cat_dentures

Listening to Opeth right now, and I've almost forgotten how amazing they are. The first time I heard them was when I was 14 or 15, and it was on a mix tape that a friend made for me. There were songs from Bowie, Deadsy, Moonspell, Tool, Hole (and a bunch of others that I've forgotten since that tape was stolen) but the one song I always rewinded back to was Opeth's The Drapery Falls. I'd never heard something so noisy and melodic at the same time, and Mikael Akerfeldt's voice transformation throughout the song blew me away. Like a sort of Jekyll and Hyde, he'd be growling menacingly one second, and then soothing you with his clean vocals in the next.

I go through so many music phases and get quite fanatic with bands that I really like, collecting as much as I can from them, only to sell them off later or get rid of my collection once I tire of them. (Although Bauhaus was an exception-- I did sell off my records and most of my CDs and shirts, but they're still a favorite.) I think I tend to really overdose myself with whatever I'm obsessed with, until I get bored with it. Bad habit.

So, back to my point, I realized today that Opeth is one of the bands that has stuck with me for the longest throughout my many phases in music (grunge, metal, oldies, jazz, new wave, synthpop, synthpunk, punk, post-punk, goth, industrial, blues, avant-garde, experimental, progressive, etc, etc, constantly changing like the toilet paper in public restrooms), and I've never gotten bored with them. When listening to any of their songs there just always seems to be something new that I've never noticed before in past listenings, and that's one of the things I love about their music, and music in general-- surprises that you catch only after repeated listenings. Also, the unlikely combinations of different elements in one song, like how Opeth combine jazz, metal, folk, blues, and even polka (yes, polka! Check out The Lotus Eater). Check all of their music out, really. Yes, they're mostly long songs, but that makes it even better. I'm the type of person that never wants a song to end if it's exceptionally good, so I find listening to longer tunes really satisfying.


ANYWAY, I'm not sure why I felt compelled to type all that out... maybe because they're just absolutely amazing and I felt the need to share to those who haven't listened to them yet (because if you haven't, you're missing out). Give them a try, even if you don't like metal. I'm not much of a metalhead myself since I prefer singing to screaming/growling, but Opeth is one fine exception.

Volumes up:



How amazing do they sound live? Almost as good as the original track.


Ok.

/end fannish ravings

I have to apologize for being absolutely horrible and pretty much disappearing for almost a year. Feel free to remove me from your friends list and mark me as the most unreliable livejournal friend ever.

It's just that I'm finding myself constantly changing-- for good or bad, I don't know. but that's the way I like things. I've never been good at sticking to one thing for long which can be frustrating at times, but refreshing nonetheless. Like constantly being reborn every few months. Does that make sense?

Anyway, just wanted to say that I'm still here, still alive and kicking convulsively. or something like that.