Opeth
Pale Communion

Released only on August 25, but by the time it came out, we practically knew it by heart... The new Opeth album, initially scheduled for June, was eventually pushed back to August but was leaked about forty days early, allowing us to discover its coordinates early.

The previous "Heritage" led the public to nail Opeth to the cross due to its blatantly copied approach from seventies prog and lack of a true personal touch; criticism upon criticism on forums, Facebook groups, and elsewhere...

"Pale Communion" was destined to become the album of redemption where Opeth had to prove they were not a band out of ideas. Result: some were satisfied, a little less others.

When the writing phases began, Åkerfeldt spoke of a band working on something decidedly harder, which would have been influenced by the hard rock of Black Sabbath; but as often happens, the process changes, and in the end, Mikael found himself creating something decidedly more melodic. The album roughly follows the coordinates of "Heritage": once again no death metal and thus no heavy guitars and no growl voice, once again Opeth are fully attached to the true 70s progressive rock, not the more romantic/symphonic one of Genesis and Yes, rather the darker one of King Crimson (especially in the slight guitar distortions) or the more intense and vaguely jazzy one of Camel. But if it's true that the approach is still quite derivative, the Opeth touch that was indeed missing in "Heritage" is here and is quite recognizable, both in the melodies and in the riffs. The guitar distortions and reverbs are better exploited, there is more originality in the transitions, and the acoustic phrases and jazzy solos that made the Opeth brand famous are back in full force. A new keyboardist, Joakim Svalberg, appears, who had already made an appearance on the previous album playing its overture on the piano and later accompanied the band on the "Heritage" tour; however, his style does not seem particularly distant from that of Per Wiberg: the influence remains that of seventies prog rich in organs, mellotrons, electric pianos, etc. Martin Axenrot's work on the drums deserves particular mention, showcasing a truly excellent and dynamic performance, with a very fusion style. Bassist Martin Mendez also stands out; truth be told, I have always preferred the more creative, vaguely fusion style and definitely more noticeable one of DeFarfalla (bassist of the first two albums), for the style of the album it would have been perfect and more in line with what is proposed, but here Méndez brings out some interesting lines, he is definitely more noticeable than in the past, even if his work deserves to be more valued by the production.

The album opens with an energetic yet melodic "Eternal Rains Will Come", where drumming, organ passages, and acoustic strumming stand out; the best is yet to come, but it's definitely a great opener. Quite a different story is the next track "Cusp of Eternity", criticized by many for being overly immediate (indeed with its fairly canonical song form it turns out to be the catchiest song in the entire Opeth catalog) or simply considered a good single, yet I believe it deserves more consideration as it is probably the least derivative track on the album: it relies on a hammering and repeated guitar riff but never particularly hard, and a simple and flowing rhythm with no-frills drumming; in addition, there are dark guitar reverbs. Personally, it reminded me of the catchier tracks of Riverside, but in any case, I find it the most Opeth-like song of the batch; its release as a single made me absolutely hopeful; if this track's approach had been explored further in other tracks, the final product of the album would have probably been something much grander, although as it is, the album is very respectable.

Then comes the much longer "Moon Above, Sun Below" (a title that might evoke the Kamasutra, perhaps some hidden sexual allusion in the title??? Ah, who knows...): 10 minutes that alternate well-reworked Crimsonian riffs, gloomy organ passages, almost horror film-like carpets, dark bass lines, and acoustic phrases in full Opeth style. In contrast, "Elysian Woes" is very delicate, clearly recalling the calm and relaxed style of "Damnation": acoustic guitar arpeggios and oboe arrangements accompany the first half, giving way to beautiful mellotron carpets in the second part. Then follows the instrumental "Goblin", with a marked fusion inflection and a vaguely Canterbury flavor, thanks mainly to the substantial electric piano inserts.

We then enter the final part, possibly where Opeth shine the most. The track "River" is cited by many as the best on the album; the first part is very melodic and based on impressive acoustic phrases in full Opeth style, according to some with a slightly southern and country inflection (perhaps a bit forced associations?), the second part, however, is more derivative but executed with mastery, especially striking are the organ "taps" and the guitar distortions are used wisely and intelligently. However, in my opinion, the best is not exactly in "River" but in the last two tracks. "Voice of Treason", often rarely mentioned, is in my opinion the most creative and varied track in terms of influences: unusual orchestral arrangements for the band emerge, accompanied by drumming that is less free-flowing, more measured, and more schematic, there are interesting acoustic touches with almost an oriental flavor, as is the air throughout the track... Opeth are still creatively alive! The orchestral arrangements find an even greater outlet in the delicate "Faith in Others", where they form the backbone of the track and offer a more brilliant and intense melody than ever.

Coming to the final judgment, I think one statement is obvious: definitely superior to "Heritage"; I have never been part of the anti-Heritage camp, on the contrary, I listened to it quite a bit at the time, appreciating Opeth's courage to venture into unfamiliar territories (something I appreciate - indeed, encourage - in all bands)... but "Pale Communion", although still quite derivative, surpasses it in creativity, the elaboration of individual elements, and melodies. Not just a simple attempt at imitation like "Heritage" possibly was. Certainly, I would have expected something even more personal and less derivative, for sure the inspiration isn't what it once was, but we can't really complain about the final product, rather the opposite.

Personally, I'm sorry Opeth didn't continue the work done with "Ghost Reveries" and "Watershed" (even though with a title like this it was to be expected). They managed to reinvent themselves by creating a new style that was a perfect compromise between death metal, alternative metal, and seventies prog; in that approach, in my opinion, they still had a lot to say, I would have continued that discourse for at least another two albums, although the idea of diving into the purest prog-rock is absolutely fascinating - especially considering they come from a death metal past - I probably would have arrived there sooner or later myself.

Regarding the public's judgment... I agree with those who say that if this album had been released in the '70s, it would have been labeled a masterpiece and entered history. Totally in disagreement with those who say that Opeth have spat on the plate they ate from (for some, even since "Ghost Reveries") and with those who judge them "inconsistent". It almost irritates me to know that there are people so narrow-minded as to consider style changes almost a betrayal! What did you want? That they endlessly repeated albums like "Orchid", "Morningrise", "Still Life" or "Blackwater Park"? They're not spitting on the plate they ate from! They're not repudiating their origins, they're simply changing, following the intentions of the moment, living new phases, as it's only normal for human beings to do! And changing doesn't mean being inconsistent, since when is changing synonymous with inconsistency?! If that were the case, one would be giving credence to those who say that consistency isn't always a value and most often is a true obsession consisting of clinging to one's principles at all costs (as claimed by Ralph Waldo Emerson and as I continually repeat myself). Better inconsistent than stubbornly fixed on one idea! Agreed with those who say that indeed they have somewhat denatured themselves (I'm the first to admit that their masterpieces belong to their old production)... but better slightly denatured than anchored to their sound just to satisfy narrow-minded fans (partly not very open-minded metalheads); if you fall into this last category, listen to AC/DC; Opeth are ARTISTS, meaning they don't like to repeat themselves, they love to change and are not there to satisfy requests like a radio DJ.

Closing the philosophical parenthesis... I hope the band will, nonetheless, better develop the best ideas present on this album in the future; we're still on the right path, but by making the most of them, they could produce something truly interesting, perhaps becoming one of the promises of the darkest modern prog. For now, let's enjoy this excellent "Pale Communion".