Opeth

[pulse]

Yeah, awesome album. This is the meat and potatoes that was missing on Heritage. So glad I preordered the Blu-ray edition.

[seasonsinthesky]

a resounding "meh" for this one. however, each successive listen is growing on me, and i was into "Cusp of Eternity" from the get-go. it will likely end up being half and half like Heritage.

[pulse]

"meh"? Not for me. This album is way better than Heritage. I don't care if Mikael is currently not interested in growling on his albums right now or recording loud and distorted tuned down guitars. If he wants to live in the realm of the older great progressive bands from decades gone by, then so be it. I only care that he and the band perform on the level that is of the quality I have come to expect out of an Opeth album after all these years. Heritage was a disjointed mess. It had some excellent moments, but overall, it was not of the quality I am used too. Perhaps it was needed as an experiment for the direction they're currently going. Whatever it was, they've worked it out. Pale Communion is a masterpiece.

[Wretchedest]

That's an interesting criticism... I like this album but I think it is far more of a disjointed mess than Heritage. When they're doing that new funky prog thing they do, it's top notch, when they're trying to appease older fans by sounding like Damnation, this album is horribly boring.

And sometimes those wacky scales get kind of tiresome, since they are never allowed to have an identity of their own by being so spastic as to be difficult to distinguish. Highlight tracks are Eternal Rains, Goblin, Moon Above... Elysian Woes might be one of the worst ever Opeth songs though... it is just super uninteresting.

[onthewall2983]

[onthewall2983]

http://pitchfork.com/advance/519-pale-communion/

[pulse]

If you don't need or want the Blu-ray edition of Pale Communion, but you have über hearing or you just want to own the original 24 bit / 96 khz stereo mix, it's now up on HDTracks. Currently the #2 best seller.

[pulse]

There is a problem with the 5.1 surround tracks on the Blu-ray disc. The LF and LFE channels are out of phase. I'm sure the mix didn't leave Steven Wilson like that. Probably occurred during authoring. Either way, it's a defective product and Roadrunner should replace it. The more people email, hopefully the quicker they make an official response about the issue.

http://www.quadraphonicquad.com/foru...l=1#post221726

[onthewall2983]

I'm sure it'll get corrected. This must be their most difficult record to have worked on, and problems like this to pop up when it's out of the gate is just sad.

Listened to it again (purchased off iTunes, will get the Blu version much later when the problem is fixed). It'll take some more listening to individual tracks but I think it's great. I enjoyed Heritage and am glad they are going even more in this direction.

[Maximilian]

Well, I didn't enjoy Heritage, but this album is really great from start to finish. Excellent playing all around. I'm a fan from the death metal days, but I never made a big deal about the direction they're going in. In fact, I expected it.

[onthewall2983]

http://redemptions.warnermusic.com/opeth

[cahernandez]

Just got this email. Started listening to the album this morning, I like it!

"We apologize for the recent error that was found in your Opeth Blu-Ray disc. We are taking action to replace this product for you as soon as possible. Since you previously purchased from us you do not have to take any further action to receive your replacement disc. The new blu-ray will be sent out on or before September 30th to the address that we shipped your order to originally."

[onthewall2983]

Unfortunately it appears that the replacement Blu-ray disc sent out still has problem as before.

[pulse]

Unfortunately it appears that the replacement Blu-ray disc sent out still has problem as before.

That is not necessarily the case. I wonder if some original versions may have accidentally been sent out as replacements. My replacement has corrected channels and I don't have an inverted problem with the LF or LFE signals as was the case on my original copy. I've got plenty of bass on my replacement and it sounds vastly superior to the original.

[onthewall2983]

I'm guessing that's what has happened. It makes this all the more confusing because you're the first one I've come across that has said your disc didn't have the prior problems.

[onthewall2983]

http://opethbook.com/

[armogi]

hummmmm, looks good but I only care about the 2 unheard songs seems pricey therefore

[seasonsinthesky]

hummmmm, looks good but I only care about the 2 unheard songs seems pricey therefore

Not even unheard. DOTF sounds horrible acoustic – or it did when I saw them, anyway – and I'm pretty sure most of the magic in "Atonement" comes from electric instruments, so I'm not seeing the bonus disc being worth anything.

