Opeth
Orchid

"Orchid" is absolutely the most atmospheric, innovative, hostile, spontaneous, and diabolical album in the entire Opeth discography... indeed in all of metal.

Yes, because I challenge anyone to find a group of four twenty-year-olds who unleash so much creativity from their minds, going against all the metal norms (of that time)... and I challenge anyone to do such work in just over a week.

It's hard to place, but it hovers between a "progressive-death metal" with marked folk and jazz influences, with the esteemed Mikael Åkerfeldt's voice ranging from the most hellish and grotesque growl to the most paradisiacal and molded clean vocals.

It's a pity that it's such an extreme and non-listenable album that most listen to it a couple of times and then quickly switch to something else like "Blackwater Park" and "Still Life," believing that this is the true "Opeth" element and not what's in "Orchid"... but fortunately, there are still some who believe Orchid to be the true pearl of Opeth (without belittling other works), but it's clear that this Orchid has something extra...

Having said that, now I'll give you a song-for-song description:

-"In Mist She Was Standing": the album opens with one of Opeth's most heavy and marked tracks with sudden tempo changes and dizzying rhythms. I think the growl in this song is the most beautiful I've ever heard, with amazing variation... and even short clean sections are not missing... many consider it the best of the album... I just consider it a great song, nothing more, at least compared to the remaining songs on the album;

- "Under the Weeping Moon": it opens with two classical guitars playing a rather cute melody (which vaguely reminds me of "... And Justice for All")... the entire melody is replayed shortly after in a hard version. After a lot of twists and turns, the entire rhythm fades with a spectacular growl... now we have a full 3 minutes of pure atmosphere!!!! Among noises, guitars, and drums that seem to want to speak to the listener,... a breathtaking piece... the song resumes with explosive energy. The track closes very similarly to "In Mist She Was Standing". Many consider it the best of the album... for a short time, I thought so too, but as time went on, this song doesn't hold up with the last two... however, I must say it's the most experimental and atmospheric song of the entire album;

- "Silhouette": here we have an entirely acoustic track entirely produced by drummer Anders Nordin. And I can assure you it's a really difficult piece to reproduce, I can assure you of that. Truly beautiful;

-"Forest Of October": a truly stratospheric song... the entire track perfectly conveys the idea of the October forest... among the most brutal riffs and the most touching melodies of the entire album. The growl here is particularly gloomy and overshadowed. The two solos are really excellent. The track closes with a wholly melancholic and thorny melody. Some consider it the best of the album... in my opinion, it's a beautiful song but not quite the best...;

-"The Twilight Is My Robe": (I think this one and "The Apostle In Triumph" are the best of the album) there’s little to say... all 11 minutes are fully used to deliver the strongest orgasm of your life. This track can be summarized by saying that it's a constant deceleration and acceleration, between monstrous riffs and rhythms and sentimental melodies, the solos are spectacular!!! Enjoy it 100% because songs like these come out one every 1000. Fortunately, there are also some who consider it the best of the album, I am in perpetual indecision between this and the last one;

-"Requiem": last break before the final sprint... Requiem presents itself as a simple and boring instrumental, but not everyone knows that Requiem was originally supposed to include the first minute and a half of "The Apostle In Triumph" and that it came out this way by mistake... Opeth apologized quite a lot and due to time pressure, this mistake was made... so the next time you hear it, close your eyes and imagine it with the cut piece... beautiful, eh?

-"The Apostle in Triumph": the beginning is a magnificent mix between folk and tribal (the piece that was supposed to be in "Requiem"), truly special... then the real song begins, a track to say the least apocalyptic... like "The Twilight Is My Robe" enjoy it to the fullest because this track contains the most beautiful and well-thought-out solos of the entire album;

Now the second part of the review: the one only 3% will read. Yes, because very few have had the courage to try to understand the lyrics of "Orchid" and the concept behind it. So dear 3% of my readers, I will illustrate my interpretation of this dark concept.

The characters in the story are essentially three: "The Apostle," "The Girl," and "The Forest"... I will use these names to refer to them.

