When mikael removed growls from opeths sound it changed the bands sonic outputs for the negative. I’m not a metal purist or anything . I don’t care about that stuff. Mikael removing a pivotal element of dynamics from his band made the music good just not as distinctive though. Which is why this album is getting praise. The prog era Opeth just felt like mikael was doing what all musicians do and that’s try something different when u get bored. The problem is he was so perfect at this one aspect of music that his craft suffered slightly for his when he took away that aspect. Doesn’t mean the prog wasn’t good. It’s great imo as someone who’s a prog connoisseur. It’s not as good as the death metal era. The old albums rarely have moments that are uninteresting or bad. The prog era has lots of moments and songs that are what I’d say are uninteresting or water treading. Mikael has always had this thing about his songwriting where he wears his influences on his sleeve. A lot like Jimmy page did with his love of blues. When mikael writes death metal the riffs and instrumental sections have obvious influence from a lot of these prog bands he likes. Or you can really hear the morbid Angel inspiration which always annoys me. The thing about that when it’s in a death metal context it really sounds fresh but when it’s in a prog rock context it sounds a little too familiar. So I’ve always liked the prog era. Just not loved. I thought wow these prog riffs that are inspired mahavishnu orchestra, yes, deep purple, etc. would sound great if they were in that death metal context. It’s great to know that’s where he’s went with this. Super excited to hear the rest of it.

unrelated question: what are some albums you reviewed on this channel, that your opinion has changed on A LOT throughout the years?

Great review definitely gonna check an opeth album after who knows how long. Defeated Sanity tomorrow? Pretty please

This channel deserves its own BCE/CE type of time division 😅 Before Thrashin' Jackson and After Thrashin' Jackson maybe idk

Yep, definitely their strongest in years. 4/5 for me.

Happy birthday 🥳 and great review, enjoyed your insights!

As an autistic Opeth fanboy, I've always defended their prog rock era. That being said, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't extremely excited for the growls to return.

You vs everyone on Amazon. I think mob wins here.

The grows are back thats thats what we wanted

I'm looking forward to this! Between this and the new Fellowship album dropping tomorrow, this year's metal releases are going out with a bang.

Everything Opeth has done is incredible. They are the best fucking band walking the Earth today.

Good unbiased review, thank you. I am looking forward to this, I have been happy with the tracks already released.

I really enjoyed Pale Comunion and some of Incaulda Veunaem. I have yet to hear this one sadly, but if we can mix thoes albums with Deliverance and watershed, we have an S teir album.

Awesome review dude👍

I just never understood the popularity of this band. I’ve listened to a few of their albums in their entirety, and if you asked if I could remember one riff from them, I honestly couldn’t. Are these guys capable musicians? Absolutely, especially the drummer (props to a very tight performance here), but man do these guys do everything in their power to kill any momentum they may be building towards. Every time I said to myself “Ok, this is where it’s gonna pick up”, they kill that momentum, and add in some transition that makes absolutely zero sense. I basically could have copied and pasted my review of the Blood Incantation record here, as this suffers from all of the same things (desperate attempts to sound original, lack of any memorable riffs, poor transitions etc) but yeah…. Drummer rules though

1:14 I have to admit this is me.

What? We have a banger? Thanks, happy birthday🎉

I consider myself a huge Opeth fan and I can definitely say, this thing fucking DELIVERED, I can't stop listing to it, S5 and S6 may top some of my favorite songs off of Watershed or Ghost Reveries, amazing album.

Great review. I can't wait to receive my copy!

The Last Will and Horribly Generic Bay Area Slop Thrash Band? That’s a mouthful of an album title but ok.

To me Opeth without death's like mustache without beard. It's ok, can be cool, but damn just grow back your beard! Yes!

It’s not up on KZbin for free yet! 😭

I tier-listed in a comment in Metal Trenches´s recent Opeth ranking video the albums of Opeth, and let me tell you, I don´t think this band has any bad albums whatsoever, even their weakest outputs like Orchid, Heritage and Sorceress have KILLER tunes here and there. I seriously want to move time forward to tomorrow holy shit the wait has been killing me...

