@@Yupppi Depends on the vocalist. I find Mikael Akerfeldt here to be quite understandable, in fact sometimes more understandable when growling than some singers are singing, but others (e.g., Corpsegrinder) are completely unintelligible to me.
You probably would've gotten more from the studio version, but nevertheless, if you aren't big on double bass drum, then you definitely picked the worst offender of their songs. I can understand if you're not a fan of constant double pedal because it's repetitive and uninventive, but for this particular song, I find that it helps portray and reinforces the intensity of emotion that builds throughout this entire opus of a song. This was the final track on a most epic album, so it is a finale for sure. I believe this is the only song on this album where Mikael uses guttural vocals for the entirely of the track, but most of older Opeth has a fair blend of clean & harsh vocals. Please keep going back to Opeth and I will keep watching your reactions (newly subscribed!).
Constant 16th note double bass pedal galore is not more "repetitive and uninventive" than a lot of other very traditional rock/metal bass drum patterns. He simply has a bias, nothing more, nothing less.
@@icipher6730 Exactly. Is using a known latin rhythm equally uninventive or are they different rhythms that suit different purposes? That being said, music is subjective and we all have our own biases and that is okay. It's just important to be able to identify what is our personal bias and what isn't.
@@icipher6730 yes it is. It's quantifiably simpler and therefore quantifiably less inventive. "Constant 16th note double kick" is the same note repeated at the same interval. It's not that it's useless, but it is definitely not that inventive.
Completely agree. Although I do find Doug's perspective quite valuable, because as a metal fan I just take it for granted that there's going to be double kicks all over the place.
Double kick is sort of to drumming what growls are to singing. When you want more and heavier where do you go? An acquired taste in both regards but it definitely has its place. Weather or not you actually like it is another matter.
This hits right on the nail. If we continue just writing songs to constantly be innovative without having some sort of structure to tie us in, how can we understand what change means? In this song and in many songs the straight 16 notes induce a sense of stability, a sense of increase in pace, a sense of increased intensity, and when the double bass drops it gives some resemblance to calm or opens your ears to focus on the groove even more.
I once converted a beautiful Hispanic lady to metal. Here's how I did it. I would play music in the place where we both worked and she would come by and hear it and it was usually Opeth. Initially she didn't like the death vocals and the distorted guitars, but she did like the mellow music and the clean voices. So I burned a CD of Opeth's "Morningrise" and gave it to her. A couple of months later she came back and said that she was now a metalhead. It scary to have that much power.
Gosh I envy your powers. I’ve been trying to get my girlfriend into this type of thing for years. She really likes mellow Opeth but can’t handle the growling
@@rivercoyle7591 if I may offer some advice, help her to understand the growling in the context of the songs. when I first heard death metal and black metal, I was put off by the vocals as well but, I learned to appreciate it, to understand why they do it. If you know the technique of fry singing, you can show her how it's done to help her to understand it more. This type of music is a very acquired taste. Just go slow and maybe she'll get there, but also realize that some people just will never accept it. Be prepared for that as well. 🤘🎶🤘
@@morlokkurak4763 all great advice. I’m hoping it can work because she too is a beautiful Hispanic woman hahaha. I didn’t really like growling either until around high school and that was after listening to heavy rock my entire life. So hopefully in a few more years of me listening to it around her she will come to love it too
APftK is one of my all-time favourites - I think Doug wouldn't enjoy the double-bass pedal. Instead, how about Devour Me, Colossus (Part I): Blackholes?
That was the first Opeth song I ever heard. I immediately downloaded the whole album because I appreciated that they were using an acoustic guitar as a rhythm instrument in a metal song. I knew right away there would be something different about them.
I believe this is the only song in their entire catalog that has no clean vocals at all. Mikael's harsh vocals were almost gone at this point. He apparently had damaged them on a tour, because he couldn't hear himself properly due to bad equipment and overdid it. Of course, he has transitioned away from growls on more recent albums. I don't think this is a concept album (like Still Life was), but there is a distinct theme. This album was produced by Steven Wilson, who is the lead singer of Porcupine Tree.
Incorrect. There are quite a few Opeth songs with no clean vocals. In fact, almost all of the songs on My Arms, Your Hearse have no clean vocals at all.
If you want some _really interesting_ Opeth, harmonically speaking, try "Benighted", "Face of Melinda", or anything from the "Damnation" album. Those songs are all mostly clean guitars and no double-kick.
He always do that, the drummer (in dream theater or SymphonyX, I remember those at least) does wonders, but he just points when the guy goes double bass drum, it's a cognitve bias!
@@casaroli Yes, is like listening to death metal and complaining about the growls, but is also true that Mike Portnoy and the Opeth dude (sorry, don't know the name) are really open minded drummers. I mean Mike f++ng Portnoy!! Must say I really enjoys his reviews other than this drum fixation thing.... 😁
@@PauCardona hi there, Martín López was the drummer back then. He left the band months before Ghost Reveries came out. Outstanding drummer. If you care to look it up, he has a band called Soen.
@@bernhardkrickl3567 They are better in The Roundhouse performance. His vocals live were in the God Tier from 2001-2008 before fading a bit. Even Mike acknowledges they were off for RAH. They have improved since, as I much prefer his vox at Red Rocks to RAH. Honestly, I wish Fred’s effects were different for both LA and BWP in this show. His playing, musicianship and timing is absolutely stellar, but the effects just sounded a little “off” from the rest of the band here (I had none of those complaints at Red Rocks). I thought Peter's effects at The Roundhouse made the latter part of this song sound more haunting (as it does on the album). Minor squibble. I have nothing but praise for everything Fred did in Red Rocks as a point of comparison. Overall it's a small critique for an otherwise legendary performance here (The Moor at RAH was one of their greatest performances ever).
@@bernhardkrickl3567 To think that when recording Roundhouse he actually had a really bad cold... but yeah, the Roundhouse version is a lot better, starting with this epic beginning ("Can you sing that note? Now hold it through the entire song")!