- In Mist She Was Standing: the "seven milestones" heard at the beginning refer to the 7 tracks. Here the Apostle is presented who returns to his beloved forest, which he has known since childhood (it is also initially stated that he travels under the Autumn Eye... I will explain better in "Under The Weeping Moon"). Specifically, at the lake that he knows so well. But he notices something different. In fact, in the lake, he sees a maiden (the Girl) shrouded in a dark and bleak aura. She notices him and approaches, and they have a sexual relationship. There, the Apostle notes that her hands are cold, then starts making many metaphors: touching her flesh, his blood froze forever, a kiss brought total eclipse... the track ends showing the Girl shrouded in twilight (then it connects to "The Twilight Is My Robe") and surrounded by mist ("In Mist She Was Standing");

- Under the Weeping Moon: (here begins a long flashback that will end with "Forest Of October"). In fact, we find our Apostle (before returning from the journey, still in his forest) crying under his beloved Moon, which has always given him strength. Suddenly we find the Apostle in a completely different scene: he is on a journey in search of the Eye (as I told you in "In Mist She Was Standing") (I interpreted the Eye as the sense of living. Although in context, I associated it with a lord leading an unknown Nordic band) who is so full of strength that now the Moon is crying, and he is laughing...(here the 3 atmospheric minutes)... now the Apostle has joined the Nordic company (composed of apostles) and feels invincible and unassailable, his task is to solve mysteries... searching, finding (literally). Winter passes, and our Apostle sets off on his mission...(then we will discover what);

- Silhouette: a Silhouette is a black-and-white image where only the full object is visible (like in Chinese shadows), in addition, an athletic form is also defined as a Silhouette, especially in women... that said... I still haven't managed to interpret it... sorry;

- Forest Of October: the flashback started in "Under The Weeping Moon" doesn't end, rather it goes back even further: indeed, the track presents the motive for the Apostle's abandonment of the forest to embark on the journey north to find the Eye. Practically, the Apostle day by day feels more and more in harmony with the Forest, but after some time, he feels his soul is subdued and hopes for liberation. Unconcerned, the Apostle ignores what his soul feels, and after quite some time, his unconscious starts feeling cold, but he feels increasingly free. After a long time, he is practically under the control of the Forest, and even though he knows he has changed, he cannot leave (a kind of spell, damn forest!!!). The Apostle now believes he will die, but... strangely finds the strength to escape from the Forest and head north... in fact, he says that now his soul is at peace with his spirit. While leaving, the forest falls into some kind of depression: the willow leaves fall, almost symbolizing that it has lost its best friend, bastard!!!!

(the flashback is over)

- The Twilight Is My Robe: (the ball passes to the Girl) Now a whole vision that the Apostle has about the future of the Forest and the Girl is described: the Apostle knows perfectly well that the Girl is in full harmony with the Forest (as he was in "Forest Of October") but there is something different. In fact, the Girl had such a strong determination that she could subdue the Forest (and not the other way around), but at the cost of her life, as she is now an empty shell. The Forest also reveals it can no longer be subdued by the Girl, its goal is to breathe (literally). So, one night, the Forest kills the Girl. While dying, the Girl reveals she got lost before reaching the Forest and was waiting for her mystical brothers to arrive. And here's the turning point because I interpreted the mystical brothers as the other apostles, companions of the same Nordic band. In essence, the Apostle's mission is to find the Girl (but then...). In fact, in the last stanza, we hear the Apostle’s words to the Girl after having seen the vision:

"I will obey your command

In my vision

You are the personification of pure freedom

But to my eyes, you are made of stone"

In essence, his true mission is to kill the Girl (for dark reasons). You can tell from the fact that in his words he told her a lie: she is not the personification of pure freedom but one destined to die. A nice betrayal;

- Requiem: the Requiem is the religious funeral rite that was celebrated in ancient times. I interpreted it as the Girl’s funeral since she was unconscious of her death. This one, unlike Silhouette, I was able to interpret;

- The Apostle In Triumph: here the Apostle finally shows what he really is: a loner who travels through enchanted forests. It pours rain after the bloodshed struggle against the girl. In fact, he is dismayed and cannot stand. He cries. The sky is ripped by continuous lightning. Suddenly a black crow takes flight and catches his attention. Now he clearly feels that his beloved Forest is truly free. Suddenly he begins to feel a strange energy: he feels that his true spirit is hidden in that forest... he sees a black rock and is struck by an enchanting energy. The Forest speaks directly to him:

"The only way to follow

Open your soul

Save yourself, I am immortal"

The Apostle is engulfed by beams of light, his soul elevated to glory, his image obstructing the skies, now he is the Apostle in triumph. As he continues to walk under the pouring rain, his soul travels through the eternal flame;

I've run out of space, I would have liked to write more, I hope you enjoy it.

I would give it a 10-

By LUGREZZO