Description
Opeth – Still Life – Compact Disc
Still Life is the fourth studio album by the Swedish progressive metal band Opeth, released in 1999. The album is widely regarded as one of Opeth’s masterpieces and a landmark in the progressive metal genre.
Featuring tracks like ‘The Moor,’ ‘Godhead’s Lament,’ and ‘Face of Melinda,’ ‘Still Life’ showcases Opeth’s signature blend of intricate progressive rock and intense death metal. The album is notable for its dynamic songwriting, incorporating elements of acoustic passages, complex arrangements, and melodic interludes alongside heavy, aggressive sections.
Lyrically, Still Life tells the story of a man returning to his hometown after being banished for his beliefs, only to find that his past sins still haunt him. The album’s narrative themes of betrayal, redemption, and religious persecution add depth and complexity to the music, creating a cohesive and immersive listening experience.
Still Life received widespread critical acclaim upon its release and has since become a fan favorite and a classic in Opeth’s discography. It showcases the band’s exceptional musicianship, intricate compositions, and lyrical depth, cementing their reputation as one of the most innovative and influential bands in the progressive metal genre.
Having taken their oppressive black metal symphonies to their furious zenith with their third effort, My Arms, Your Hearse, Sweden’s Opeth began deconstructing their sound on 1999’s brilliant Still Life. A logical next step in their evolution, the album finds the band re-examining their unlikely fusion of progressive rock and black metal to highlight the former while staying in touch with the latter.
The result is a formidable splicing of harsh, often jagged guitar riffs with graceful melodies, and the increasing use of Mikael Åkerfeldt’s ‘clean’ vocals (alternated with his ever-present death growl). This tactic only serves to spotlight the quality of Åkerfeldt’s lyrics (a rarity in extreme metal circles) and, in the tradition of prior efforts, Still Life is a full-fledged concept album, which, without going into unnecessary details, centers around a tale of unrequited love for a character called Melinda (a discreet reference to Mercyful Fate’s early-’80s classic Melissa, perhaps?).
Also new to the mix are a wealth of more dynamic, almost groove-oriented riffs (see ‘Godhead’s Lament’ and ‘Serenity Painted Death’) which break away from the Wall of Sound overtures of the past. On the other hand, outstanding, multifaceted epics like ‘The Moor,’ ‘Moonlapse Vertigo,’ and ‘White Cluster’ carry on in the proud Opeth tradition. The all-acoustic ‘Benighted’ is the album’s only one-dimensional track (and a beauty it is, too), while the awesome ‘Face of Melinda’ represents a new career high with its quietly building atmosphere and powerful finale.
Ultimately, this is another star turn for the group, and the fact that they somehow managed to outdo themselves with their next work, Blackwater Park, is a testament to Opeth’s greatness.
Track Listing
1. The Moor
2. Godhead’s Lament
3. Benighted
4. Moonlapse Vertigo
5. Face Of Melinda
6. Serenity Painted Death
7. White Cluster
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