Hopefully the Devin Townsend one will have an incredible bonus disc that isn't just another acoustic EP like he already made.

[Jon]

Here's their acoustic performance from Record Store Day 2013 @ Newbury Comics:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

[halloween]

I listened to Orchid for the first time a couple weeks ago, I'm really digging this band. Absolutely awesome.

[armogi]

good on you, don't stop there, it's only gonna get better as you move forward in their discography.

[seasonsinthesky]

I listened to Orchid for the first time a couple weeks ago, I'm really digging this band. Absolutely awesome.

It's all about "Forest of October." Delicious.

[Jon]

It's all about "Forest of October." Delicious.

Such a frustrating song live early on; it was either hit or miss. Mikael seemed to be extra self-conscious about that song in particular and would often restart after a minute or two in to the song, tell the audience not to clap/cheer until the end, skip playing the last section entirely, etc.

It was appropriate that they brought it back for the 20th Anniversary tour.

[onthewall2983]

Deliverance and Damnation coming out in October with surround mixes, one newly created for Deliverance by Bruce Soord, and the one for Damnation was created in 2009 by Steven Wilson but has remained unreleased until now.

[pulse]

Hell yes! I have always wanted to hear Wilson's 5.1 mix of Damnation. That is one of my favorite albums of all time. And here we are getting new mixes of Deliverance too. Shut up and take my money!!

[seasonsinthesky]

Glad to see Deliverance getting redone as well. It's easily the worst sounding post-Morningrise album, and didn't quite hold up after the perfection that is BWP. Soord does clinical mixes – the influence of Wilson showing! – but he's very good at nailing the warmth aspect that Deliverance totally bereft of (save much of the acoustic stuff).

I do like the near-black metal coldness of D1, as it works for some sections... But I also think it prevents songs like "Wreath" and BTPISIO from being consistently great to slog through.

[pulse]

[pulse]

Here are the details. No word on formats yet but I suspect the DVDs will be DVD-Vs and therefore without 24 bit resolution. Hopefully the 5.1 mixes will be at least be encoded in high bitrate DTS though.

'Deliverance & Damnation', a double album almost 15 years in the making. Originally released separately in 2002 and 2003 respectively, these sessions were written and recorded together and it’s time for Music for Nations to present the album as a complete piece.

MFN will be releasing the double album in two beautifully reissued formats that includes new stereo and 5.1 mixes, with artwork redesigned by original designer Travis Smith. Liner notes by Mikael Åkerfeldt and Jerry Ewing of Prog in a lavish four disc bookset. As well as triple vinyl on classic 180 gram black vinyl.
Released on October 30th to coincide with Opeth’s 25 year anniversary, this is the perfect time for Music For Nations to re-issue one of the band’s most essential releases, allowing fans new and old to experience 'Deliverance & Damnation' the way it should have always been.
- Four disc Bookset
http://www.omerch.eu/shop/musicfornations/proddetail.php…
Disc 1 Deliverance – new stereo mix by Bruce Soord
Disc 2 Deliverance – 5.1 mix by Bruce Soord
Disc 3 Damnation – new stereo mix by Steven Wilson
Disc 4 Damnation – 5.1 mix by Steven Wilson
32 page booklet with liner notes by Mikael Akerfeldt and Jerry Ewing, new photos and redesigned artwork by original artist Travis Smith
- Triple LP
http://www.omerch.eu/shop/musicfornations/proddetail.php…
Disc 1 Deliverance – new stereo mix by Bruce Soord
Disc 3 Damnation – new stereo mix by Steven Wilson
Mastered by Jaime Gomez and released on 180gram Black vinyl. Redesigned artwork by original artist Travis Smith.

[Jon]

Review of Saturday's gig with the Plovdiv National Opera Orchestra & Choir

SETLIST:

1
Eternal Rains Will Come
Cusp Of Eternity
The Drapery Falls
Demon Of The Fall
Voice Of Treason
The Devil's Orchard
Deliverance

2
Heir Apparent
Godhead's Lament
Advent
Elysian Woes
To Rid The Disease
The Lines In My Hand

Encore
The Lotus Eater

[seasonsinthesky]

It was only set 1 with the orchestra and choir, though. Still. Y U NO BLURAY THAT?!