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Rating: It's not at all simple to categorize a band like Opeth; their sound is anything but uniform. In their works, you can find influences from various musical genres. Their underlying genre is undoubtedly Death metal, a genre to which the group's first singer, David Isberg, was devoted. However, with his departure in '92 and Michael Akerfeldt taking over as leader, the music changed drastically. Akerfeldt steered the group towards the creation of a new musical style that includes not only death metal but also progressive shades reminiscent of Pink Floyd or Camel, blues and jazz elements, and especially gothic. It's safe to say that Opeth has given birth to their very own personal genre, making them unique and recognizable in every listen.
Now let's move on to the description of the album at the heart of this review, which is "Still Life." Conceived in 1999, "Still Life" is the band's fourth studio album and the first to feature bassist Martin Mendez in the lineup. "Still Life" is a concept album that tells the story of a man who, after a long exile, returns to his beloved Melinda.
A slow and repetitive riff introduces the world of Still Life and marks the first notes of "The Moor," the first track of the album. The brief initial arpeggio is merely the calm before the storm, which reaches the peak of its fury with the entrance of one of the most powerful and robust growls in the entire metal scene, that of Mr. M. Akerfeldt. The singer will prove himself not only an excellent exponent of growl but, during this "small" 11-minute feat and throughout the rest of the album, he will also show his capability with clean vocals.
"The Moor" immediately makes it clear that Opeth doesn't like to play it simple. The Swedes enjoy disorienting the listener by offering a constant alternation of raw and evil moments with melodic and reflective parts. This prerogative represents a genuine trademark of the Scandinavian band.
The beginning of "Godhead's lament" is overwhelming and allows no room for second thoughts. The group once again highlights its exceptional capabilities. Besides the already mentioned singer, the other members also deliver a praiseworthy performance. Lopez's drumming is as good as it gets. The guy has disarming precision and dynamism, playing the instrument with class, accompanying and supporting every track without ever overdoing it with stylistic exaggerations that would otherwise devalue the piece. The rhythm section is completed by Mendez (also Uruguayan by origin like Lopez), a less eclectic bassist than the previous Johan De Farfalla but still endowed with great skills. As for the guitars, it is the skillful hands of Peter Lindgren and Akerfeldt himself that create and shape riffs that, in Still Life, are among the most successful in the entire Opeth discography.
The third track "Benighted" deserves a more profound discussion. Unfortunately, most people associate elements like Satan, violence, malice, etc., with the figure of the metalhead, painting those who listen to a certain genre of music as brutish and heartless. Now, no one denies that Heavy metal and its derivatives are "angry" genres, but this does not necessarily mean there isn't anyone in the vast cauldron of heavy capable of touching your most sensitive side with music. It is to narrow-minded people that I address myself when I speak of "Benighted", a splendid acoustic piece that demonstrates how even bands devoted to extreme genres can create melodic songs of excellent quality. Do not let prejudice guide you; try to explore thoroughly what intimidates you only based on hearsay. It might surprise you.
Midway through the CD, we find "Moonlapse Vertigo", another 9-minute suite in which Opeth demonstrates once again their incredible state of grace. Following it is "Face of Melinda", which describes the moment when the concept's protagonist and his beloved Melinda reunite after a long separation. Here, Akerfeldt's voice is a sigh that brushes the soul. The song is a whisper that finds body and substance in the final part, where guitars assertively come in and gradually dissolve, taking us to the next "Serenity Painted Death". When I previously spoke of some of the most successful riffs, among them must undoubtedly be that of Serenity Painted Death, one of the most famous, if not the most famous, guitar lines of the Swedish group. But this piece doesn't live on a great riff alone; it contains all of Opeth's mastery. Akerfeldt's growl aggressively attacks the ears, dark and malevolent. Lopez is solid as a rock behind the drums, with double-bass drum inserts that add even more volume and completeness to the song, and the rest of the band follows suit, never dropping in tone.
"White Cluster" is the closing track, another gem of over 10 minutes. Here too, the singer alternates growl and clean vocals with surprising ease, and the band tirelessly follows his continuous vocal line changes, yet another confirmation.