@@bernhardkrickl3567 Look for Lamentations, live at Shepherds Bush Empire, they had two sets: the mellow one and the metal one as well. Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.
If you wanna see/hear someone using the double kick technique while making it a really creative groove, check out Ne Obliviscaris - And Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope. The song is part of the curriculum of the classical composition course at Sydney Conservatorium of Music even though it's a progressive death/black metal piece because it's composition is just that outstanding.
Dude, I really enjoy your comments about the song and I'm glad you decided to listen to this live version. However, you really need to listen to the studio version with the lyrics on hand to have the best experience possible. I always use this song to test my new speakers or earbuds.
So glad you picked this song to review!! Quite enjoyed it!!There are other songs where he sings though>And believe it or not his voice is quite soothing hahah.
Showing the structure as you do, by identifying the notes and their repetition, gives another dimension to the listening process. Your knowledge really gives you such a wide appreciation of the music you hear. I do not have that knowledge, but I can appreciate yours, and your use of it. Again, Thank you.
Opeth is amazing; Mikael Åkerfeldt really knows how to write a groove. If you like the tight ensemble feeling in progressive metal, I heartily recommend The Ocean Collective! Some tracks you from their recent two albums you might enjoy both technically and lyrically might be "Devonian: Nascent", "Silurian: Age of Sea Scorpions" and "Jurassic | Cretaceous".
In my youth I listened to pop songs (what ever my mom listened to in the car) like Paula Abdul, Sr. Mix-A-Lot, 80s wave, 90's pop, etc... My dad was a guitarist and would show me all kinds of great bands like Metallica, Dream Theater, feckin' SRV! (The G.O.A.T.), Johnny Cash, Zeppelin, etc... but my friend in high school introduced me to Opeth. Never looked back since then. As a guitarist now of 18 years, they play some of the most interesting chords and progressions I have ever attempted. A truly amazing band. They have some of the most beautiful songs, and some of the most brutal breakdowns I have ever heard. A real listening experience. I used to fall asleep to BWP and Still Life albums at night for probably 2 years straight. Still listen to those albums today quite often. I love how this band can pull you right out of your comfort zone and just make you appreciate everything about it.
I love your reactions! you bring intelligence and your musical theory prowess. Almost seems like listening to these songs again for the first time. Love it
The problems starts when "intensity" becomes the WHOLE story. Then there is no more space for anything else, that's the major problem with almost every black metal band.
Lovelorn Crime is a song from their latest album. It has no growling, no double pedal kick drum, but it's a great song and it features one of the most beautiful rock guitar solos ever recorded. Would be cool to see you do a reaction to Opeth without carrying on about how you don't like the double pedals and the growling. It's obviously two stylistic choices that you do not really appreciate. Yet. We get where you're coming from. But to most of us who like Opeth those two things adds even more dimension to their songs, and they apply them very skillfully compared to most other bands.
Hello Doug. Another very entertaining reaction. Your analyses of the songs structures are definitely my favorite part. I have to say you're an inspiration to what I want to achieve as a student of music theory. Thank you!!!
Hey man, your videos are super wholesome and i love when you talk about what the songs actually do. I think you really should consider reacting and analysing video game soundtracks, there is a lot of amazing stuff that youmight actually like since there are also a bunch of more classical compositions to be found.
I think a good way look at harsher vocals is to see them as an instrument instead of just lyrics. In my opinion it conveys a lot more emotion than normal singing and gives a track an extra dimension especially when combined with normal singing which he does do in the rest of the album. I also love the double kick, apart from the technical aspect I think it can really change the sound of track depending on what he is doing with his arms or whether he slows down, pauses etc. I think a good example in this song is 14:00 to 14:10 where all he does is stop playing the snare and instead hits a cymbal but it makes that riff sound 10x as heavy as before.
Every vocals are instrument, the point is that a song with only harsh vocals is like an instrument with only one note. Unless you're doing majority percussive-like songs (such as Meshuggah) that reallys cutdown the options for composition.
Double kick 16ths convey the frantic nature and drive of the realizations being conveyed in the lyrics, and they only resolve once the realizations resolve.
May I suggest some Marillion. They've got a huge back catalogue with tons of great songs such as Kayleigh, Neverland, Easter, Beautiful, Splintering Heart, The Great Escape. They have had 2 fantastic vocalists, an awesome guitarist and a great bassist and keyboard player. The songs have great composition and are meaningful and emotional also.
Opeth are great. The entire Blackwater album is fantastic. Got me through some tough times after the passing of my father. Favorite song on the album being "Harvest".
i think the double kick gives the song what it needs. POWERFULL Foundation to build everything up on. Upgrade your headphones and listen to the studio version. Then you can deceiver much more!
Saw them live just over a year ago, they'd set the double kick really high in the mix and it really pummelled you in the stomach even at the back of the venue. Really enjoyed it though, my first metal concert
Doug, Good reaction. Love Opeth. This era of their catalog is heavy on growl and double bass drum but still very creative arrangements with heavy and acoustic sections. Their album Damnation release shortly after the album Black Water Park, is predominantly acoustic based songs. Windowpane, In my Time of Need and others are fan favorites. Really great tunes, and no double bass drums. Later albums are varied, with clean vocal, prog rock vibes, and much experimentation. Heritage & Pale Communion have some really great music that is very versatile with great vocal arrangements. Songs of note, The Devils Orchard, I feel the Dark, Famine, Voice of Treason, River, Moon Above Sun Below...so many great offerings. You can't go wrong. Cheers.
Really fun to see your perspective on songs that (almost all of them) I listened so much! I would suggest doing Anesthetize live in Tilburg by Porcupine Tree. Long song, beautiful and nicely building up. Good musicians especially the drummer. And Steven Wilson, I think you know him. Keep it coming, everytime I see a new upload it makes me happy, loving it.
