[rating=8.00]
For those longtime Opeth fans who view 2011’s Heritage as a misstep for its near-complete expulsion of metal from the band’s now-signature sound… well, “Cusp of Eternity” isn’t likely to hit the spot. More or less picking up where the fusion-leaning Heritage left off, “Cusp of Eternity,” the first song to be released from the forthcoming Pale Communion LP, is a continuation of Opeth’s move away from the progressive death-metal stylings the band helped pioneer with records like Blackwater Park (2001) and Ghost Reveries (2005).
The track premiered on MetalSucks, a fitting venue particularly because the site had one of the more interesting conversations about the change in Opeth’s sound, held in a comment section of a poll that asked readers if they liked Heritage or not. Many of the discussion’s well-spoken commenters argued that Heritage was a weaker Opeth offering not because the exclusion of heavier riffs is an inherently faulty move — see the band’s fairly popular 2003 release Damnation, which is even more un-metal than Heritage. Rather, these commenters hold, by eliminating death growls and darker guitar tones, Opeth was lessening the band’s dynamic variance, in the process making the music less compelling overall. The sense of disappointment that often surrounded Heritage is based around the reasonable claim that Opeth had forged an identity leading up to that album, and that identity involved harsh vocals and death-metal guitar. For Heritage to leave those aspects of the music out, then, is to leave out a part of what makes Opeth the band that it is.
I, along with many others, happen to agree with the MetalSucks commenters but also enjoy Heritage. Opeth is at its best when it blends together metal and the ’70’s progressive rock that frontman Mikael Akerfeldt so very adores. Plus, having seen Heritage cuts like the Ronnie Dio tribute “Slither” performed live, I can attest that what may seem like a lack of heaviness on a record can become as heavy as any metal tune in the live setting. Continuing in the gains made by that album, “Cusp of Eternity” simultaneously emphasizes a long-running trait of Opeth’s sound and takes the band into new territory.
The track bears many classic Opeth traits: Akerfeldt’s excellent clean vocals (which only get better with each successive album), legato guitar passages, and a tonality that suggests that Akerfeldt and guitarist Fredrik Akesson have spent more than a little bit of time practicing their Hungarian minor scales. The track also bears some similarity in mood to the many groups in the ever-growing occult rock subgenre, bolstered by Pale Communion‘s tarot card-esque sleeve art. The chorus, consisting of a wordless harmony vocal, moves Opeth even further into the realm of vintage progressive rock. There are still three months to go until Pale Communion‘s August 26th release, but if “Cusp of Eternity” is any indication, these Swedish titans are still challenging themselves — and their audiences — in exciting ways.
4 Responses
you know when you get that weird feeling in your gut when you’re about to go on an exciting, thrilling new ride at the theme park… well.. this is what i got when i heard it the first time and the 10th time!!!! refreshing music in a relatively boring, repetitive and unoriginal phase in the metal genre!!! i am officially excited about the release 🙂 \m/
Pretty good song. Great solo. Good flow as you listen to the track. Its definitely different, and I reckon this will set apart the true and fake fans of Opeth. I’d say its a similar move to Steven Wilson’s new album ‘Raven…’, with more range of instruments and sounds, it sounds like a complete and whole band. Judging from the sound of this song, its gonna be my favorite Opeth album, as I don’t really have one yet. Heritage was a big leap, but I don’t think this will be as bigger leap…
True and fake fans? Just because someone also happens to be into this jazz fusion crap, or whatever it is, doesn’t make them a “true” fan…
I used to catch every concert in NY, I went to two post-Heritage concerts and they stopped playing almost anything from the catalog that had heavy vocals. He decided to take the band in a whole new direction…to me Opeth was at it’s peak when the songs were ten minute masterpieces that were dynamic and story-telling.
Now look at what we’ve got..we barely broke five minutes and the Chorus is “Ahhhhhhhhhhhh ahhh ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh”. Wow…so deep.
barely breaking 5 minutes can never be a reason for the song to be bad. i find this song to be a masterpiece and its exactly the same how i find the drapery falls or harlequin forest two very strong masterpieces.
What makes Opeth so strong is almost every song is a unique experience altogether.