern feel. I knew it was one of the modes we rarely hear, but as a non-musician, I have a hard time remembering the modes and their feels.
Is it's rarity in western music related to how the 5th is functionally related to the tonic?
@@Bobbias A perfect fifth is one of the most used intervals in music. It's the base for the Circle of Fifths, it's used on most chords - especially on rock/metal, they use a lot what is called open fifths or power chords - and every time you hear a musician talking about a dominant, it's a fifth interval relationship to the tonic. There's a mathematival reason for it, a fifth interval has a 3:2 ratio to the root.
And yes, these exotic modes are kinda rare because most Western music were built with minor and major scales. But someties you hear Phrygian, Dorian, Locrian, Mixolidian, Lydian, etc. those are modes based on the Old Greek music theory.
@@jimmyggs91 I know about the perfect 5th being dominant, the circle of 5ths, and the modes. I was thinking that since the perfect 5th is as important in western functional harmony as it is, that might dissuade people from using it as the... Modal root? Not sure how you disambiguate the mode's tonic vs the key's tonic in cases where you've got modal mixture happening.
I was going to point out the exact same thing, bingo mate!
My first hearing of Opeth, but certainly not the last. Thanks to all who recommended this fine band & thanks as always, Doug. You're the man.
The have prog rock and prog metal albums
Loved the Opeth double header. Thank you! Please spoil us with more... and the longer the better.
I know, here come the "That's what she said" guys. 😅
No wasn't going to say it. Hey floridabelle
THANK YOU Doug!!! I just learned the Octatonic scale, and this riff, thanks to you! You are spot on for this! They go up from A, then shift down a semitone to go back down. or something similar
pale communion is a masterpiece.
It’s neat to see you really liking Opeth. Even if Damnation (2003) is an earlier album, there’s no growling on it and it’s their first real foray into prog. Check it out next!
Love Damnation! It's been in heavy rotation for me lately :)
You will be surprised on how different this cd is....Damnation!!!!
Double feature of Eternal Rains Will Come and River next time?
It's about time for some more Opeth! And you granted us two!
So interesting as usual!
I renew the request for A Change of Seasons by Dream Theater ;)
That's the album that really got me into them. I had heard a track or two and then picked up ACoS while on a band trip. I listened to it for the first time in a hotel room, sitting on the edge of a bed and having my 17 year old mind blown.
This would be EPIC Doug!
You manage to get the perfect songs on the channel that I don't think anyone could be disappointed with.
Fredrik Åkesson is criminally ignored by most music press. He compliments Mikel’s songwriting so well, and he can do it all - solid rhythms, tasteful melodic runs and super clean shred.
This band is unbelievable!!! I love them and they became through years, my favorite band. I'm listening to Opeth every day!
I've been following for a few months now and you're easily one of the best content creators I watch daily. You breathe new life into my favorite songs by introducing theory, concepts and your own genuine enjoyment. Thank you!
Instant like! And two songs? Man you are spoiling us:) And what songs they are! That album's my favorite from post death metal era of Opeth, and you would definitely enjoy music from Heritage as well.
This channel is an absolute blessing! Love how you interpret the lyrics while still analyzing the musical components. I feel like a lot of people pay no mind to lyrics and that’s a shame, especially with a band like Opeth.
Well here I am again with the pleas for blind guardian. Love your channel, the opeth, night wish and the like are always awesome. The dream theatre is deadly of course, no question. The genesis too, super cool. But honestly blind guardian, so overlooked and underrated. Twighlight Orchestra album, lots of great picks, still think Sacred Worlds album opener off At the Edge of Time or And then There was Silence - it is also super awesome. Love the channel 🇨🇦
don’t forget Wheel Of Time
@@user-po9sd8nq8v yep that one too
Damn, I never would've known about the symmetrical scales without this channel! Loved your head perk-up whenever a major key showed up. You should give The Contortionist a listen - the first three tracks of their album Language (The Source, Language I: Intuition, Language II: Conspire) exemplify some of the most distinctive organic-yet-synthy prog metal I've heard.
Fantastic break down kind Sir. One of my favorite Opeth albums and of coarse Steven’s influences are everywhere.
I really enjoy your videos, Doug! It's so cool to see someone with such knowlege (and perfect pitch?) analyze these songs so casually, without breaking the flow of the music, without being pretentious. I was looking forward to see your reactions on the newer material of Opeth as I'm a huge fan of new and old Opeth. :-)
They released their latest album In Cauda Venenum two years ago and in my opinion they perfected the sound they've got since Heritage on that one. And it really profits from a complete listening, the songs shine even more when they're in context of the album.