I think their Damnation album is one of my top 10 of all time. It's all clean vocals, super mellow, and only light distortion on the leads. Try Windowpane. The beauty of his PRS guitars really come through too.
Hi Doug, I'm Luz from Argentina. I discovered you yesterday while surfing youtube and im so glad I did. I've been an Opeth fan for 23 years and its actually a pleasure to hear principles and fundaments from a classical composer. Which is amazing is, as a girl that doesn't play any instruments but super keen to learn at least some of the music theory, by listening to you i can add more depth and knowledge to the feelings i already have for them. Id have liked that you couldve listened to the studio version of Blackwater Park. Mikaels voice was on point and well, he kind of lost it by then. While it is not a conceptual album, it has a cohesive union that binds and ties everything together, each song has a purpose and as any other record has a purpose as to why it is specifically there (not that im saying anything new 😂). This is the final song and his words at the end of it, quote: "The sun sets forever over Blackwater Park" gets me chills everytime adding this texture of absolute darkness in a magnificent way with a hint of calm with those acoustic guitars. That's why i believe lyrics and music goes hand in hand, so next time keep it close so you can understand how the dynamics between lyrics and music flows as one. And i think, for us metal fans, its of massive importance. Even if I have 2 absolute favorite records from them, this record will forever be in my top 3. It's special and i hold it close to my heart forever. Sorry for the typos or grammatical mistakes and for the long ass writing. I enjoy your videos a lot, Doug. Greetings!
Nice reaction/analysis! I remember a live performance of theirs when Mikael asked the audience to sing that initial note/harmonic and keep singing it throughout the song 🥰😅 great band/song!
you should totally check out Ne Obliviscaris - And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope, a compositional masterpiece in the metal scene and is even used in a class at the Sydney Conservatorium Of Music
I think you were SPOT ON when you said that maybe it's a "maybe it's sign of things imploding on a central point" during that part of the song. It's the last song on the album and I think it sort of heralds the end and hints toward the last lines in the song: "Sick liaisons raised this monumental mark The sun sets forever over Black Water Park". And more than just the last two lines of course, but I think it hit just right. Man, you are great at this. Can't believe I didn't find your channel until today. The meaning of this song fits the rest of the album. To me this album is a long journey and tells a story of addiction of a demon or nosferatu feeding on his victims, both relishing in it and feeling disgusted by his need, and remembering his past as he died, and trying to commit suicide to escape his fate but not succeeding. He remains and watches the depravity of manking and evil unfold. Forever bound to watch the world live and die before him, and he can do nothing but remain, forced to feed, forced to suffer and to watch mankind suffer alongside him.
Death metal is not for you to understand the lyrics in the moment, it is about what it makes you feel, then you look for the lyrics and you keep discovering the song, that's the beauty of the genre.
And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope by Ne Obliviscaris. They are studied at Sydney Conseveratorium of Music so, as you can imagine, it's a really great piece of music.
Most of Opeth's catalog has a Jekyll and Hyde thing going on with the combo of growls and clean vocals in most of their songs. However, in their most recent albums, growls are not featured. Maybe try River from their Pale Communion album and see how you like that!
Disagreed on the double kick drumming. It adds so much intensity and heaviness that helps add to the build up in the song. Everything comes to a head after so much epic build up. It's great. Nice to see an Opeth analysis from someone so knowledgeable about music. Good luck man.
Symphony X - The Odyssey. Absolutely phenomenal long symphonic metal piece that really takes you through the paces! First video of yours and enjoyed it!
Blackwater Park, Deliverance and Damnation, the two following albums were all produced by Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), that was the real secret to these albums...
This album is so awesome and Mikeal is simply a genius in my opinion !!! The whole album could be adapted in a classical master piece just for people to understand and feel how deep it is !!! It is all about (dark) emotions ...
12:09 - Not far off from the lyrical theme, actually. The song is about a village ravaged by disease from a perspective of a still healthy villager, who then gets infected and eventually dies, right around the time you pointed that out. EDIT: Ah, should've watched before commenting. Oops. And yes, it is a metaphor for society and it's eventual demise, or so I've heard. The societies obsession with morbidity and evil, to be more precise.
I recommend you Bleak or The Moor if you want long progressive songs, if you want melow songs with no harsh vocals listen to Harvest, Burden or Windowpane. All of these are great Opeth songs
Opeth was the band that first got me into Metal. You should react to Epica - The Phantom Agony They are a symphonic metal band similar to Nightwish. In fact many of the band members of Epica and Nightwish have history together.
Opeth - Moon Above, Sun Below would be a great song for you. Additionally... as stated before Ne Obliviscaris - And Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope (live in Colorado) is an absolute must as it's a composer's wet dream and their most iconic song.
Opeth always liked to experiment with progressions and key changes. Examples are Face of Melinda, Bleak, Harvest, Hessian Peel, Folklore, and even more so in older albums with songs such as The Night and the Silent Water and Black Rose Immortal.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the lyrics entail humanity self-destructing itself. I could be wrong about it, but I thought I read that somewhere. I also thought you’d appreciate the fact that the drums are dialed back in the live mic and the album since you don’t like the double bass😂 trust me, some day, you’ll here a killer double bass groove and love it from then on
It's fun to see a guy that's entirely into music theory.. Judge an artist that makes his songs without any. It's interesting to see the thought process of "wow this progression is really great and sounds unbelievable" then Mikael is just in the studio going "no wait this sounds better" going note by note.
as a seasoned metalhead, the 16th notes on the double bass are basically background driving force to heavier sections of a piece, i dont even notice them anymore. It just signals a higher tempo grinding feel, almost unconsciously
I love seeing videos such as this. I know a lot of educated musicians that dismiss metal.. but to see a choral composer analyzing Opeth just makes my day. If you get time, Doug, check out "Bleak" off this album.. it will make more sense of "Harvest." "Still Day Beneath the Sun" is also worth a listen if you prefer no growls.. and its also the only song Ive learned off this record. Cheers
The 2nd chord of the intro riff is not an Fma7 chord, but a Dmi(add9). That type of chord is a big part of the 'Opeth sound' - it is found all over the place in their music!
