Release
date: September 30th 2016. Label: Moderbolaget, Nuclear
Blast. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Sorceress
– Tracklisting
01.
Persephone
02.
Sorceress
03.
The Wilde Flowers
04.
Will O The Wisp
05.
Chrysalis
06.
Sorceress 2
07.
The Seventh Sojourn
08.
Strange Brew
09.
A Fleeting Glance
10.
Era
11.
Persephone (Slight Return)
Band
Members:
Mikael
Åkerfeldt – vocals, guitar, production
Fredrik
Åkesson – guitar, backing vocals
Joakim
Svalberg – piano, keyboard, backing vocals
Martín
Méndez – bass guitar
Martin
Axenrot – drums, percussion
Review:
Yes.
That's right. Outlaws Of The Sun are reviewing the new Opeth record.
I've been given boss man Steve's blessing to stray outside of our
normal subject matter because, well because Opeth.
I'm
going to go ahead and just tell you where I stand on this whole "Make
Opeth growl again" matter.
If
you miss the growling and the more typical heavy riffs go and put on
Blackwater Park and get over yourselves. Not every band is content to
churn out the same album time after time after time. (Hi Slayer!)
OK
with that neatly tidied up lets move on.
Sorceress
is the natural progression (pun intended) from Pale Communion, the
riffs are riffier, for example the incredible title track, which is
impossible not to play air guitar to and the prog is proggier, a
great example of this also being the title track.
In
fact this is a trick deployed throughout the whole record, giving
Sorceress the perfect blend of blood and thunder and also the more
flamboyant 70s influenced freedom to explore the tracks. Special
mentions for the wonderful vocal hook in The Wilde Flowers proving
Opeth's metal credentials (lighting a light as the flames grow
higher/searing skin on a funeral pyre) and also for Will O The Wisp.
Imagine
Harvest from Blackwater Park, but better. An absolutely beautiful
track which perfectly showcases why Opeth don't growl anymore.
Because if you could sing like Mikael Akerfeldt sings you wouldn't
either. I genuinely think I'd get goosebumps listening to him sing
his shopping list.
In
Sorceress, Opeth have once again delivered an album that excels in
incredible song writing, flawless musicianship and beautiful story
telling. They've also delivered an album which will no doubt divide
opinion again. I know which side of the debate I'm on and I urge you
if you're unsure to give this a spin as otherwise you could be
missing out on a strong candidate for album of the year.
Words
by Simon Ross Williams
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