Opeth – Blackwater Park (2001)

Yet another eBay impulse purchase, and it's my first foray onto Swedish death metal.

Back and white album cover? Check

Gloomy misty picture on cover? Check

Band name in a Gothic script? Check

This is the band's fifth studio album, and their first collaboration with Steven Wilson (yes, him again) who handles some of the gentler vocals and some piano.

Strap in and prepare yourself for what's to come.

I've been far more impressed with this. Perhaps not an epiphany, but I'd forgotten how much I enjoy loud guitar music, and this seems to give the energy of metal without the shrieking and dick waving attitudes. OK, they're replaced with an angry growl and a sense of impending doom, but I can live with that.

Opener The Leper Affinity is a ten minute epic, in which the band display all their wares, starting with growling vocals and guitar amps turned up to 11, with at the half way point, the acoustic section, and gentle vocals, before the electricity goes back on, for a rousing last third, and a restrained solo piano outro. Bleak is slower and more subtle but just as angry, before a couple of songs (Harvest and The Drapery Falls) which feel like more orthodox prog, with a more acoustic feel.

And the album pretty much continues in that vein, high decibel rock mixed in with doom laden lyrics, acoustic passages, and long instrumental breaks, with The Funeral Portrait being perhaps the stand out. There's a short and lovely piano and guitar instrumental, Patterns In The Ivy, before the album's conclusion and title track, Blackwater Park, an angry, mysterious song, which typifies the whole album.

I'd wholeheartedly recommend this album, I feel I'd forgotten how much energy loud guitar rock music could carry, and this mixed with the many quieter passages has been a revelation.

Link to album tracks

4* - remind yourself of the joys of turning the volume up to eleven