It is not a concept album but you could say that there is a link between the songs because they all pretty much deal with the same kind of subject. The albums Still Life and My Arms, Your Hearse are concept albums. Great reaction as always! Would love to see more reactions to Opeth!
Really fascinating hearing you break down songs in a way that's beyond my understanding. I think you would appreciate how Snarky Puppy composees their music. Check out the song "Lingus" if you do.
Double kick is SO powerful! Intense! Maybe you don't ear groove but, I literally run on the ceiling with drumming like that! It's a bucket of heavy stone poured straight into your face! I just look at you at the end, when the double kicks stops. You say this was the best groove of the song and i think that it is the double kicks that landed you there
I really enjoy your reactions; Opeth is one of my favorites bands ever; you should react to eternal rains will come; some of the new stuff. Saludos desde Costa Rica 🇨🇷
Exactly! Things imploding. You should feel dread, pain. Well, at the very least, your attention should have been grabbed :P I really liked watching your video. Thanks for sharing!
Please react to the official video for Eluveitie's Rebirth. Eluveitie is a Swiss Folk Metal band that blends metal guitars, drum and vocals with folk instruments like bagpipes, whistles, mandola, hurdy gurdy, fiddle and harps.
You have done multiple songs from some bands, but if you really want to react to or analyze something unique, Eluveitie's Rebirth is it. In one of your videos, you commented on drumming as "doesnt anybody do something more interesting than 16th notes", or something similar. This drummer does. It is an amazing mix of metal and folk music. I saw them live in 2019 and it blew me away. Please react to Rebirth (the official video). If you can, pay attention to the harsh lyrics, which are incongruous with the image the music projects.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
finally, a "reacts" channel that can actually make more interesting commentary than "wow they're really good".
Word!
Ikr loll, its so fascinating when people know what theyre doing
@Glum Sullen was going to mention him as well, love that guy's videos
Telling me what key they're in doesn't really do anything for me tbh
@@Terminxman Don't be honest then. 😂
I'm a simple man. I see the word Opeth, I click, no questions asked.
Opeth's loyal troops everywhere
@@Bukkowsk1 haha they are xD
Word. 🤣
Yes
I’m a slightly complicated man. I see anything related to Blackwater Park, I click.
Growling is like a dialect. Once you listen to it enough you start to hear the words more easily.
I guess I require 20 years more to be able to do that.
@@Yupppi Depends on the vocalist. I find Mikael Akerfeldt here to be quite understandable, in fact sometimes more understandable when growling than some singers are singing, but others (e.g., Corpsegrinder) are completely unintelligible to me.
but mike is an understandable growler, really talented singer in fact.
@@krisllexo To me its fascinating how clear his growls are. They sound like a natural voice
It is said, "Opeth never played a boring chord," and you picked it out right away! Love listening to the analytical side of reactions, keep it up!
You probably would've gotten more from the studio version, but nevertheless, if you aren't big on double bass drum, then you definitely picked the worst offender of their songs. I can understand if you're not a fan of constant double pedal because it's repetitive and uninventive, but for this particular song, I find that it helps portray and reinforces the intensity of emotion that builds throughout this entire opus of a song. This was the final track on a most epic album, so it is a finale for sure. I believe this is the only song on this album where Mikael uses guttural vocals for the entirely of the track, but most of older Opeth has a fair blend of clean & harsh vocals.
Please keep going back to Opeth and I will keep watching your reactions (newly subscribed!).
Constant 16th note double bass pedal galore is not more "repetitive and uninventive" than a lot of other very traditional rock/metal bass drum patterns. He simply has a bias, nothing more, nothing less.
@@icipher6730 Exactly. Is using a known latin rhythm equally uninventive or are they different rhythms that suit different purposes? That being said, music is subjective and we all have our own biases and that is okay. It's just important to be able to identify what is our personal bias and what isn't.
@@icipher6730 yes it is. It's quantifiably simpler and therefore quantifiably less inventive. "Constant 16th note double kick" is the same note repeated at the same interval. It's not that it's useless, but it is definitely not that inventive.
I think "Master's Apprentices" definitely has more persistent double kick than this, but I feel you haha.
@@corv2731 very true, deliverance overall has a more direct death metal sound overall
This song wouldn't have the right intensity without the double kick sections
Couldnt agree with you more. 100%
Completely agree. Although I do find Doug's perspective quite valuable, because as a metal fan I just take it for granted that there's going to be double kicks all over the place.
@@KyleS.1987for real. It’s a culture thing, he wouldn’t understand.
Non-metal guy: why is he doing the double kicky thingy?
First time listening to metal or some shit? Jesus Christ
@@DuskPatrol this guy has done a lot of Opeth songs since and likes them, relax
Opeth’s library is so diverse. Every album, every song is an entity, by itself.
I wish more people would realize what Mendez does for this band. His bass playing is what Opeth always needs.
Double kick is sort of to drumming what growls are to singing. When you want more and heavier where do you go? An acquired taste in both regards but it definitely has its place. Weather or not you actually like it is another matter.
This hits right on the nail.
If we continue just writing songs to constantly be innovative without having some sort of structure to tie us in, how can we understand what change means?
In this song and in many songs the straight 16 notes induce a sense of stability, a sense of increase in pace, a sense of increased intensity, and when the double bass drops it gives some resemblance to calm or opens your ears to focus on the groove even more.
@@slimefudge beautifully explained
I once converted a beautiful Hispanic lady to metal. Here's how I did it. I would play music in the place where we both worked and she would come by and hear it and it was usually Opeth. Initially she didn't like the death vocals and the distorted guitars, but she did like the mellow music and the clean voices. So I burned a CD of Opeth's "Morningrise" and gave it to her. A couple of months later she came back and said that she was now a metalhead.
