0:05 The Drapery Falls 0:47 Patterns In The Ivy II 1:02 Deliverance 1:33 Ghost of Perdition 1:58 The Night and The Silent Water 2:08 Bleak 2:38 Blackwater Park 3:10 Deliverance & Harlequin Forest
@@nikitpad3532 oh that’s true! I was shooting for the vibe of that very first acoustic break in blackwater park before the vocals kick in - but I definitely hear closure now that you mention it
A lot of this isn't how to write like Opeth but how to copy their homework and change a bit lol. Still a great way to write. I definitely do it. That's almost entirely from closure. If this were how to write like Opeth, you'd find it repeating in their work but other than a few motifs in writing style, it's nothing like it or they'll do something entirely new. Opeth would never write what he's playing there.
Damn, this is great. Sort of “I already feel that just listening, but now it's explained”. Thanks! I don't want to copy them, but is a hell of an influence to have in mind.
great job dude. i spent my early years trying to figure out the formula without learning the actual music, by the time i got good at guitar enough to just play stuff i heard i realized i was already playing all the notes i need to decode my favorite songs just in a different order.
I just realized you had a separate channel. This is such a Sweet Video dude! Makes me reminisce back to my Days in Highschool listening to Still Life Every Day. Cheers Brother
@@JacobNates Both Anders and Don Anderson, from Agalloch, are some of my favorite guitar players and I think that they are kinda underrated. Also hard to find a breakdown of their song structutes
@@JacobNates Recently discovered Psychotic Waltz and I am really impressed by their guitar work. It seems to be more in line with the stuff you play, too
subscribed! epic work! and really nice to watch and listen, i am musician (or something like that) too and the most tutorials or "lessons" on yt are really boring for me. Epic masterpiece you wrote by the way!
@@evelynmedeiros9982 ohhhh I would actually love to do an Alice in Chains video. Hoping to pivot back to these "how to write like" videos after my band's album is done!
Very nice. For me the common stuff that repeats in all of it (even the newer stuff) is lots of tritones everywhere and the really big thing is that a lot of riffs use both the major 3rd and the minor 3rd. A lot of it is built off Phrygian dominant but he throws the minor 3rd in all over the place as well. He moves around in half steps so maybe this just grew organically out of playing that way. Even the newer albums have a ton of riffs that you could drop directly into blackwater park,etc, if you turned the gain up
Really spot on with the tones and feel of their composition. Obviously as a progressive band, they change it up, however, I can hear a lot of the same patterns in even newer albums. How about some Nile breakdowns or Dimmu Borgir?
Aside from a couple riffs sounding a little too close to the originals for comfort, this is an excellent breakdown of Mikael's writing style pre Heritage. Pulling inspiration from multiple albums was also a bit of a voyage through time. Nicely done.
Hey! Sick stuff... I'm curious, you have a Laney VH100R, but you didn't use it here. I found one for a decent price, but I can't decide whether to get it or not. Could you tell me about your experience with it? Does it sound anything like Blackwater Park or Deliverance? Also, you used the 6505 here... ultra or crunch? Sorry for all of these questions but I'm a giant nerd about this stuff.
Hey man! Yeah, I didn't use the Laney here because it was just too loud for the apartment. (I found a workaround since I recorded this video where I put an EQ pedal in the loop and drop the volume on the pedal) I'd describe the Laney as smoother than the Peavey. There's a more "harsh" feel to the 6505. If you want to add me on FB or Instagram I can DM you some tone samples. (name is just Jacob Nates on both). I know there's not much info on the VH100R online. But I think it's definitely able to get the old Opeth sound with the right passive pickups and whatnot. The tone here was 50% peavey on the higher gain channel with a bad monkey overdrive. (I think it was with the direct out that has a cab sim) and then I mixed that with the Ignite Amps Emissary VST and I think the Lancaster Audio EVH impulse response.
@@JacobNates Added you, would love to hear samples! I have a VH100R coming in the mail that I'm gonna play around with for my Opeth inspired project :-D
This is incredible, but there's a couple things missing that I feel that many bands who try and emulate Opeth often miss. And that's those melancholic minor chord melodies that either punctuate or are woven among the heavier and more brutal moments. My Arms, Your Hearse is full of these, such as in 4:44 in April Ethereal, 3:59 of The Amen Corner and 5:27 of Demon of the Fall. The other thing missing is the strong influence of jazz in their music. You hear it all over the place in their clean guitar leads. There are bands who get the heavy and dissonant riffs as well as the acoustic guitars right, but miss those elements of Opeth's music that make it so special.
