Opeth - Blackwater Park

If you like death metal, get this album. If you don't like death metal, get this album. You'll like it after listening to Blackwater Park. Throw out all of your preconceptions of music praising Satan and screaming about blood and gore. This is something completely different.

Most of the songs hover around the ten minute mark, and include anything from guttural growls and double bass to acoustic melodies and flawlessly sung clean vocals. By the time this album came out, this wasn't completely unexpected from Opeth, as they have been incorporating many different elements into their music since Orchid, but never before had the moments of brutality blended so seamlessly with the moments of beauty. Not only does this album span numerous genres, the album is also extremely atmospheric, adding some slight touches of psychedelia, which Opeth has since explored in full force on more recent musical endeavors, such as Damnation and Watershed.

Just as a footnote:
You know the saying "you can never have too much of a great thing?" Well, with death metal, you can. Trust me. I've been down that dark road. Stay in school kids. Listen sparingly.

http://www.mediafire.com/?bj7bxcyfnzu


Now that I've gotten a few of my favorite heavier albums over with, expect much more varied posts in the days to come.