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This is a review I certainly didn´t expect to write before listening to this "Damnation", being as I am a great Opeth follower and listener, but I must be honest and avoid to fall into easy streams of blind awe towards the band, something caused by the huge quality that traditionally this band´s releases have offered. Opeth planned to release this LP together with “Deliverance” but finally they separated the albums in a sensible gesture. “Damnation” is supposed to be a tribute to the old bands that appear in Mr. Åkerfeldt´s record collection (properly quoted in the credit lines!), so it´s kind of an off-shot from Opeth. I don´t think if they really should have released it under a different bandname... the album itself, let´s go: many people could figure out “Damnation” as an album where Opeth unchained the accoustic mellow parts of their music, unbridling the hazy melancholic element without the aggressiveness of the metallic side, and this is more or less what the Swedes have done, but –and here comes my disappointment- losing an important ingredient: the magic. Alright, the sound is perfect, another Fredman studios courtesy. The layout seems to keep the Opeth spirit, it´s Travis Smith work again. The first song is enormous, a fantastic track with those tasty notes weaving a groundwork for Mikael´s whispering voice, and a dreamy chorus. But the rest... the rest ain´t that good. I can´t say this is bad, but a comparison between these albums and the calm passages that Opeth delivered in the previous albums will reveal the truth: inspiration hasn´t been around the guys in the making of this album. The music is ok, and nothing more. Tracks as “In my time of need” or “Weakness” are far away from being mellow classics at the same height than songs like “Benighted”, “To bid you farewell” or that incredible opening bout from “The drapery falls”. Thus I think that grandiosity isn´t present in this CD. At least “Deliverance” was a complex album with strong songs, emotionally more striking, more worked on, more original. I´d also say Peter Lindgren is misplaced from the making of the songs and maybe this is one of the main factors that Opeth music isn´t the same as before in terms of finesse and spellcraft... In my opinion “Damnation” suffers an excessive influence by other bands like 70´s prog acts or Porcupine Tree (Steve Wilson is perverting the whole band, hehehe!!!). One mustn´t forget that Mikael once said that if he was offered to join Porcupine Tree he would leave Opeth... is he now slowly putting Opeth to rest? What is the future of the band? “Deliverance” was already a recording that brought a lot of problems, Mikael is absorbed by prog metal... is that an invitation to pessimist thoughts? As I´ve said, some people defend this album claiming it is an elegy to the bands that Mikael admire. A homage, a tribute. If so, this isn´t 100% Opeth... This is probably the only “Damnation” review you have ever read where Opeth isn´t put on the clouds, but who cares, these were my thoughts and I just put them down. It´s a correct album, but sorry, I don´t see the bewitching music anywhere.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Windowpane |
| 2. In My Time Of Need |
| 3. Death Whispered A Lullaby |
| 4. Closure |
| 5. Hope Leaves |
| 6. To Rid The Disease |
| 7. Ending Credits |
| 8. Weakness |
: 43.21
| Buy other Opeth albums |
