Opeth - Watershed (CD)

All Music Guide

After album (or "observation," as the band likes to call them) number eight Ghost Reveries Opeth could have very easily coasted, merely rehashing its sound. Instead they opted to challenge themselves and the listener, creating an album that can at times , expose its true nature and scope slowly and, at other times, be jarring, as if it were turning itself inside out. Opeth take chances that many bands in the same situation would be too scared to have a go at. It's hard to say if the recent membership changes affected bandleader Mikael Åkerfeldt's writing and production, or if he was enjoying his trip down classic rock (see: Deep Purple) lane. Fort whatever reason, Watershed is a new benchmark for Opeth. The tricky part is pointing out that while Watershed is a fantastic record, one that takes chances while remaining totally metal (dude), it feels less like a complete statement than a preview for something even greater. After the pastoral introduction of "Coil," Opeth move into pumme...ling mode with "Heir Apparent." It's one of the few tracks here to feature growling death metal vocals. But it is track three where Opeth really takes the listener by the ear and twists. There's a gently humming prologue then "The Lotus Eater," becomes a slab of blastbeats iced with clean vocals that as with many Opeth tunes takes a "break" twothirds of the way through, only to take one hell of a left turn out of nowhere. The tune doesn't just go back to heavy riffage, but explores a progmetal, psychedelic organ, quasifreakout, that touches on pure jazz. Read more Less