Blackwater Park

by Opeth

Overview

Not since the release of Tiamat's groundbreaking masterpiece Wildhoney in 1994 had the extreme metal scene witnessed such an overwhelming show of fan enthusiasm and uniform critical praise as that bestowed upon Blackwater Park, the astounding fifth effort from Swedish metal titans Opeth. A work of breathtaking creative breadth, Blackwater Park (named after an obscure German progressive rock outfit from the 1970s) keeps with Opeth's tradition by transcending the limits of death/black metal and repeatedly shattering the foundations of conventional songwriting, to boot. Rarely does a band manage to break new ground without losing touch with its roots, but Opeth has made a career of it -- perhaps never as effortlessly as on this occasion. But the biggest difference between Blackwater Park and previous offerings lies not in the remarkably high songwriting standards achieved by main man Mikael Akerfeldt (that's a given with him), but in the first-time involvement of Porcupine Tree leader Steve Wilson, whose contributions as producer lend an unprecedented fluidity to Opeth's restlessly inventive arrangements. Like all Opeth LPs, Blackwater Park is divided not so much into songs as "movements," as the band likes to call them. Tracks start and finish in seemingly arbitrary fashion, usually traversing ample musical terrain, including acoustic guitar and solo piano passages, ambient soundscapes, stoner rock grooves, and Eastern-tinged melodies -- any of which are subject to savage punctuations of death metal fury at any given moment. Likewise, Akerfeldt's vocals run the gamut from bowel-churning grunts to melodies of chilling beauty -- depending on each movement section's mood. With all this in mind, singling out specific highlights is pretty much a futile exercise; but for the benefit of first-time listeners, why not start out with the colossal, Arabian-flavored riffs of "Bleak," the memorable chorus of "The Drapery Falls," the surprisingly gentle intro of "Dirge for November," and, finally, the all-encompassing title track. Then, with patience (Opeth's music is everything but immediate), the rest of Blackwater Park's grand scheme will be revealed. As for more experienced Opeth disciples, few will disagree with the fact that, even compared to lofty prior achievements, Blackwater Park is surely the band's coming-of-age album, and therefore, an ideal introduction to its remarkable body of work. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia

Product Details

Release Date:	06/20/2006
Label:	Sony Bmg
UPC:	0828768291221

Tracks

1. Leper Affinity
2. Bleak
3. Harvest
4. Drapery Falls
5. Dirge for November
6. Funeral Portrait
7. Patterns in the Ivy
8. Blackwater Park

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Opeth   Primary Artist
Steven Wilson   Piano,Guitar,Vocals
Peter Lindgren   Guitar
Martin Mendez   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Markus Lindberg   Egg Shaker
Fredrik Odefjard   Director
Martin Lopez   Drums
Mikael Akerfeldt   Guitar,Vocals

Technical Credits

Opeth   Producer,Composer
Mikael Akerfeldt   Group Member,Composer
Steven Wilson   Mixing,Engineer,Musician,Producer
Pontus Norgren   Mixing,Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Fredrik Nordstroem   Mixing,Engineer
Peter Lindgren   Composer,Group Member
Martin Mendez   Group Member
Brent Carpenter   Engineer
Travis Smith   Design,Cover Design
Harry Vaelimaeki   Photography
Markus Lindberg   Musician
Goeran Finnberg   Mastering
Fredrik Odefjard   Editing,Engineer
Martin Lopez   Group Member