Cheers!
Never clicked so fast...
Doug will most certainly enjoy a more mature Opeth. My personal favorite album. Great breakdown, Doug. Thank you!
I've never clicked so fast on a video before. One of my favorite reaction channels and ny favorite band
New to your channel, found it through my absolute love for this masterpiece. It might be my favourite song ever! Thank you for such an in depth look at this, so fascinating and rewarding seeing someone that knows far more than me about music appreciating this. The noise you make at 23:18 sums up my feelings for this perfectly, just a beautiful piece of music!
Great analysis/reaction!
I hope that you end up doing Opeth’s complete discography.....it’s amazing!
Man, your analysis is always top!
As a fan of Opeth and all (ALL) prog rock I have to say thank you again for these videos, the interesting analysis and the enthusiasm of your reactions are beautiful! RUclips is full of "reactions" channels and "voice coach" channels, but you Doug, for me, you are the best of all! Please more Opeth, more Steven Wilson, more DT, more Genesis, and then Gentle Giant, King Crimson, Spock's Beard...
If he doesn't know Gentle Giant, he is in for a treat. Especially when the odd vocal harmonies come in :). Which also can be found in the older material of Spocks Beard.
So complex and so fucking beautiful. Opeth are an incredible band. ❤
I've had a rough couple days. I took the day off and stumbled upon your channel. I went down the rabbit today,watched about ten videos.Rush,Genesis,Yes,Dream theater,etc. Made my day. Your natural insight and breakdowns are really refreshing. Makes me appreciate the songs even more. The way you broke Down Firth of Faith was beautiful. I got emotional just hearing you describe compositional genius. Please react to some Gentle Giant! Awesome channel man
Oh what a treat you gave us! I think almost anything from modern Opeth you could like. To continue with 2 songs back to back, you should really check out Home Invasion/Regret #9 from Steven Wilson. Ilt's a musical journey on its own!
I completely agree with the more mature, sophisticated musicians at the height of their powers. Pale Communion might be my favorite album.
Hell yeah! Was so excited when I saw this!
Another great one Doug on another band that I've not spent near enough time checking out. Thanks!
Bravissimo! Fantastic job sir! Awesome reactionary video!
Thx Doug, ready as always :)
This is what a happy face looks like.
Recently I had just like my parents brought me a puppy, 35 years ago. Second time today that Doug found E major :)
Great reaction and analysis, Doug. Pale Communion is easily one of Opeth's best works. It's sad how often it gets overlooked because it's not "heavy."
One of my favorite Opeth albums.
Harmonic minor, on and off in opening. . . always love that
Thank you so much for doing this .. the 'new' Opeth are AMAZING .. 'In Cauda Veneum' is a total masterpiece... I love the swedish version.. :-)
You should check out Wilderun at some point. It's a prog metal band with some folky touches, consisting of a bunch of Berkeley grads, and they might be the only metal band (certainly the only one I've seen) that has one of it's members credited exclusively as orchestrator. I'd recommend checking out The Unimaginable Zero Summer from their latest album.
Great great awesome album and better band. Oh Resolution is my fav track.
@TRAIANVS
You're the second one (apart from me, lol) who suggests Wilderun... I've regularly been pointing to Ne Obliviscaris, Virgin Black, Anathema, Draconian and even Uchū Konbini! - to fight the lack of variety here lately. Yet Doug's choices are more constrained and repetitive every week: almost everything is Iron Maiden, Dream Theater or Opeth. 'That point' you mention, at where he should address bands like those, seems to be moving more far away: by the time he may give them a listen, it will be in a couple of years from now... There's no wonder how Nightwish went unnoticed under his radar for so long... quite of a narrow-mindedness, to say the least :(
@@Alex-fh6wn Clearly, the variety was way more present at first, then the channel steadily turned quite stagnant... Who would have expected Jinjer and Devin Townsend? The way he sticks almost exclusively to those genres (that you rightly point out) is the constraint I talked about, so the narrow-mindedness is undeniably right there! To have such a disregard for more extreme genres would be terribly sad: from Ne Obliviscaris to Insomnium, Be'lakor, Draconian, Saturnus, Swallow The Sun... and I'm leaving out the more technical extreme spectrum of metal: from Meshuggah to Quo Vadis...
Anyways, how to explain the omission of Vibeke Stene's Tristania, Therion's bunch of female singers, The Gathering's Anneke, Virgin Black's Rowan London? To ignore them at the expenses of repetition ad nauseam of Iron Maiden, Opeth and Dream Theater is nowhere near variety: those omitted are well within the scope of his tastes of genres.
