I don't like the new Opeth. That is, the new one Blackwater Park. I never heard the other albums completely. I don't like it for a few reasons. One is the clean voiced singing. Its nothing special to me. He doesn't communicate. I guess he provides balance to you - the fans of Opeth. Perhaps he tempers the extreme response you get listening to the growling version. Perhaps he reminds you of the Pink Floyd-ish aura and related progressive rock. Actually I don't like Pink Floyd. This clean voiced singing of Opeth is neutral and relies on melody and effect to tender that style. I want to hear something from that voice - I don't want to hear a style. For me, an idea of twisted emotion that is dark and sinister is the growling voice. When I listen to some My Dying Bride, the cleaner voice has some tinge to it. It sounds twisted. It sounds believeable. Growling is the obvious effect but when he switches to clean he still sounds fucked up. In Opeth, the growling is great then there is a sudden change that shocks me as if the emotion is taken away and replaced by styling. The styling doesn't work with the urgency of the music. This is my other gripe. The tumultuous and tumbling music is fine for Evergrey or Dream Theater. Perhaps Opeth is moving in this direction or what? I don't know. But I think alot of Opeth fans here at PM board like Opeth because it reminds them of these bands. Many parts of the songs reminds me of Liquid Tension Experiment - not the noodling note for note but the tumbling, turbulent, circus like pizzaz that is the sound of DT-ism. And you all know I don't really like DT-ism. I do like it when Opeth is shimmering with ruffles and waves of chords (like Katatonia). Opeth has a bigger and deeper sound than Katatonia and it matches with the big growl of the singer. The DT-ism breaks this up for me just like the clean voice singing breaks up the mood Opeth is trying to make. I could agree that Opeth's Blackwater Park wants to go in this contrasting way. It just doesn't work for me.

Score 2.5/5

/author/ Alzn