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[Godflesh]

None of their albums have disappointed me yet, nor have they been boring.

[hugo]

None of their albums have disappointed me yet, nor have they been boring.

[Blood Music]

The anti-Opeths vs the Opeths have entered the ring, who will exit alive?

[hugo]

we're missing the Opeth-should-play-death-metal-agains.

[RevolvingImages]

While I think that their "death metal" style is what they do best, I respect artists too much to say that they should go back to playing a certain style that they've played in the past. They should make the type of music they like to create.

I'll keep checking out the new songs as they're released, but this first song is a disappointment. Maybe it will grow on me, but I agree with someone else's post in another thread - it feels regressive. While I'm sure it's not a purposeful, "Hey, let's sound like a neo-retro stoner/psych band!", it's not a direction that sits well with me.

The nice thing about Opeth is that they do tend to vary things up within a single album, so I'm cautiously optimistic about the rest of the songs. Pale Communion definitely took some time to grow on me and I ended up loving it, whereas Heritage never did.

*brb, going to listen to Deliverance...*

[Godflesh]

I really love those 'I need the growls back' anti-Opethians.
I don't need that. I have eight brilliant Opeth albums with those beautiful growls, but I need more Opeth. I don't care about the others. I just want my Opeth fix

I look forward to all that bitching that the new album is bound to surface again, haha

[Emplate]

While I think that their "death metal" style is what they do best, I respect artists too much to say that they should go back to playing a certain style that they've played in the past. They should make the type of music they like to create.

This. I totally and wholeheartedly feel, that if they don't have an urge to create metal in them anymore, they obviously shouldn't. They've done such an amount of awesome albums that a shitload of metal bands pale in comparison :) I don't really enjoy their new direction, but of course there's people who do like it quite a lot. I didn't mean to be rude or to offend anyone with my previous comment, hope no one took it that way.

[seasonsinthesky]

I think some people would be less idiotic about non-death metal Opeth if their death metal catalog were readily available on wax. Instead, we're stuck with shitty yellow Watershed as the only in-print album that wasn't wrecked by Back on Black (see: cover of Morningrise). I'm surprised Ghost Reveries is still listed at decent prices on the secondary market. Also doesn't help they completely ruined the covers for the remasters of Still Life and Blackwater Park (along with adding world's shittiest performance of The Leper Affinity as an unnecessary bonus on the latter).

[perennial_quest]

Ah Opeth, always a subject of controversy among fans and non-fans. Haha!
I'm with Godflesh and Hugo on this. I like all Opeth, but then again, did I mentioned I'm a massive prog fan as well? ;D

I liked the new Opeth song, I'm not super impressed but I like it. I never fully understood the criticism they got since Heritage, especially the immature comments of certain "fans" (not read here, thankfully). Hell, weren't all their albums criticized since the debut? Sure it was a departure from death metal but it seemed a logic one to me, with Mikael being a prog geek and all. They always added bits and pieces of 70's prog in every album but this time they went in that style full on, like a much more diverse Damnation. Heritage was good but far from perfect, I think they needed time to adjust to their new style. They seemed to be much more comfortable on Pale Communion. We'll see with this new one, but I'm confident it will be as good as Pale Communion.

As for the "regressive" comment, I don't think it is that regressive. Sure they draw their inspiration from the 70's but I don't think they're copying what was done back then. I have heard my share of retro-prog bands and I hate it when I can spot a riff done by Yes or Genesis, etc. I'd rather listen to the originators of the style than a tribute band, trust me on that. I don't feel this way with Opeth at all. While I do hear where the influences come from, they are blended well imo.

[Blood Music]

I would bet the early albums will be re-released since Candlelight was acquired, and they're gonna have to find something to do with those rights!