Opeth – Damnation (Vinyl Reissue)
Opeth – Damnation (Vinyl Reissue)
Music For Nations
Release Date: 15/12/2023
Running Time: 43:00
Review by Rory Bentley
10/10
Classic album time! As I work my way through the last few releases of the year because the music industry insists on ruining everyone’s Christmas break with more content to review and promote, I thought I’d swipe this nifty little reissue from the reviews list. Firstly, because I don’t even have to listen to it to review it and secondly because nostalgia does way more traffic for this website than all those new bands everyone pretends to care about. Though I guess the third slightly less cynical reason would be that this vinyl reissue of Opeth’s superb 2003 excursion into mellow Prog before they eventually made it their whole personality, is an absolute cast-iron masterpiece and still as stunningly gorgeous 20 years (fucking hell!) later.
After the god-tier magnificence of “Blackwater Park”, Mike and the boys decided to release two albums showing their meaner side (“Deliverance”) and their softer side (“Damnation”). Whilst it ruffled a few feathers from the normal aromatically-challenged ‘trve’ fans, Opeth’s foray into the kind of mellow Prog that even your nan would like would go onto become the Metalhead’s chill-out album of choice.
With the legendary Steven Wilson on producing duties once more, this is the most lush, warm and beautifully analogue-sounding record you could wish to hear. Wilson has built a reputation of tapping into the classic sound of 70s Prog and giving it a pristine modern polish, and this is perhaps the best example of this. From the gorgeous arpeggios in the intro to ‘Windowpane’ to its majestic mellotron embellishments that give way to creamy sounding lead guitars that feel like silk in your ears, this is an audiophile’s dream, and you shouldn’t be allowed with 100 yards of a school if you dare play it off your phone speakers, you pervert!
Every instrument has clearly been painstakingly worked on to get the optimum tone and to fit perfectly into the record’s sonic palette. Martin Lopez’s drums in particular are spine-tinglingly elegant, popping and tapping in and out of the mix with jazz-like finesse. Despite being praised for being a Death Metal beast behind the kit, for me the likes of ‘Ending Credits’, with its nimble cymbal work and the intricate yet understated fills on ‘In My Time of Need’ are the apex of his work with the band, and although his successors have all been incredible, there is a playful Latin swing to his playing that the band have never managed to replicate since. Holding up the other end of the Rhythm section, Martin Mendez brings an earthy, pleasingly round sound to the bottom end, always prominent in the mix but never so showy that it detracts from the wider arrangement.
The album also marks the first time Mikael Akerfeldt exclusively uses clean vocals for a whole album, and again may be a career high performance. His mournful baritone adds command and gravitas without ever rising above speaking volume and his breathy falsetto is one of Prog Rock’s most distinctive and emotionally affecting instruments. The verses of ‘Death Whispered A Lullaby’ could easily be twee and trite in the wrong hands, but Akerfeldt gives a masterclass in subtle brilliance that countless singers have unsuccessfully attempted to replicate since. Considering the huge role his demonic growl had played in the band’s sound at this point it is beyond impressive that he was able to dispense with this cornerstone of the Opeth sound and still deliver a performance that received near universal acclaim.
But the real strength of “Damnation” is found in the songs themselves. Opeth would go on to replicate similar feats of sonic majesty with later records, however I would argue that luscious production and masterful performances have often masked inconsistent songwriting in the back half of the Opeth discography. One listen to the delicate raindrops of guitars that make up the intro to ‘Hope Leaves’ and the pained vocals, manipulated like Akerfeldt is crying them down the line of an old telephone, should be enough to show you the results of beautiful sound design combining with peerless song craft. Likewise the piano-led epic ‘To Rid The Disease’ is a true feast for the ears, possessing all the dynamism and complexity of the more savage Opeth compositions without having to beat its chest like King Kong. The elegance and majesty belies a menacing sense of lurking evil that is as seductive as a snake’s apple in Eden, the kind of delicious living Black Phillip was surely referring to in “The VVITCH”.
This particular pressing features the 2015 Steven Wilson mix, which most agree is the best version and is surely an essential part of any Opeth devotee’s collection, showcasing a band at the peak of their creative powers with yet more classic material to come. As I write this I’m 8 months away from seeing Opeth do a by request set at Bloodstock and salivating at the prospect of some of their nastier cuts getting dusted out for the die-hards, however it is testament to the splendour to “Damnation” that I’m just as excited about seeing a few cuts from this mid-career masterpiece.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Windowpane
02. In My Time of Need
03. Death Whispered A Lullaby
04. Closure
05. Hope Leaves
06. To Rid the Disease
07. Ending Credits
08. Weakness
LINE-UP:
Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals and lead guitar
Peter Lindgren – rhythm guitar
Martín Méndez – bass guitar
Martin Lopez – drums
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Rory Bentley and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
