Opeth
Heritage

We were left with two albums, the controversial Ghost Reveries and the even more controversial Watershed. In the meantime, several changes: Lopez and Lindgren out, Axenrot, Åkesson, and Wiberg in (recently replaced by Joakim Svalberg).

Heritage marks the return of the Swedish band Opeth to the scene after an absence of more than three years, excluding the Royal Albert Hall episode. The band's tenth album, Heritage marks a clear turning point for the Scandinavian band, producing a work totally different from what was heard before. Mikael Åkerfeldt, author of all the music, opts for a retro approach that, as always, originates from progressive, setting aside the historical death metal component. Fusion veins and folk bursts emerge, to the detriment of sound power: the great absentees of the record are growls, saturated distortions, and the power of the tupa-tupa death metal (which, no matter how elaborate it may be, always remains tupa-tupa).

Just like My Arms, Your Hearse thirteen years earlier, the elegant notes of a piano welcome the listener, then giving way to The Devil's Orchard, the first song, first single, and the first unequivocal sign of change: What the hell is happening? A Hammond seemingly stolen from Uriah Heep, Mendez playing at being Jaco, Åkerfeldt vocally very inspired and so much groove: Are we sure this is Opeth?

Doubts can only increase with I Feel the Dark, a less sustained track, with a dark progression, built around more measured acoustic tones, unsettled by the powerful final electric slaps. Excellent is the sense of tension it manages to instill in the listener. The influence of Rainbow period Blackmore is evident in Slither, which strongly recalls Kill the King, while in Nepenthe it is possible to glimpse shards of fusion greats such as Al Di Meola, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever, and even a hint of Holdsworth, for an apparently fragmentary but very intriguing track.

Reaching the core of the album, the sensation of change becomes awareness: atmospheres and mood prevail, keyboards weave sound textures, and guitars become humble. If Häxprocess flaunts a more subdued and melancholic style, at times reminiscent of Canterbury, the same cannot be said for Famine and The Lines in My Hand: the former, a "lightened" reinterpretation of the typical dark prog made in Opeth, the latter, a sparkling rock with Mediterranean hues. Folklore is a real enigma: perhaps it intended to be a modern response to an "epic" such as A Fair Judgement, but in reality, it turns out to be an immature track: good ideas that could have been expressed better. Between the fading of delicate guitar lines indebted to Andy Latimer, the touching instrumental Marrow of the Earth seals Heritage.

Heritage is a different, unusual album, there's no doubt about it, but it still needs to be clarified how it fits into today's music scene and, particularly, in Opeth's discography: is it yet another masterpiece or is it the epic fail of 2011? It is certainly not a masterpiece, but it is equally true that it is not an album to be hastily discarded. I am bold in considering Opeth as the most innovative metal band of the last fifteen years, a band that, in the microcosm of death metal, has left a mark, the same cannot be said regarding the progressive scene. Let it be clear: they have talent, but it is now evident that for some years now the vein is running dry, which is why the abandonment of death metal was the most appropriate choice, however, Heritage fails to fully convince: it explores new territories, though at times mannerist, but lacks the cohesion that even in just Ghost Reveries was much stronger, and it is certainly not easy to appreciate it, not even for long-time fans, a true acquired taste. Fortunately, some positive aspects are not lacking: the performance of the individuals stands out, particularly the Mendez-Axenrot rhythm section, recorded live: the former increasingly brilliant and daring, once again proves to be a great musician - he has now entered the Olympus of bassists - the latter definitively shakes off the reputation of "death metal drummer," offering us an exquisite performance, full of odd times, very sophisticated passages, and nuances worthy of the Martin Lopez of the good old days.

Finally, Roadrunner, synonymous with quality, has endeavored to create hype that has had the sole effect of disappointing listeners who, given the premises, would have expected at least a "total" album: Heritage is not, but it certainly deserves more than one listen, give it a chance.