It scary to have that much power.
Gosh I envy your powers. I’ve been trying to get my girlfriend into this type of thing for years. She really likes mellow Opeth but can’t handle the growling
@@rivercoyle7591 if I may offer some advice, help her to understand the growling in the context of the songs. when I first heard death metal and black metal, I was put off by the vocals as well but, I learned to appreciate it, to understand why they do it. If you know the technique of fry singing, you can show her how it's done to help her to understand it more. This type of music is a very acquired taste. Just go slow and maybe she'll get there, but also realize that some people just will never accept it. Be prepared for that as well. 🤘🎶🤘
@@morlokkurak4763 all great advice. I’m hoping it can work because she too is a beautiful Hispanic woman hahaha. I didn’t really like growling either until around high school and that was after listening to heavy rock my entire life. So hopefully in a few more years of me listening to it around her she will come to love it too
She was probably into you mate :)
And plague flowers the kaleidoscope by Ne Obliviscaris or The unimaginable zero summer by Wilderun are great songs for a composer
Exactly these two 🤘
Second And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope especially the Live in Denver, Colorado version.
im waiting for this reaction
Yeah, absolutely
APftK is one of my all-time favourites - I think Doug wouldn't enjoy the double-bass pedal. Instead, how about Devour Me, Colossus (Part I): Blackholes?
The Funeral Portrait is my favorite song off Black Water Park. Highly underrated song.
It'd be my favorite if Bleak, BWP, The Leper Affinity, and The Drapery Falls weren't already on it.
Fuck yeeees!
That was the first Opeth song I ever heard. I immediately downloaded the whole album because I appreciated that they were using an acoustic guitar as a rhythm instrument in a metal song. I knew right away there would be something different about them.
Best for headbanging. Love that track.
@TheMrAdax well just because you Don't like it doesn't mean you're right so shut up with that nah crap 😐
I believe this is the only song in their entire catalog that has no clean vocals at all. Mikael's harsh vocals were almost gone at this point. He apparently had damaged them on a tour, because he couldn't hear himself properly due to bad equipment and overdid it. Of course, he has transitioned away from growls on more recent albums.
I don't think this is a concept album (like Still Life was), but there is a distinct theme. This album was produced by Steven Wilson, who is the lead singer of Porcupine Tree.
Heir Apparent and Wreath are the other one without clean vocals that I can think of !
@@alexandremarchand8815 Wreath has clean vocals at the very end. BWP and Heir Apparent are the only ones with exclusively harsh vocals :)
@@AugustoRudzinski Haaaa yeah I just listened to it, I forgot that little part at the end of the song haha :P
Incorrect. There are quite a few Opeth songs with no clean vocals. In fact, almost all of the songs on My Arms, Your Hearse have no clean vocals at all.
Damnation doesnt have any clean vocals either
If you want some _really interesting_ Opeth, harmonically speaking, try "Benighted", "Face of Melinda", or anything from the "Damnation" album. Those songs are all mostly clean guitars and no double-kick.
He did 100 million different things before straight 16th note on the kicks.
He always do that, the drummer (in dream theater or SymphonyX, I remember those at least) does wonders, but he just points when the guy goes double bass drum, it's a cognitve bias!
Just 10 million
@@PauCardona its metal. It's a staple of the genre. Its like complaining that jazz drummers always play the swing...
@@casaroli Yes, is like listening to death metal and complaining about the growls, but is also true that Mike Portnoy and the Opeth dude (sorry, don't know the name) are really open minded drummers. I mean Mike f++ng Portnoy!! Must say I really enjoys his reviews other than this drum fixation thing.... 😁
@@PauCardona hi there, Martín López was the drummer back then. He left the band months before Ghost Reveries came out. Outstanding drummer.
If you care to look it up, he has a band called Soen.
Mikael's vocals were so shot at this show.
Yeah, it bothers me quite a bit. On the studio albums his growls are awesome but on most live recordings they are less great :(
@@bernhardkrickl3567 They are better in The Roundhouse performance. His vocals live were in the God Tier from 2001-2008 before fading a bit. Even Mike acknowledges they were off for RAH. They have improved since, as I much prefer his vox at Red Rocks to RAH.
Honestly, I wish Fred’s effects were different for both LA and BWP in this show. His playing, musicianship and timing is absolutely stellar, but the effects just sounded a little “off” from the rest of the band here (I had none of those complaints at Red Rocks). I thought Peter's effects at The Roundhouse made the latter part of this song sound more haunting (as it does on the album). Minor squibble. I have nothing but praise for everything Fred did in Red Rocks as a point of comparison. Overall it's a small critique for an otherwise legendary performance here (The Moor at RAH was one of their greatest performances ever).
@@benjaminhoneycutt97 Yes, Roundhouse was better, I agree.
@@bernhardkrickl3567 To think that when recording Roundhouse he actually had a really bad cold... but yeah, the Roundhouse version is a lot better, starting with this epic beginning ("Can you sing that note? Now hold it through the entire song")!
@@bernhardkrickl3567 Look for Lamentations, live at Shepherds Bush Empire, they had two sets: the mellow one and the metal one as well. Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.
This is why I've been listening to Opeth for over 20 years, their progressive style makes my brain melt and I love it!!! :D
If you wanna see/hear someone using the double kick technique while making it a really creative groove, check out Ne Obliviscaris - And Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope.
The song is part of the curriculum of the classical composition course at Sydney Conservatorium of Music even though it's a progressive death/black metal piece because it's composition is just that outstanding.
Damn right. He should
That's pretty much al 16th notes though
Dude, I really enjoy your comments about the song and I'm glad you decided to listen to this live version. However, you really need to listen to the studio version with the lyrics on hand to have the best experience possible. I always use this song to test my new speakers or earbuds.
So glad you picked this song to review!! Quite enjoyed it!!There are other songs where he sings though>And believe it or not his voice is quite soothing hahah.