I've been trying to write stuff like this, and the writing is great fun, but I've really been struggling to find a distortion tone that works well for the style, every plug in I have tried is way to distorted to the point you loose the cool harmonies in the writing (these plugins work great for chugging though!) So if anyone has any tips on finding a good tone, please let me know! (I'm using Logic btw).
Doubt that (b) part. Opeth has basically turned away from their old style and gone full shag carpet 70s prog rock now. It's not bad .. it's just not the Opeth I prefer.
Schecter c-1 with a JB bridge pickup / fender cd-60 acoustic / I think I used a little bit of the 6505mh for the guitar tone blended with the emissary VST / lancaster audio impulse responses
It means there’s no key center, like the G in the key of G major. In this instance, I was shooting for a 12-tone idea and no notes repeat in the sequence. It’s something I don’t have the best understanding of in the world, admittedly - but I saw them mess with the idea in a few of their songs and wanted to include it!
Really not doing much here to show how the jazz influences that's been there since like... The third album, and the emphasis on groove shows itself on guitar. But you do the riffs pretty alright.
This guy's got a master's degree in opeth's discography
0:05 The Drapery Falls
0:47 Patterns In The Ivy II
1:02 Deliverance
1:33 Ghost of Perdition
1:58 The Night and The Silent Water
2:08 Bleak
2:38 Blackwater Park
3:10 Deliverance & Harlequin Forest
Really close! Third one was Demon of the Fall 👀
2:38 sounds more like Closure to me at the beginning
@@nikitpad3532 oh that’s true! I was shooting for the vibe of that very first acoustic break in blackwater park before the vocals kick in - but I definitely hear closure now that you mention it
Really? 1:02 felt like wreath kinda
Wrong!
Watched this video and realized how much Opeth has influenced my song-writing
Bruh. This should be on an album.
Maybe once I get enough of these "How to" songs, I'll record them all in one session and put it on spotify or something
@@JacobNates heck yeah man. Pin your comment with a link when you do that!
Haha, it already is! Really good ones!
Dude you captured their writing style so perfectly. I'm blown away, thanks so much for this.
the riff starting at 2:38 is just absurdly good dude, sounds straight out of blackwater park
This needs to be its own song tbh
that's closure
A lot of this isn't how to write like Opeth but how to copy their homework and change a bit lol. Still a great way to write. I definitely do it. That's almost entirely from closure. If this were how to write like Opeth, you'd find it repeating in their work but other than a few motifs in writing style, it's nothing like it or they'll do something entirely new. Opeth would never write what he's playing there.
Dude, that was fucking amazing! It sounded just like old Opeth! Riffs were absolutely killer. I would totally add this song in my Spotify list
I appreciate that! Thanks for watching!
sounds exactly like Opeth man, well done
If only you made an album of this!
He would need more ideas for more 8 songs lol
Surprised this has less than 10k views. Very well done! Love to hear anything about Opeth.
Thank you!
Damn, this is great. Sort of “I already feel that just listening, but now it's explained”. Thanks! I don't want to copy them, but is a hell of an influence to have in mind.
Love, love, love this! You emulate them perfectly.
Damn dude this was brilliant! You nailed it perfectly
This was an amazing song. Well done! I really miss this era of Opeth.
Incredible! I hate that I’m just finding this after being posted for 2 years! Great job!
Huge Opeth fan here, glad this popped up in my feed. You did some master work, definitely subbed.
Well done mate, nice playing over there, greetings and respect from Greece!
this is amazing man
This was fantastic.
Amazing quality! Perfect vid
Brutal and beautiful. Amazing!
man this is just amazing....
Nailed it perfectly, great video!!
Daaaaaamn! Loved the riffs.
great job dude. i spent my early years trying to figure out the formula without learning the actual music, by the time i got good at guitar enough to just play stuff i heard i realized i was already playing all the notes i need to decode my favorite songs just in a different order.
