How to Write Like: Opeth

[@stathispanayiotopoulos9800]

This guy's got a master's degree in opeth's discography

[@INCRYPTIDFORM]

Bro is a Masters apprentice

[@stathispanayiotopoulos9800]

@@INCRYPTIDFORM xaaxaxaxa

[@tilenott5559]

@@INCRYPTIDFORM Probably also an heir apparent.

[@yunyangliu1331]

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

[@JacobNates]

Really close! Third one was Demon of the Fall 👀

[@lol532-t2g]

2:38 sounds more like Closure to me at the beginning

[@JacobNates]

@@lol532-t2g 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

[@franciscocarneiro1370]

Really? 1:02 felt like wreath kinda

[@1silverchad]

Wrong!

[@ToastedCigar]

Watched this video and realized how much Opeth has influenced my song-writing

[@gigabrad4570]

Bruh. This should be on an album.

[@JacobNates]

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

[@gigabrad4570]

@@JacobNates heck yeah man. Pin your comment with a link when you do that!

[@hakanarnklint1070]

Haha, it already is! Really good ones!

[@SteelKicker01]

@@JacobNates I already listen to this as music bro

[@doublet3n672]

the riff starting at 2:38 is just absurdly good dude, sounds straight out of blackwater park

[@raminMTL]

This needs to be its own song tbh

[@arthurgabriel4325]

that's closure

[@gj4312]

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.

[@El_Vuego]

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

[@JacobNates]

I appreciate that! Thanks for watching!

[@KshitijKumar5595]

Dude you captured their writing style so perfectly. I'm blown away, thanks so much for this.

[@MakoDvLZ]

sounds exactly like Opeth man, well done

[@Kolbein837]

If only you made an album of this!

[@JubaDeMetalAlumínio]

He would need more ideas for more 8 songs lol

[@Heliosphan33]

Surprised this has less than 10k views. Very well done! Love to hear anything about Opeth.

[@JacobNates]

Thank you!

[@SlyHikari03]

2:49 I love how sinister and "mocking" this riff is, reminds me of Grand Belial's Key a lil bit.

[@WinstonSmith911]

Those are some killer riffs good sir! Subscribed! Excellent breakdown of Mikael's tactics.

[@komradenikolai]

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

[@mura_guitar]

Great riffs Jacob!! You really understand the characteristics of Opeth, amazing🤘

[@arjunsubrahmanian7535]

Hell yeah! Really well done, man!

[@JubaDeMetalAlumínio]

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.

[@spookyxnymph]

Love, love, love this! You emulate them perfectly.

[@heitstrengningmusic]

This was fantastic.

[@tappistrt]

Huge Opeth fan here, glad this popped up in my feed. You did some master work, definitely subbed.

[@sinisavuco7931]

Damn dude this was brilliant! You nailed it perfectly

[@shaylahunter1825]

I listened to so much Opeth when I started playing guitar and now this is just my natural style. Akerfeldt is a visionary

[@davidtyler7208]

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.

[@SkorpioMusic]

This was an amazing song. Well done! I really miss this era of Opeth.

[@CreativeMindsAudio]

Incredible! I hate that I’m just finding this after being posted for 2 years! Great job!

[@leedanielisla2440]

this is amazing man

[@nicholaskharebava4936]

The only thing it needs is vocals, and you won't be able to distinguish between the original opeth song and this masterpiece 🤘🤘🖤🔥

[@latavernedama6642]

This is exactly opeth 👌

[@Peppinator96]

little off-topic: a good section of opeth making opeth stuff are the drums, if you noticed the fills and a lot of riffs are completely supported by drums on the groove and on the accents, very fascinating band.

[@Allen7]

man this is just amazing....

[@claytoncarlos9919]

This is awesome and of great help, thanks! I would love to see either Katatonia or Novembre next ♡

[@JacobNates]

Oh Katatonia would be fun 👀

[@claytoncarlos9919]

@@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

[@claytoncarlos9919]

@@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

[@AnastAgakidesComposer]

Amazing quality! Perfect vid

[@ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣΧ-ο6ζ]

Well done mate, nice playing over there, greetings and respect from Greece!

[@pp24x7]

This is sick dude

[@Refiningforge]

Pretty much perfection. Well done!

[@JacobNates]

I really appreciate that!

[@Bestrougeeu]

spot on, well done

[@Meshuggapeth]

Make more of these please, and Katatonia would be very helpful

[@astickman7054]

nice video! i would like to see insomnium or early in flames next

[@JacobNates]

Oh man, I'm a huge fan of both of those. Added them to the list!

[@michaelneppel1748]

This blew my mind. Hearing riffs so reminiscent of my favorite music yet not those actual songs bent my brain. Great synopsis.

[@burhancabiroglu]

Awesome riffs :)

[@JacobNates]

Appreciate it!

[@bentooliveira5679]

Brutal and beautiful. Amazing!

