Album Details

• Artist: Opeth
• Album: Heritage
• Label: Roadrunner
• Year of Release: 2011
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: solitaryman on 2011-09-27

After the longest hiatus between albums, Opeth have finally made available their latest "observation", the pensively named Heritage, their 10th album in a long history of great ones. At an outward glance, the artwork is perhaps the most stunningly appropriate in terms of it's signifigance to the album's title. Much can be taken here; the death metal "roots" of the tree reaching down into the depths, the skulls of past band members littering the earth, and keyboardist Per Winberg (recently made Ex-Opeth)'s head falling off the tree. There may be more to take from the backround, but I couldn't draw any conclusions. Beyond the fantastic artwork, within we fin Opeth taking a sizable detour from the metal of their past, indulging foremost in the softer, cleaner and frankly, more vividly artistic side of their musical consciousness.

One can only imagine, with glimpses at interviews and quotes, the intristic quality of muscianship and the overall vibes of creativity that had to have been floating around the studio while this album was constructed. The title track, a haunting piano piece, apparently takes it's influence from swedish folk, but has an air about it that fits right at home on an Opeth album. "The Devil's Orchard", as an intro "song' in the more true sense, doesn't quite grasp me like the rest of the album does. It has some interesting shifts, intriguing ideas but as a whole it just doesn't make an impact. "I Feel The Dark" definitely leaves a mark however, with polarizing shifts between quiet acoustics and short, precise bursts of the closing thing Heritage has to offer of pure metal. But it isn't until "Slither" that I start to pay closer attention. A high-octane, sweat-steaming pace pushes forward one of the most catchy and accessible tracks the band has ever produced. The organ punctuations and guitar tones are reminiscent of bands of classic rock's heyday. "Nepenthe" is all softer jazz, mellow and smooth and unnecessarily shaken from it's soulful sound by a somewhat unfitting aggressive middle section. "Haxprocess" is a showcase of percussive gymnastics, swirling fills and cymbal work that emphasize an otherwise wonderfully written track. "Famine" sounds like a modern fusion of classic Deep Purple and King Crimson, progressively evolving without being afraid to let loose. There might even be a little bit of a Jethro Tull nod in the inclusion of the jazz flute. "Folklore" is literally two songs, two totally different songs connected in a way that I simply cannot fathom. The 2nd half, however, is probably the coolest part of the entire record.

At the end of the whole thing, I sit undecided and on the fence, as I'm sure a wealth of Opeth fans will be. On the one hand, I have the upmost appreciation for how damn talented this band is, how refined of a singer/songwriter/instrumentalist Mikael Akerfeldt is, and how daring they are to put something like this together so deep into their career. But on the other hand, I cannot help but think that a full Opeth album, as they have almost always been given to us, should offer up the extremely loud and the contrasting soft, as it is this wonderful set of counterpoints that has made each record so impacting in the past. Save the softer, gentler Damnation, Heritage has no real forerunner in their catalog. It was unexpected, pleasant, unusual and enjoyable. But I hope I am not alone in saying that this type of record, however satisfying, can only come along once in a blue moon for a band who put their stamp on the world of music in a totally different fashion. 

User Reviews and Comments

Review:

on 2011-12-03 Bertman Said:

Heritage is the tenth studio album from Swedish metal band Opeth. The band looks backwards to the mid 1970s to such influences as Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, plumbing some of these bands artier, more progressive music for inspiration. The CD cover even hints at art work reminiscent of Deep Purples The Book of Taliesyn.
Opeth writes their own music but a listener can draw a direct line the source of influence.
Theres a healthy dose of folkey guitar passages and eerie piano pieces throughout the disc, and lead vocalist Mikael Akerfeldt foregoes any guttural growls to sound off with big, oversized, soaring vocals.
Show-off riffs abound throughout the disc, with stand out tracks including The Devils Orchard and Slither. At times the compositions border on being indulgent, but the virtuosity on display seems to make it all worthwhile.
Its encouraging to hear this bit of nostalgia reinterpreted, and played true to form. Heavy Metal has been its own worst enemy for a while now, becoming increasingly expected and tedious. This look backwards through fresh eyes and ears is as refreshing as it is unexpected. Opeth, on this disc at least, never fail to fascinate with brilliant moments of inspired beauty and power.

Rating: 7/10