JohnHolmes

Congratulations on the proposal, as for the rest, I'm not a big fan of Deep Purple, but you did an excellent job at describing it that piques my curiosity about the album in question: well done Deep-Frenk!

Well done, Cornell, and congratulations!

Brilliant!

Amazing album! Here Vincent's voice is even more fierce than in the previous Covenant, and the compositions reach that "sick" level that made them famous! Monumental!

Well done!

Mythical!

Too long, I can't read it and I'm opting for a passing grade of 3.

I didn't really like the review. That said, there are a few things to clarify about Watershed: despite many people, especially on this site, despising it, I find it to be one of the happiest episodes in Opeth's discography. The band is constantly evolving, and on this album, it further expands the territories already explored in Ghost Reveries, accentuating the progressive streak and distancing itself even more from the death metal that peaked with the monumental Deliverance. The compositions are eclectic and, importantly, CATCHY, which is what music needs; otherwise, why do we even play? (And this is coming from someone who has damaged their eardrums, and continues to do so, on death metal, grindcore, and similar genres, just to be clear.)
If someone wants to delve into conspiracy theories, they can keep doing it, but it's ridiculous to cling to arguments like "they're no longer at the level of Still Life" or "you can feel the absence of Lindgren." Of course, they're not at the same level as before, but it's positive to see that they're not just recycling the same clichés for years. Instead, they are exploring new styles. Regarding the lineup issue: I don't know if Casamorta is speaking with full knowledge, but Lindgren stopped contributing to songwriting starting from Still Life, so there's no real absence felt. In fact, Akesson is a significantly superior and very versatile guitarist, bringing a breath of fresh air to Opeth. The discussion about the drummer is different: this time the change is noticeable because his style is quite different from Lopez's, although he is very skilled and manages to keep the rhythm section solid and cohesive, despite it being his first experience of this kind.
In short, Watershed is a pleasant confirmation for Opeth, there's little else to say!

Terrible review!

Hi Algol, honestly the rating would be 3.5 but I'm nice and I'll round it up to 4! I only know The Art of Self Defense by High on Fire, can you point me to other good works?