I always felt bad because I listened to all of Opeth’s albums post Watershed and I never hated them for a change in style. It was just a style I wasn’t really a fan of. I’m glad they’re continuing with the sound they want to make and honestly the single that dropped made me super hyped. Can’t wait to jam it

Can’t wait for this album

Mr Meltdown and Mr Jackson use the same Bad Brains shirt. Both have great taste

Opeth for a looooooooooong time have been one of my favorite Prog/Metal bands of all time, and they still are. A band that is responsible alongside the likes of Children of Bodom, Slayer, Kreator, Morbid Angel and Death for getting me into More extreme forms of metal and also a band that slowly got me into bands/Artists like Gentle Giant, Yes, John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane, Miles Davis, Nick Drake. No Doubt I dont develop a lot of my music taste without Opeth. Excited to give this a listen, from whst ive heard it sounds great. Like a return to Ghost Reveries/Watershed Opeth mixed with In Cauda Venenum

FINALLY..AND THE GROWLS ARE BACK!! FINALLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY (Last 4 albums didn't count...sorry) Let the Death Metal reign Thank you Mikael!!! If I wanted to listen to Jethro Tull and Camel, I'll listen to Jethro Tull and Camel. Yep, I'm one of those guys. (again, sorry) Aren't you glad music is always subjective and never objective? Welcome back MY Opeth.

Purina Thrashin' Jackson chow for this week from ENTOMOPHTHORA, PANZERFAUST, HEAVEN-GEMINI, CARNAL SAVAGERY, GOLGOTHAN REMAINS, CYCLOPS CATARACT, DISTANT, CRIMSON DREAMS, TIGER BATTALION, SCARLATTAMUSIC, PURGATORIAL, POISONED SPEED, HAIL OF BULLETS. So he can run these on his blakdethrash.

TLWAT seems like really good album after couple of listens. Not so great like "In Cauda.." but on the same level with "Ghost Reveries" and "Watershed".

Nice bad brains shirt

Really hate seeing people saying "Opeth is back" as if they ever left and at least In Cauda Venenum wasn't fantastic, but damn this new one blows the last few out of the water. My copy showed up early and it's incredible. It's a really strong listen in one sitting experience of an album. The second half is the highlight for me, but it's made so much better by being the follow up to the also very solid first half.

Great review Robert I've ordered the box set fingers crosses 🫰🫰🫰🫰🫰🤘🤘🤘💯💯💯

1:54 all I can stand of your racket.

With their classic albums I always found that my enjoyment was brought down by too much bloat. Songs would have great moments but could also be victims of too much repetition, dynamic tone shifts that don’t serve the songs as well as other parts do. Almost as if there was a no riff or idea left behind mentality in place. Could have been mikaels ego at work or perhaps limited time in the studio And trying to stay within a budget got in the way of refinement. Songs easily coulda carved 2-3 min off. Later albums did show songwriting improvement which I think probably peaked with ghost reveries. I do enjoy some of there more current material but also find some of it pretty ho hum and skippable. I did find the first release off this new album pretty interesting though so I’m hoping for a good album. Always loved mikaels clean vocals but he was always such a top tier growler that to just leave that element behind felt so wrong

Alternate album title: the last man named William and i guess Chuck Billy is there too

GOATED Birthday gift

For me top 3 albums of '24 are Opeth, Blood Incantation and Judas Priest.

Just glad we have grand wizard's like yourself to tell us how all these extremely successful bands are the worst thing to ever happen. It's almost like we all could pull off such trash and get rich for cringing out all the even more successful grand wizard youtubers that have such infinite knowledge on what's passible for music.

I respect your opinions! Well formed and articulated. Man I really can't stand One More Light. Puts a stain on their whole legacy in my opinion. Best forgotten about. I think From Zero is a little better but still doesn't compare to any of their earlier stuff. I respect what you say about Hybrid Theory and Meteora. I guess we all have our favourite albums and we're a bit blinded by nostalgia. But those albums came out in my personal favourite time in history, 00s, I was young and so happy and care free. The music really resonated with me at the time. It was edgy yes, and I listened to this through high school and it even formed a bit of my personality at the time. All these things make me think they're both my favourite albums ever. I have Meteora and Hybrid Theory together on a playlist and just listen to that most of the time, you're right, they're very similar. I think Meteora is slightly better then HT tbh.

In what my opinion is an amazing cover the transylvania mutiilation cover by black metal project mäleficentt vocals sold me even has an aaskereia like howl at the end

Heretics!. Show no mercy is a masterpiece. Period

Your voice. Shrill.

They cancelled there retirement plans to bless us with blessing ears lol ! It's very guitar Heavy it's as if they took the youngest guy in the band and just let him go crazy and the other guys just hanging in there well mostly Vince lol I doubt he is singing anything these days in the studio unless it's a small part at a time with auto tune

From the city that brought you the Saints and Savage Garden you mention Portal. As a boy from Brisbane I will always try to support a local band. I'm new to both channels and you guys are great. Some of the best metal and music content. Keep up the great work. And I'm old enough to have heard the Saints when they first came out