You sir, are amazing. Love from an Indian Metalhead.
p.s. by the way, if you put lyrics next to any growl vocals you can instantly start hearing them super clean, brain does somekind of funky magic
"That's an interesting progression y'all" is a good summary of Opeth's entire catalogue tbh.
Showing the structure as you do, by identifying the notes and their repetition, gives another dimension to the listening process. Your knowledge really gives you such a wide appreciation of the music you hear. I do not have that knowledge, but I can appreciate yours, and your use of it. Again, Thank you.
Really enjoying your videos about metal music. So much of it is a continuation of classical music that I'm glad you have that appreciation for it.
Opeth is amazing; Mikael Åkerfeldt really knows how to write a groove. If you like the tight ensemble feeling in progressive metal, I heartily recommend The Ocean Collective! Some tracks you from their recent two albums you might enjoy both technically and lyrically might be "Devonian: Nascent", "Silurian: Age of Sea Scorpions" and "Jurassic | Cretaceous".
I second this.
A lead singer that can sing, growl, and play lead guitar…a rare breed & one of the best to do it!
In my youth I listened to pop songs (what ever my mom listened to in the car) like Paula Abdul, Sr. Mix-A-Lot, 80s wave, 90's pop, etc...
My dad was a guitarist and would show me all kinds of great bands like Metallica, Dream Theater, feckin' SRV! (The G.O.A.T.), Johnny Cash, Zeppelin, etc...
but my friend in high school introduced me to Opeth. Never looked back since then. As a guitarist now of 18 years, they play some of the most interesting chords and progressions I have ever attempted. A truly amazing band. They have some of the most beautiful songs, and some of the most brutal breakdowns I have ever heard. A real listening experience.
I used to fall asleep to BWP and Still Life albums at night for probably 2 years straight. Still listen to those albums today quite often.
I love how this band can pull you right out of your comfort zone and just make you appreciate everything about it.
I love seeing classical teachers/composers reacting to Opeth's genius, that is so good man !
Sir, thank you for that one :')
Those moments that cause Doug to stop mid-syllable with that surprised look on his face? Priceless. Best part of his reactions.
I love your reactions! you bring intelligence and your musical theory prowess. Almost seems like listening to these songs again for the first time. Love it
Man, I love growling and double bass drums but to each their own. The intensity is part of the story.
Agreed.
The problems starts when "intensity" becomes the WHOLE story. Then there is no more space for anything else, that's the major problem with almost every black metal band.
Great video as always Doug!
thank you so much for doing this !!!!!!!!
Lovelorn Crime is a song from their latest album. It has no growling, no double pedal kick drum, but it's a great song and it features one of the most beautiful rock guitar solos ever recorded.
Would be cool to see you do a reaction to Opeth without carrying on about how you don't like the double pedals and the growling.
It's obviously two stylistic choices that you do not really appreciate. Yet. We get where you're coming from. But to most of us who like Opeth those two things adds even more dimension to their songs, and they apply them very skillfully compared to most other bands.
Man, the solo from that song... I'm absolutely in love with it
I need to listen to that album a couple times.
@@radosawwalkowski5824 Same! Stirs up emotions in me!
The best reacting channel on RUclips
Hello Doug. Another very entertaining reaction. Your analyses of the songs structures are definitely my favorite part. I have to say you're an inspiration to what I want to achieve as a student of music theory. Thank you!!!
Blind Guardian - And then there was silence - lots of interesting orchestral elements in a metal version of Homer's Iliad
The siege of troy part, from the point of view of Cassandra
I would love if he did this, and he would probably choose the Imaginations Through The Looking Glass version
I recommend the studio version from Night at the Opera. The layering and orchestration really make the piece stand out and u kind of lose that live.
Why? So he can just scrap the best parts for having double kick drums? No, thanks.
Hey man, your videos are super wholesome and i love when you talk about what the songs actually do.
I think you really should consider reacting and analysing video game soundtracks, there is a lot of amazing stuff that youmight actually like since there are also a bunch of more classical compositions to be found.
I'm really enjoying your analysis, keep it up!
I think a good way look at harsher vocals is to see them as an instrument instead of just lyrics. In my opinion it conveys a lot more emotion than normal singing and gives a track an extra dimension especially when combined with normal singing which he does do in the rest of the album.
I also love the double kick, apart from the technical aspect I think it can really change the sound of track depending on what he is doing with his arms or whether he slows down, pauses etc. I think a good example in this song is 14:00 to 14:10 where all he does is stop playing the snare and instead hits a cymbal but it makes that riff sound 10x as heavy as before.
Every vocals are instrument, the point is that a song with only harsh vocals is like an instrument with only one note.
Unless you're doing majority percussive-like songs (such as Meshuggah) that reallys cutdown the options for composition.
I would absolutely love to see you get through The Count of Tuscany by Dream Theater
For real, he will really like the composition, especially the ending
this!!
Yeah, that's something he'd surely like
Yes. The Count and A Change of Seasons
That and ministry of lost souls (studio version, I always thought the live version sounded kind of out of tune)
Double kick 16ths convey the frantic nature and drive of the realizations being conveyed in the lyrics, and they only resolve once the realizations resolve.
You have a good 'ear', Doug. I do enjoy your analysis of the music you review. Thank you.
May I suggest some Marillion. They've got a huge back catalogue with tons of great songs such as Kayleigh, Neverland, Easter, Beautiful, Splintering Heart, The Great Escape. They have had 2 fantastic vocalists, an awesome guitarist and a great bassist and keyboard player. The songs have great composition and are meaningful and emotional also.
Opeth - Ghost of Perdition, next time you're in an Opeth mood :)
duly noted...
Consider the studio version over the live version - you can hear the nuance
@@Doug.Helvering It's their best song imo. On a long list of great songs :)
It's hands down one of the best metal songs in the world... you will be surprised. Opeth are such incredible musicians...