I listened to so much Opeth when I started playing guitar and now this is just my natural style. Akerfeldt is a visionary
This blew my mind. Hearing riffs so reminiscent of my favorite music yet not those actual songs bent my brain. Great synopsis.
I just realized you had a separate channel. This is such a Sweet Video dude! Makes me reminisce back to my Days in Highschool listening to Still Life Every Day. Cheers Brother
Pretty much perfection. Well done!
I really appreciate that!
This is phenomenal bro
spot on, well done
Great job. Love the “song”!
This is exactly opeth 👌
Amazing job!
This is sick dude
holy shit bro, mindblowing job!
great video my friend!
Very good! Thank you!
The only thing it needs is vocals, and you won't be able to distinguish between the original opeth song and this masterpiece 🤘🤘🖤🔥
perfection.
This is awesome
Amazing song!
This is awesome and of great help, thanks! I would love to see either Katatonia or Novembre next ♡
Oh Katatonia would be fun 👀
@@JacobNates Both Anders and Don Anderson, from Agalloch, are some of my favorite guitar players and I think that they are kinda underrated. Also hard to find a breakdown of their song structutes
@@JacobNates Recently discovered Psychotic Waltz and I am really impressed by their guitar work. It seems to be more in line with the stuff you play, too
Brilliant!
That was pretty good!
subscribed! epic work! and really nice to watch and listen, i am musician (or something like that) too and the most tutorials or "lessons" on yt are really boring for me. Epic masterpiece you wrote by the way!
Awesome riffs :)
Appreciate it!
Make more of these please, and Katatonia would be very helpful
perfectly done
nice video! i would like to see insomnium or early in flames next
Oh man, I'm a huge fan of both of those. Added them to the list!
This is awesome. Riff at 2:55 is so catchy
Awesome ! i'd love to watch more videos like this 👏👏
What are some bands you’d like to see?
@@JacobNates Pearl Jam and Alice in chains
@@evelynmedeiros9982 ohhhh I would actually love to do an Alice in Chains video.
Hoping to pivot back to these "how to write like" videos after my band's album is done!
@@JacobNates Cool! I'll be waiting. Take the time you need 😄👍
Dude these riffs are killer
SICK RIFFS
Great job m8, I'll try make some riffs with your observations
nice man
Please write the next Opeth album. Really miss the old pre prog Opeth!
nice job! do more like this! :)
Thank you! Trying to decide which band to do next
@@JacobNates If you don't mind me giving a suggestion, you should do Haken!
Also a lot of melody lines harmonized in minor 3rds. Watershed has a lot of those.
Very nice.
For me the common stuff that repeats in all of it (even the newer stuff) is lots of tritones everywhere and the really big thing is that a lot of riffs use both the major 3rd and the minor 3rd. A lot of it is built off Phrygian dominant but he throws the minor 3rd in all over the place as well. He moves around in half steps so maybe this just grew organically out of playing that way. Even the newer albums have a ton of riffs that you could drop directly into blackwater park,etc, if you turned the gain up
Aaargh.... I JUST got OFF of an Opeth binge! Now I gotta go back.
I see a 6505mh I hit the like button.
Still got mine! And I still love it.
It’s a monster of a little amp!
duh... speechless.
hey you should make some tabs for this, id love to learn this
Tasty riffs
Really spot on with the tones and feel of their composition. Obviously as a progressive band, they change it up, however, I can hear a lot of the same patterns in even newer albums. How about some Nile breakdowns or Dimmu Borgir?
Aside from a couple riffs sounding a little too close to the originals for comfort, this is an excellent breakdown of Mikael's writing style pre Heritage. Pulling inspiration from multiple albums was also a bit of a voyage through time. Nicely done.
I headbanged at 02:49 :D
Wow
Opeth's riff and arrangement style are so similar yet so different to mine which is cool ig
Hey! Sick stuff... I'm curious, you have a Laney VH100R, but you didn't use it here. I found one for a decent price, but I can't decide whether to get it or not. Could you tell me about your experience with it? Does it sound anything like Blackwater Park or Deliverance?
Also, you used the 6505 here... ultra or crunch? Sorry for all of these questions but I'm a giant nerd about this stuff.
