01, Coil
02, Heir Apparent
03, The Lotus Eater
04, Burden
05, Porcelain Heart
06, Hessian Peel
07, Hex Omega

Mikael Åkerfeldt: vocals, guitar, production
Fredrik Åkesson: guitar
Martin Mendez: bass
Martin Axenrot: drums, percussion
Per Wiberg: keyboards

Nathalie Lorichs: guest vocals on “Coil”
Lisa Almberg: English horn, oboe
Christoffer Wadensten: flute
Karin Svensson: violin
Andreas Tengberg: cello

OPETH: "Watershed"     opeth   

Produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt & Jens Bogren
Engineered by Jens Bogren & David Castillo
Mixed & Mastered by Jens Bogren

review by Steve "The Rev. Istvan" Rautner ___  

Pushing the limits of ability.

It is great to hear another musical offering from the Swedish progressive death metal band Opeth, who in my opinion are  highly talented and fundamental to the overall Metal world because they continually push the limits of its ability. There are few groups in this category. Most don't dare to expand past the realm of comfort when money and notoriety follow. 

There are seven song on this new CD (ninth full-length studio album) which are an average of 8 minutes per song and one #6, Hessian Peel that is 11+ minutes! The album is a little heavier than the last studio album which is what we have come to expect but combines the slower and somewhat more classical style of music effortlessly in a way that allows the listener to be carried away from one song to the next without interruption. There are fresh guitar solos and new designs mystical yet poignant. Nothing is ever repetitious. Watershed combines elements of modern metal, prog rock, free jazz and hints of European folk music, all of which come together for a seamless, unique collection of songs that will leave an indelible mark upon all who listen.


Watershed is the first studio album by Opeth to feature drummer Martin Axenrot and guitarist Fredrik Åkesson. The artwork for the album was made by Travis Smith (who has done the artwork for eight previous Opeth releases) in collaboration with Mikael Åkerfeldt and has been publicly available as of  March 30.[8]

It was released in standard, 180 gram vinyl, and special edition versions. The special edition version includes 
three bonus tracks, a bonus DVD with a 5.1 surround sound mix of the entire album (not including bonus tracks), 
video content featuring rehearsals, and studio footage as well as expanded artwork. The vinyl release came in 
cardboard gatefold packaging and contained the album on two vinyl discs as well as a CD copy of the album 
(both included the bonus track "Derelict Herds") and a poster.

With a string of sold out concerts a possible Swedish Grammy and Nomination in the Classic Rock awards for
Album of the year, it is clear that Opeth is going to be a mainstay in the Metal world for some time.




*Wikapedia.com


* The song "Hessian Peel" contains a backwards recorded verse - "Out on the courtyard, Come back tonight. 
My sweet Satan, I see you" can be heard as well as "They lock all your reason why" halfway through the song.
This might be a reference to a well-known example of backmasking featured in Led Zeppelin's Stairway 
to Heaven, which purportedly contained the phrase "Here's to my sweet Satan".

* On the back cover of the regular edition and first disc of the special edition, "The Lotus Eater" is
misspelled as "The Louts Eater."

* The back cover, featuring the face of the man in the picture frame is actually a puzzle photo. When examined 
closely, one can see it is actually a photoshopped image of all members of the band using their different 
facial features to create one separate face.

* In the last page of the booklet, there is a cipher which was revealed to be a series of lyrics from the songs.

The booklet lacks the full lyrics.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watershed_(Opeth_album)

Steve Rautner   14.12.2008  

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