Opeth are great. The entire Blackwater album is fantastic. Got me through some tough times after the passing of my father. Favorite song on the album being "Harvest".
i think the double kick gives the song what it needs. POWERFULL Foundation to build everything up on. Upgrade your headphones and listen to the studio version. Then you can deceiver much more!
Saw them live just over a year ago, they'd set the double kick really high in the mix and it really pummelled you in the stomach even at the back of the venue. Really enjoyed it though, my first metal concert
@@reubennb2859 You can't dance to it
@@zambotv8150 it doesn't matter, you don't dance to Opeth in the first place and you can dance to it, you dance to the quarter notes.
@@zambotv8150 Head banging, mosh pits, etc are the metal form of dancing
@@zambotv8150 you arent supposed to
Doug, Good reaction. Love Opeth. This era of their catalog is heavy on growl and double bass drum but still very creative arrangements with heavy and acoustic sections. Their album Damnation release shortly after the album Black Water Park, is predominantly acoustic based songs. Windowpane, In my Time of Need and others are fan favorites. Really great tunes, and no double bass drums. Later albums are varied, with clean vocal, prog rock vibes, and much experimentation. Heritage & Pale Communion have some really great music that is very versatile with great vocal arrangements. Songs of note, The Devils Orchard, I feel the Dark, Famine, Voice of Treason, River, Moon Above Sun Below...so many great offerings. You can't go wrong. Cheers.
So glad to have been there for that gig ❤
Rock on Doug! :)
Really fun to see your perspective on songs that (almost all of them) I listened so much! I would suggest doing Anesthetize live in Tilburg by Porcupine Tree. Long song, beautiful and nicely building up. Good musicians especially the drummer. And Steven Wilson, I think you know him.
Keep it coming, everytime I see a new upload it makes me happy, loving it.
I think their Damnation album is one of my top 10 of all time. It's all clean vocals, super mellow, and only light distortion on the leads. Try Windowpane. The beauty of his PRS guitars really come through too.
How cool to be able to hear a chord or song and know immediately which chord and progression it is. I enjoy your reactions. More Dream Theater please.
Loved hearing your insight
I like the fact that with so much experience you still learn something new!
Opeth is one of the tightest bands I've seen musically. Everything sounded *perfect* when I saw them. What a great band.
Man your skill to identify chords is insane! great song and great reaction
Holy sheet batman, 20 years?! This album still sounds as fresh and cool as ever. It's awesome.
Hi Doug, I'm Luz from Argentina. I discovered you yesterday while surfing youtube and im so glad I did. I've been an Opeth fan for 23 years and its actually a pleasure to hear principles and fundaments from a classical composer. Which is amazing is, as a girl that doesn't play any instruments but super keen to learn at least some of the music theory, by listening to you i can add more depth and knowledge to the feelings i already have for them.
Id have liked that you couldve listened to the studio version of Blackwater Park. Mikaels voice was on point and well, he kind of lost it by then.
While it is not a conceptual album, it has a cohesive union that binds and ties everything together, each song has a purpose and as any other record has a purpose as to why it is specifically there (not that im saying anything new 😂).
This is the final song and his words at the end of it, quote: "The sun sets forever over Blackwater Park" gets me chills everytime adding this texture of absolute darkness in a magnificent way with a hint of calm with those acoustic guitars. That's why i believe lyrics and music goes hand in hand, so next time keep it close so you can understand how the dynamics between lyrics and music flows as one. And i think, for us metal fans, its of massive importance.
Even if I have 2 absolute favorite records from them, this record will forever be in my top 3. It's special and i hold it close to my heart forever. Sorry for the typos or grammatical mistakes and for the long ass writing.
I enjoy your videos a lot, Doug. Greetings!
Nice reaction/analysis! I remember a live performance of theirs when Mikael asked the audience to sing that initial note/harmonic and keep singing it throughout the song 🥰😅 great band/song!
Regarding double kick bass drums... well it's about intensity. Plus the growls, well I love em'.
you should totally check out Ne Obliviscaris - And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope, a compositional masterpiece in the metal scene and is even used in a class at the Sydney Conservatorium Of Music
I think you were SPOT ON when you said that maybe it's a "maybe it's sign of things imploding on a central point" during that part of the song. It's the last song on the album and I think it sort of heralds the end and hints toward the last lines in the song:
"Sick liaisons raised this monumental mark
The sun sets forever over Black Water Park".
And more than just the last two lines of course, but I think it hit just right.
Man, you are great at this. Can't believe I didn't find your channel until today.
The meaning of this song fits the rest of the album. To me this album is a long journey and tells a story of addiction of a demon or nosferatu feeding on his victims, both relishing in it and feeling disgusted by his need, and remembering his past as he died, and trying to commit suicide to escape his fate but not succeeding. He remains and watches the depravity of manking and evil unfold. Forever bound to watch the world live and die before him, and he can do nothing but remain, forced to feed, forced to suffer and to watch mankind suffer alongside him.
Death metal is not for you to understand the lyrics in the moment, it is about what it makes you feel, then you look for the lyrics and you keep discovering the song, that's the beauty of the genre.
If you haven’t definitely check out there live performance of deliverance..!!!! It’s outstanding
And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope by Ne Obliviscaris. They are studied at Sydney Conseveratorium of Music so, as you can imagine, it's a really great piece of music.
Most of Opeth's catalog has a Jekyll and Hyde thing going on with the combo of growls and clean vocals in most of their songs. However, in their most recent albums, growls are not featured. Maybe try River from their Pale Communion album and see how you like that!
Yeah! This one is an exception from the "gowls/cleans-rule" of former days.
(The Damnation album is as well of course...)
Disagreed on the double kick drumming. It adds so much intensity and heaviness that helps add to the build up in the song. Everything comes to a head after so much epic build up. It's great. Nice to see an Opeth analysis from someone so knowledgeable about music. Good luck man.
Love your channel mate. Love the maiden content
Symphony X - The Odyssey. Absolutely phenomenal long symphonic metal piece that really takes you through the paces!
