Revelations of a Music Junkie

I was introduced to this band by a friend of mine in my first year.He claimed it was the best band at present and might be considered to be in league with metal giants like Slayer,Megadeth etc.After two years of being an Opeth listener,I can now surely say there's no way in hell he could be wrong.

The band has maintained their typical dark,spooky feel to their music.The vocalist-guitarist Michael Akerfeldt is a genius.He is a virtuoso at both clean and growling vocals.He is half the reason why Opeth is capable of such wide variations in their music,whilst still maintaining that spooky feel which defines them.The drummer is also incredibly talented in that he can consistently bring in variations in the beats and keep their 10+ minute songs free from monoteneity.

Although,the genre of the band is primarily progressive death,the band have tried their hand at mellow songs.Songs like "Harvest" and "To Bid You Farewell" are proof to the multi-dimensional talent overflowing in them.However their sound has evolved towards the heavier side over the years.

My favourite album is Deliverance.The band themselves claim it to be their heaviest piece.I personally think the album is probably one of the best metal albums ever.The sound is so brutally heavy and so startlingly original.The title track is a 13 minute long piece with some really powerful double bass drumming.The guitar solo in the interlude is just fabulous.

Personally,my favourite Opeth song is "Master's Apprentices".I just cant seem to get enough of that song.The intro itself is so damn powerful that you'd feel like crashing into your nearest wall right away.The guitar riffs accompanied by the double bass on the drums are just brilliant.It's amazing how they've introduced so many variations in a single song.

This and more Opeth for y'll here:

1.Master's Apprentices
2.Deliverance
3.A Grand Conjuration
4.To Bid You Farewell
5.Face of Melinda
6.Porcelain Heart
7.Heir Apparent
8.Atonement
9.Hope Leaves
10.To Rid The Disease

So when you see some old ass complaining that there are no bands presently in league with Black Sabbath,Judas Priest and the other 70's giants,tell them bitches to suck it hard.Opeth has arrived and is here to stay. \m/


cheers,

Tyrant

There's a new Jimmy Page in town. His name is Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. There is a new Robert Plant in town. His name is Cedric Bixler-Zavala. Led Zep fans who have not listened to these guy will probably jump on me and beat me to death. They'll be very Grr. So, listen. To a band called The Mars Volta, popularly known as TMV.

The Mars Volta is something that very few can have an ear for. The music is chaotic, some might say. And yus, I agree, it does sound chaotic. They use so many instruments and effects in their songs that it can sound that way. But listen to them songs on good earphones or good speakers and you'll realize that there's more to their music than chaos. The first track I listened to was Ouroborous. I was like WTF is this!. But that was because I had listened to it at a very low volume and on laptop speakers. Then, I gave it another shot. On my Creative speakers. And I was like WTF is this!, but this time with my jaw down there. The song blew my fucking brains out of my fucking skull and out there, somewhere far far away. The drumming was insane. The effects were like out of this world. Then I gave another one a listen. This time, it was Tetragrammaton. And I died. I was like :O.

TMV, when they were young, and when they didn't have enough musicians of their own, they used to hire orchestra people to play those weird instruments. They used to give them the score-sheets but due to the complexity of their compositions, the hired people were mostly left clueless. It was only after the proper recording that them outside people understood what they had played and where and how all of it had fit.

The vocalist, Cedric Bixler-Zavala is beyond awesome. His girlish voice, those high pitched orgasmic screams, his style, all of it. And the guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, with his fast, jazz-ish/indian-classic-ish/eh-ish solos defines awesomeness-maxx. Both of them are like modern day Page and Plant. The comparison's right there! No one can deny it.

Their live performances are something to die for. Characterized by heavy drug abuse, the members are usually in a frenzied state and their behaviour is a vessel full of disarray. And that is fun, right? Omar usually goes all twitchy as if he's been Crucio-ed upon and all. Its all very fun-fun.

The best part about TMV is not the fact that they change scales, but the key that they sing in. The songs often change, wrt feel, sound and pace. That's what makes this band awesome. Listen to them in a dark room with eyes closed and half a litre of the maroon liquid in you, and you'll go Wheeeeee in no time. Their songs are long. Some of them, as long as 25 minutes. Half those songs have just effects being played on the synth for more than half the play-time. But everything fits so beautifully that if you know how to listen, you'll be amazed at how one could even come up with such compositions. All of them, masterpieces.

I would so like to see this band live.

Anyway, if u're a TMV-noob, go for these songs :

Ouroborous.
L'Via L'Viaquez.
Tetragrammaton.
Metatron.
Asilos Magdelena.
Vicarous Atonement.
Viscera Eyes.
Goliath.
The Widow.
Inertiatic ESP.
A-Part I, B-Part II, C-Part III, D-Part IV - All in continuation, and in a drunk state.

Listen to these and I bet your ass that you'll be a fan before you can even spell A-S-S.

P.S. : Remember, good speakers or good earphones. There are so many effects in their music that most of them will go unnoticed otherwise.

All hail TMV. :D \m/