[@dantheman2907]

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.

[@electromen7768]

holy shit bro, mindblowing job!

[@fullmetalguy8357]

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.

[@russellsimmons3265]

This is awesome. Riff at 2:55 is so catchy

[@evelynmedeiros9982]

Awesome ! i'd love to watch more videos like this 👏👏

[@JacobNates]

What are some bands you’d like to see?

[@evelynmedeiros9982]

@@JacobNates Pearl Jam and Alice in chains

[@JacobNates]

@@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!

[@evelynmedeiros9982]

@@JacobNates Cool! I'll be waiting. Take the time you need 😄👍

[@shivanshmehra3365]

Amazing job!

[@WyrmholeWarrior]

Daaaaaamn! Loved the riffs.

[@notsamoht]

great video my friend!

[@djberryhardkore]

Please write the next Opeth album. Really miss the old pre prog Opeth!

[@mattcollins7855]

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

[@Dwendele]

Aaargh.... I JUST got OFF of an Opeth binge! Now I gotta go back.

[@codasticpark]

Nailed it perfectly, great video!!

[@saturn5087]

hey you should make some tabs for this, id love to learn this

[@cesarmorales1201]

Amazing song!

[@shankiman]

Great job m8, I'll try make some riffs with your observations

[@ag4640]

Also a lot of melody lines harmonized in minor 3rds. Watershed has a lot of those.

[@Ash-kn8oc]

This is awesome

[@mikhailplatonov8039]

That was pretty good!

[@wastenone6571]

Great job. Love the “song”!

[@semvic]

Very good! Thank you!

[@CalebTheChesstizer]

Nailed it. Impressive

[@seikojin]

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?

[@i_gman]

nice job! do more like this! :)

[@JacobNates]

Thank you! Trying to decide which band to do next

[@zanekiefer5128]

@@JacobNates If you don't mind me giving a suggestion, you should do Haken!

[@MrKoolaidjam]

Dude these riffs are killer

[@attempt58]

Opeth's riff and arrangement style are so similar yet so different to mine which is cool ig

[@junglerrick4010]

duh... speechless.

[@nunosaki]

Amazing

[@peaceindarkness.darknessis3494]

This is phenomenal bro

[@lizcue1]

Brilliant!

[@broncoxy]

perfection.

[@berserker6341]

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!

[@yaaamiix5543]

perfectly done

[@SteelKicker01]

2:40 WHERES THE TAB FOR THIS RIFF I NEED TO KNOW

[@yousifdelvalle4162]

PLease put out an album like this if you haven't already-

[@krata420]

Man that sound fuckin amazing

[@JacobNates]

Thank you!

[@steffenolsen2390]

Maan what if Mikael reacted to this!!! awesome job!!

[@JacobNates]

That would be nerve wracking lol thank you!

[@findmeonearth]

I see a 6505mh I hit the like button. Still got mine! And I still love it.

[@JacobNates]

It’s a monster of a little amp!

[@mapleleafer74]

SICK RIFFS

[@randomdude93-93]

I hope a) that you make your own Opeth influenced music like this because...why not?.. b) Mikael makes a video featuring this piece

[@tappistrt]

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.

[@sauroros]

Tasty riffs

[@ProspectorAl]

Wow!

[@a1988ditya]

nice man

[@DanilloDetrichi]

i came to the comments to say: YES.

[@ShnHonour]

I headbanged at 02:49 :D

[@hexoblivione]

This guy sounds more like Opeth than Opeth

[@cedarlopatecki5131]

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).

[@aero7848]

What does atonal mean? 2:22

[@JacobNates]

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!

[@gabrielbarrionuevo7569]

I came looking for memes, and I found gold!

[@lordgraga]

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.

[@JacobNates]

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.

[@lordgraga]

@@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

[@karthikunnikrishnan9608]

Holy shit. This is like an Opeth clone

[@XombyDave]

fucking nailed it

[@svart795]

It sounds exactly like the drapery falls

[@campe_0p525]

Wow

[@Nitronium]

Awesome. What equipment did you use?

[@JacobNates]

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

[@JacobNates]

I wanted to use the laney vh100 since Opeth actually used to play them but maaan that's a loud amp

[@avelinopereira9773]

3:00

[@serhafiye7046]

According to this speed, we will have how to write like Lamb of God in 2 years.

[@JacobNates]

Lmao! My band Deathless has been working on our second album, but once that’s out I plan on hitting KZbin hard 🙂

[@IlyaMineev347]

For the last phrase: Meshuggah :)

[@JacobNates]

Was going for that Deliverance / Harlequin Forest outro vibe!

[@jeffjarquin3570]

Does anyone know why Opeth sounds like Pirates of the Caribbean?

[@fedan6437]

And all that would just be intro to a song

[@waxee421]

ONE. write epic polyrythm B) TWO. sing awesome growl THREE. pwn