First video of yours and enjoyed it!
Blackwater Park, Deliverance and Damnation, the two following albums were all produced by Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), that was the real secret to these albums...
This album is so awesome and Mikeal is simply a genius in my opinion !!! The whole album could be adapted in a classical master piece just for people to understand and feel how deep it is !!! It is all about (dark) emotions ...
12:09 - Not far off from the lyrical theme, actually. The song is about a village ravaged by disease from a perspective of a still healthy villager, who then gets infected and eventually dies, right around the time you pointed that out.
EDIT: Ah, should've watched before commenting. Oops. And yes, it is a metaphor for society and it's eventual demise, or so I've heard. The societies obsession with morbidity and evil, to be more precise.
I recommend you Bleak or The Moor if you want long progressive songs, if you want melow songs with no harsh vocals listen to Harvest, Burden or Windowpane.
All of these are great Opeth songs
Theory weeeee!
Thank you for speaking my language.
Opeth was the band that first got me into Metal.
You should react to Epica - The Phantom Agony
They are a symphonic metal band similar to Nightwish. In fact many of the band members of Epica and Nightwish have history together.
I've been suggesting Cry for the Moon, but Phantom Agony would be good as well. (Not like Epica has many bad songs... ;-) =) )
@@RealRuler2112 Cry for the moon would be great too. Or Kingdom of Heaven
Can't recommend Ne Obliviscaris - And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope enough, its a masterpiece and worth a listen.
Opeth - Moon Above, Sun Below would be a great song for you.
Additionally... as stated before Ne Obliviscaris - And Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope (live in Colorado) is an absolute must as it's a composer's wet dream and their most iconic song.
Opeth always liked to experiment with progressions and key changes. Examples are Face of Melinda, Bleak, Harvest, Hessian Peel, Folklore, and even more so in older albums with songs such as The Night and the Silent Water and Black Rose Immortal.
Good job mate. I hate people doing just 'darn they're good'.. your reaction makes sense. Danke
You’re spot on regarding the meaning of the song. I think Mikael said pretty much the same in an interview.
If you like anniversaries really go for "The Last Baron". Mastodon recently turned 21, and the song is bonkers.
Dirge for November is probably my favourite from 'Blackwater Park'...would be interesting to hear what you think of it. ;)
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the lyrics entail humanity self-destructing itself. I could be wrong about it, but I thought I read that somewhere. I also thought you’d appreciate the fact that the drums are dialed back in the live mic and the album since you don’t like the double bass😂 trust me, some day, you’ll here a killer double bass groove and love it from then on
The double kick for me helps create a sense of angst and panic. maybe not for others but it helps the guitars create an atmosphere and a feeling.
This track does not demonstrate his awesome clean vocals, believe it or not he sings like an angel (in between the growling lool)
It's fun to see a guy that's entirely into music theory..
Judge an artist that makes his songs without any.
It's interesting to see the thought process of "wow this progression is really great and sounds unbelievable" then Mikael is just in the studio going "no wait this sounds better" going note by note.
as a seasoned metalhead, the 16th notes on the double bass are basically background driving force to heavier sections of a piece, i dont even notice them anymore. It just signals a higher tempo grinding feel, almost unconsciously
classic song, great band, tnks from brazil
Hard to believe this is 20 years old... I discovered them around the time this album came out when I was 15. I suddenly feel old now...
I love seeing videos such as this. I know a lot of educated musicians that dismiss metal.. but to see a choral composer analyzing Opeth just makes my day. If you get time, Doug, check out "Bleak" off this album.. it will make more sense of "Harvest." "Still Day Beneath the Sun" is also worth a listen if you prefer no growls.. and its also the only song Ive learned off this record. Cheers
You will enjoy Opeth in the Red Rocks concert DVD... pick any song! Great songs to analyse.
The 2nd chord of the intro riff is not an Fma7 chord, but a Dmi(add9). That type of chord is a big part of the 'Opeth sound' - it is found all over the place in their music!
It is not a concept album but you could say that there is a link between the songs because they all pretty much deal with the same kind of subject. The albums Still Life and My Arms, Your Hearse are concept albums. Great reaction as always! Would love to see more reactions to Opeth!
Really fascinating hearing you break down songs in a way that's beyond my understanding. I think you would appreciate how Snarky Puppy composees their music. Check out the song "Lingus" if you do.
Really like their music...Lingus is amazing.
@@Doug.Helvering haha I can't say that I'm surprised that you've heard them already
@@Doug.Helvering I’m sure many people would love the musical analysis of Lingus, even if you’ve seen it before!
Double kick is SO powerful! Intense! Maybe you don't ear groove but, I literally run on the ceiling with drumming like that! It's a bucket of heavy stone poured straight into your face! I just look at you at the end, when the double kicks stops. You say this was the best groove of the song and i think that it is the double kicks that landed you there
the sun sets forever over blackwater park.... gets me every time
I really enjoy your reactions; Opeth is one of my favorites bands ever; you should react to eternal rains will come; some of the new stuff. Saludos desde Costa Rica 🇨🇷
Exactly! Things imploding. You should feel dread, pain. Well, at the very least, your attention should have been grabbed :P I really liked watching your video. Thanks for sharing!
Please react to the official video for Eluveitie's Rebirth. Eluveitie is a Swiss Folk Metal band that blends metal guitars, drum and vocals with folk instruments like bagpipes, whistles, mandola, hurdy gurdy, fiddle and harps.
You have done multiple songs from some bands, but if you really want to react to or analyze something unique, Eluveitie's Rebirth is it. In one of your videos, you commented on drumming as "doesnt anybody do something more interesting than 16th notes", or something similar. This drummer does. It is an amazing mix of metal and folk music. I saw them live in 2019 and it blew me away. Please react to Rebirth (the official video). If you can, pay attention to the harsh lyrics, which are incongruous with the image the music projects.