CoC : Opeth - Morningrise : Review

Opeth - _Morningrise_
(Candlelight Records, 1996)
by: Drew Snow (8 out of 10)

Alright, let me just start this review off by saying that those of you who are looking for a continuation of Opeth's first album, _Orchid_, will be heartily satisfied by _Morningrise_. With that out of the way, on with the review. For those not familiar with Opeth's style, it is possibly best described as slow to mid-paced melodic black metal (for lack of a better :-metal label... who makes up these things anyway?), without typical BM production. Morningrise is, quite simply, a great album which tires itself out. Opeth's familiar "take one part 'forest'/black metal, one part acoustic, mix 4 to 5 times per song, repeat" song structures remain the same, as does the basic style in which they are played. This makes for a good combination, although the acoustic sections are a little too liberally spread throughout the CD, and gets pretty old after the first 40 minutes, and then there's still 26 more minutes to go after that. Not to say that the songs are bad, on the contrary, they're melodic and well played, with great vocals and the occasional guitar solo; they just left me thinking "Hey, this is a great song! And perfect length, at 6 minutes long... oh, wait a sec... there's still 9 minutes left." Also, maybe I'm just not in touch with my inner-acoustic-child, but the acoustic sections are too numerous, and get old fast. So for those of you who loved Opeth's first release and are looking for more of the same, by all means pick up _Morningrise_, you definitely will not be disappointed. And if you have never heard Opeth before and think you'd like them, go for it. But if you've heard _Orchid_, and thought it was just alright, then draw your own conclusion.

(article published 11/10/1996)

CHATS
5/13/2001	A Bromley	Opeth: Harvest of Blackness
7/8/1998	P Azevedo	Opeth: Born Within Sorrow's Mask

ALBUMS
9/30/2011	A El Naby	4	Opeth - Heritage
8/9/2008	J Ulrey	8.5	Opeth - Watershed
3/11/2008	P Azevedo	9.5	Opeth - The Roundhouse Tapes
8/24/2005	P Azevedo	9	Opeth - Ghost Reveries
1/30/2004	P Azevedo	10	Opeth - Lamentations - Live at Shepherd's Bush Empire DVD
7/24/2003	P Azevedo	8.5	Opeth - Damnation
5/31/2003	Q Kalis	10	Opeth - Deliverance
5/13/2001	C Flaaten	8	Opeth - Blackwater Park
12/9/1999	P Azevedo	9	Opeth - Still Life
7/8/1998	P Azevedo	10	Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse

GIGS
5/8/2009	P Williams	Motorhead / Arch Enemy / Opeth / Chimaira / August Burns Red / Nervecell / Hatred / Scarab	Dubai Desert Rock Festival 2009
6/11/2008	A Lineker	Opeth / Arch Enemy / Devildriver / 3 Inches of Blood	Before the Watershed
12/26/2006	P Azevedo	Opeth / Amplifier	Everything Ends
3/21/2003	P Azevedo	Opeth / Madder Mortem / Kormoss	Morningrise in the Deadlands