Ah, Amazing!!! Thanks for doing this. :D
When this album came out, i remember feeling this song as a musical. It still blows me away. Dough you REALLY should check out Faith in Others it has some really beautiful strings arrangement. And, by the other hand, the las album has a swedish spoken version and the last song is one of the most beautiful songs that thay have realized to the date.
Man... Dough is my favorite youtuber by far.
Yaaay, two of the best songs off Pale Communion. Thanks Doug! :D
Now waiting for stuff off their latest album which is on yet another level (whether it's Next of Kin, Lovelorn Crime, Heart in Hand, All Things Will Pass etc.
ps. Doug - This must be in the Top 3 of your videos with so much stankface. :D
Excellent analysis, Doug. I love the idea of the 8 note scale. I'm going to have to try writing something using it.
I personally love how happy you get for the A Major
Ho no, you've done it again, Doug : I've once again learned a lot, and thoroughly enjoyed the video!
The divine wings of tragedy by symphony x
Finally someone is reacting Opeth's newer things. That made my day!
Man, as someone who was really into the prog scene and then jumped to the indie rock and hip hop scenes in the 00s, Disturbed was never a band that I thought about as being in my wheelhouse. But this is definitely in my wheelhouse. Thanks for the introduction, Doug! And as always, your explanations are really interesting, even if the theory is a bit over my head. (keeping my fingers crossed for a Spock's Beard or Transatlantic reaction)
This whole album is super cool!
This was my entry into Opeth as at the time I didn't appreciate harsh vocals. That changed though :P
Mikaels growls are so contagious. You always yearn for more.
My daily request for a reaction of Blind Guardians "and then there was silence".
Also you need to check out Storm Corrosion, it was a collaborative project between Steven Wilson and Mikael Åkerfeldt, they released an album in 2012 which I think is an amazing listen.
Drag Ropes and the Title track are just on another level.
Thanks for listening to these songs Doug. My friends used to try and convince me to listen to older Opeth and I never really liked it. But then they said Opeth sold out and went Prog and they stopped listening to them. Then Pale Communion came out and I bought it on a whim to see why they hated them. This album changed my mind about Opeth and I loved this album so much that I listened to the full thing every day for a year straight. A true masterpiece. My friends were seriously upset that I liked this album. They are still my friends but they were fools 😂
I haven’t seen any reactions to Hessian Peel. That’s a shame. It’s an odd and interesting song.
Opeth is the unique band for me wich makes me repeat parts of their songs to enjoy it once again because they never saturate songs with the same all song along. Also to understand what their doing at a certain time. Great video btw.
When you went over the lyrics of "Moon above, Sun below" it actually gave me goosebumps. I used to dislike the second half of the song (only circles on the water) due to the repetitive nature and the broken groove, but this has shed light on it. Also, the way you describe the meaning of the lyrics makes me think this is a lyrical overture or fore-shadowing of my absolute favorite on the record "Faith in others".
TL;DR Please do "Faith in others" at some point in time, Doug! I tend to side with the 2000-ish era Opeth, but "Faith in others" makes me feel things no piece of music should ever be capable of, and I equal parts love and dread it. A musical journey through depths of despair, yet strangely calming and inspiring in a way.
Insta like. Excellent choices and breakdown, Doug
I would recommend Jordrök or Kung Bore by another obscure prog rock band from Scandinavia, Änglagård. Awesome music!
Thank you stranger, it's awesome!
@@siriust6364 It's very lovely to hear that.
Jordrock is a masterpiece.
I've been lost in Opeth for sometime. They Really have a lot to talk about! The best transitions from section to section! Always surprising and interesting!
I love your analysis, Doug. So interesting. The Opeth songs that I've heard before have sounded impressive to me in terms of tonality but couldn't exactly pinpoint why. Thanks.
I Realy loved your take on this song. I have been having endless discussions with friends who prefer older Opeth for years now and I can never explain properly what you say in this video. To me, current Opeth is a band who's million times more exciting to listen then the older version.
Oh today is a good day, Moon Above, Sun Below is my favourite Opeth song!
Loved that you pointed out the phrygian dominant scale in Cusp of eternity. And for the octatonic scale, you might remember that we heard another instance of that not too long ago in Octavarium, in the middle solo section. Cool stuff, cool stuff.
As a long-time prog listener and critic, I'll one day make a full list of suggestions that should blow your mind (so you get it once and for all), that'll include many many hidden gems, but for now, I'll stick to suggesting Frost*, you won't regret looking at this superband.
I knew you’d like this album! It is my all time favorite from Opeth. I think maybe river, faith in others, and eternal rains may come might be my favorites.