What more is there to say? With "Still Life," Opeth collect one of their best albums ever. Those who love them must already have it; those who do not know them should hurry to do so. If you hate extreme metal, it's a pity; you're missing out on a great album.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Godhead's Lament (09:47)
Marauder
Staining the soil, midst of stillness
Beloved fraternity to an end
Red eyes probe the scene
All the same
Stilted for the beholder
Depravity from the core
Hand carved death in stone laden aisles
I hide the scars from my past
Yet they sense my (mute) dirge
This is when it all falls apart
White hands grasping for straws
Sly smile, poisoned glare behind
Undisguised manmade nova
Mute cry, don't dare to tread
Searing beams tracking you down
Adoring what never has been
Some will bring with them all they have seen
Searching my way to perplexion
The gleam of her eyes
In that moment she knew
Thought I could not leave this place
On this imminent day
As I've reached the final dawn
To what's gone astray
What would they care if I did stay
No one would know
What would they care if I did stay
No one should know
Thought I could not leave this place
On this imminent day
As I've reached the final dawn
To what's gone astray
What would they care if I did stay
No one would know
What would they care if I did stay
No one should know
Still brooding, soothing calm
That rigid, twisted face
Blank godhead, tear my name
Lost virtue, frantic lust
Sly smile, poisoned glare behind
Undisguised manmade nova
Mute cry, don't dare to tread
Searing beams tracking you down
Adoring what never has been
Some will bring with them all they have seen
Searching my way to perplexion
In crumbling faith I saw her
Bearing her pain in the wilderness
The gleam of her eyes
In that moment she knew
03 Benighted (05:00)
Come into this night
Here we'll be gone
So far away
From our weak and crumbling lives
Come into this night
When days are done
Lost and astray
In what's vanished from your eyes
What came and distorted your sight
Saw you benighted by your fright
Come into this night
Your plight alone
Carry your weight
You are flawed as all of us
Come into this night
You only home
It's never too late
To repent, Suffer the loss
What came and distorted your sight
Saw you benighted by your fright
What came and distorted your sight
Saw you benighted by your fright
Come into this night
When you're able
To undo your deeds
And atone with your lonely soul
Once you're into this night
All minds are stable
Forget all your needs
Lose the grip of all control
04 Moonlapse Vertigo (09:00)
Kept warm by the light of the lantern
Lost sight of everything tonight
My presence blackens their pattern
A pock in the healthy and calm
Their scorn behind your back
My promise would put them down
No trace of reverance left
Immemorial fire in their eyes
I would perish at the given signal
At the slightest touch from my soul
Tainted prophet in flesh
For all the plagued and lost
Dripping sin
Decision in stalemate
Dare to feel death at hand
Surprised me with its voice
Through the forest came the morn
Across the leafy pathway
Their deeds smeared in blood
For all to behold
The council of the cross
Must have sensed my coming
The pest through the air
With despise for squalor
Lashing out at the poor
I turned away my eyes
In pallor escape from the end
Fading time to leave from here
And less to fulfill my task
She would be safe and firm
Nothing of this is in vain
Taken away from stifling grace
And saved from the past
05 Face of Melinda (07:58)
By the turnstile beckons a damsel fair
The face of Melinda neath blackened hair
No joy would flicker in her eyes
Brooding sadness came to a rise
Words would falter to atone
Failure had passed the stepping stone
She sworn her vows to another
This is when no-one will bother
And conceded pain in crumbling mirth
A harlot of God upon the earth
Found where she sacrificed her ways
That hollow love in her face
Still I plotted to have her back
The contentment that would fill the crack
My soul released a fluttering sigh
This day fell, the darkness night
I took her by the hand to say
All faith forever has been washed away
I returned for you in great dismay
Come with me, far away to stay
Endlessly gazing in nocturnal prime
She spoke of her vice and broke the rhyme
But baffled herself with the final line
My promise is made but my heart is thine
07 White Cluster (10:02)
Still it came passing by
The pieces weaved together rose the sun
And fooled me with another day
The knocking message called for my life
Sealed the spell of my scrawny body
Soil to skin, My next of kin
Damp air grasped, Stole the words
And greeted me with a hiss
This is forgiveness, So I know
Once I repent I seal the lid
I slither for you and I'm dying
I find trust in hate
They wear white for me
Seemingly jaded and lost
I forge myself into your dreams
And here I am your life
Hangman, Clutching at his tools
I will come for you
The noose is tied
Murmur through the crowd
Plunging into anywhere but here
Cloak-captured sighs of relief
As the primal touch brought me back
And the last sight I did see is still here
Beckoning right behind me
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Other reviews
By cliffburton86
"The complexity of the sound, never trivial, is accompanied by Mikael Akerfeldt’s wonderful voice, ready to implode within my heart with dark and powerful growls."
"Opeth is a unique band, guilty of inventing a genre that guarantees extraordinary imagination, absurd technique, and fascinating melody."