Hey man! Yeah, I didn't use the Laney here because it was just too loud for the apartment. (I found a workaround since I recorded this video where I put an EQ pedal in the loop and drop the volume on the pedal)
I'd describe the Laney as smoother than the Peavey. There's a more "harsh" feel to the 6505. If you want to add me on FB or Instagram I can DM you some tone samples. (name is just Jacob Nates on both). I know there's not much info on the VH100R online. But I think it's definitely able to get the old Opeth sound with the right passive pickups and whatnot.
The tone here was 50% peavey on the higher gain channel with a bad monkey overdrive. (I think it was with the direct out that has a cab sim) and then I mixed that with the Ignite Amps Emissary VST and I think the Lancaster Audio EVH impulse response.
@@JacobNates Added you, would love to hear samples! I have a VH100R coming in the mail that I'm gonna play around with for my Opeth inspired project :-D
Man that sound fuckin amazing
Thank you!
This is incredible, but there's a couple things missing that I feel that many bands who try and emulate Opeth often miss. And that's those melancholic minor chord melodies that either punctuate or are woven among the heavier and more brutal moments. My Arms, Your Hearse is full of these, such as in 4:44 in April Ethereal, 3:59 of The Amen Corner and 5:27 of Demon of the Fall. The other thing missing is the strong influence of jazz in their music. You hear it all over the place in their clean guitar leads. There are bands who get the heavy and dissonant riffs as well as the acoustic guitars right, but miss those elements of Opeth's music that make it so special.
Maan what if Mikael reacted to this!!! awesome job!!
That would be nerve wracking lol thank you!
PLease put out an album like this if you haven't already-
fucking nailed it
i came to the comments to say: YES.
I came looking for memes, and I found gold!
I've been trying to write stuff like this, and the writing is great fun, but I've really been struggling to find a distortion tone that works well for the style, every plug in I have tried is way to distorted to the point you loose the cool harmonies in the writing (these plugins work great for chugging though!) So if anyone has any tips on finding a good tone, please let me know! (I'm using Logic btw).
I hope a) that you make your own Opeth influenced music like this because...why not?.. b) Mikael makes a video featuring this piece
Doubt that (b) part. Opeth has basically turned away from their old style and gone full shag carpet 70s prog rock now. It's not bad .. it's just not the Opeth I prefer.
3:00
Holy shit. This is like an Opeth clone
It sounds exactly like the drapery falls
Awesome. What equipment did you use?
Schecter c-1 with a JB bridge pickup / fender cd-60 acoustic / I think I used a little bit of the 6505mh for the guitar tone blended with the emissary VST / lancaster audio impulse responses
I wanted to use the laney vh100 since Opeth actually used to play them but maaan that's a loud amp
For the last phrase: Meshuggah :)
Was going for that Deliverance / Harlequin Forest outro vibe!
What does atonal mean? 2:22
It means there’s no key center, like the G in the key of G major. In this instance, I was shooting for a 12-tone idea and no notes repeat in the sequence.
It’s something I don’t have the best understanding of in the world, admittedly - but I saw them mess with the idea in a few of their songs and wanted to include it!
TRU
According to this speed, we will have how to write like Lamb of God in 2 years.
Lmao! My band Deathless has been working on our second album, but once that’s out I plan on hitting RUclips hard 🙂
This is like Wariopeth
ONE.
write epic polyrythm B)
TWO.
sing awesome growl
THREE.
pwn
Does anyone know why Opeth sounds like Pirates of the Caribbean?
This guy sounds more like Opeth than Opeth
And all that would just be intro to a song
Really not doing much here to show how the jazz influences that's been there since like... The third album, and the emphasis on groove shows itself on guitar. But you do the riffs pretty alright.
I clicked on this ready to roast you for your hubris in thinking you could ever understand how Mikael writes anything.
I was a fool. This is Opeth af
Step 1: Be Mikael
You have 37k views on this video and less than 1000 subs.
I have 2200+ subs and no views over 2.4 k
Frustrating. Nice video though.
You missed the most important of all 😓
Notice how, despite using all these techniques, the song is quite boring. This is because no one can actually write like Mikael
He’s got the spices
The first way to write like Opeth is to ignore this video, and stop trying to be an Opeth cover band.