Opeth "Harlequin Forest" REACTION & ANALYSIS by Vocal Coach / Opera Singer
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
- When I last listened to Opeth analyzing "Ghost of Perdition", it was with a gin gimlet in hand and over thirty minutes of analysis tipsy/drunk. Your suggestions and pleading has brought Opeth back for "Harlequin Forest", this time with no drink in hand and 150% of focused attention. Why is this song so good? You're about to find out!
Join professional opera singer Elizabeth Zharoff, as she listens to Opeth for the second time, performing "Harlequin Forest” Live at the Royal Albert Hall.
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Performed by Opeth - Words and Music by Opeth
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Elizabeth Zharoff is an international opera singer and voice coach, with 3 degrees in voice, opera, and music production. She's performed in 18 languages throughout major venues in Europe, America, and Asia. Currently based somewhere between Los Angeles and Tucson, Arizona, Elizabeth spends her days researching voice, singing, teaching, writing music, and recording TONS. She also plays Diablo and Dungeons & Dragons.
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So do you listen to Opeth recreationally now or what?
You should listen to "When" next.
I love that she's really analyzing the reasoning behind why he sings things the way he does and if you ask Mikael directly he'd probably be like "Ah it's because my singing is shit."
He’s so humble and self conscious but that makes it even better because he absolutely shines with talent and is a unique person which always brings out art.
Yeah it’s funny. He gives such lame reasons for such complicated elements in their songs.. even during interviews..
He's like that smart guy in your school that always get good grades and everybody think as a genius, but he always say something like "Nah, I didn't study last night. I have no idea. It's just pure luck."
There was a band from NZ called the Datsuns. The lead singer has a unique style. They asked him how he developed his style and he said "cos i can't sing for shit" lol
We really watch too many of the same videos😂
Guys, we might have reached the point where Elizabeth will react to Deliverance by Opeth. May the mighty metal gods be blessed !
One of us one of us! Gooble gobble gooble gobble! We accept her we accept her!
Deliverance is a fantastic song but i don't know that it's in her wheelhouse.
@@generaldoof7334 agreed
Yes, please! For me Deliverance is best metal song ever written... ;)
@@generaldoof7334 Yeah, Deliverance is great, but has to be a bottom-tier choice for a vocal-focused reaction. Opeth's got dozens of songs that would be more interesting to have dissected in this manner.
Omg. Whoever requested this, bless you. One of my all time favs!
That was me. Your welcome. 😎
One of my favorites too..cant wait
@@akarm5000 Nice!
@@akarm5000 I want to thank you, too^^
Opeths entire Blackwater Park album is worth your time. I just imagine being in highschool finding it and being like WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SWEDISH GENIUS EXPERIENCE
My first Opeth experience was on Myspace browsing through QOTSA's top 8 friends they had at the time (2006). The more I browsed through, the darker the music got and at the same time beautiful. But I didn't return to them until 2012 when I stumbled across Shepherd's Hall London Album on Spotify.
Yesssss...!!!!! Masterpiece
I was in high school when BWP came out too. My first Opeth experience was hearing "When" on a Century Media sampler. I thought it was cool, a different take on death metal, and had it on in the background. When I realized it was 9 minutes later and it was the same song, I was kind of blown away. This was right around the time Blackwater Park was about to be released so I went and bought My Arms, Your Hearse and then Blackwater Park the week it came out, and they've been one of my favorite bands ever since.
Now imagine you're having a conversation with a friend, your friend puts on Orchid, and you just zone out and stop talking for an hour because you've literally never heard anything like it before. Because there wasn't. The closest was Edge of Sanity, at the time.
Blackwater Park is my favourite Opeth album, it's perfect.
I'd love to hear "Harvest" by Opeth. It's one of their calmer songs and its beautiful.
Seconded
Thirded
Harvest is such a boring and stale composition, a 6 minute song with barely enough material for a 3 minute ballad. I appreciate that the long drawn performance is fitting with the atmosphere of the record, and it's not a bad track in that context but it's far from being one of their essential tracks for any content creators to single out and give their take on.
You know, I wouldn't mind one from Damnation, like In My Time of Need. It's just so different from the rest of their work.
Stay with me a while 🎶
Two things worth noting here:
1 - This song is the second last song in a three--hour performance, and he still sounds that good.
2 - The song is the middle chapter in a concept album that tells the story of someone dealing with guilt. The album is called Ghost Reveries and it opens with Ghost Of Perdition too. One of the few albums I never skip a track on.
I enjoyed this. Great video.
I've never skipped a single Opeth song...I listen to whole albums like 1 song haha
I think the album is about someone killing his mother to gain the favor of the devil and then running away. He becomes absorbed with guilt as he has to accept it wasn't the devil's fault but entirely his
I saw Opeth and The Charismatic Voice and I clicked immediately.
It is so good to see Opeth and this track finally get the recognition it deserves. The complexity in their musical composition along with the "feel" of the composition is not only misleading, it's borderline mysterious in where it is leading you as your listening. As is the ambiance of their entire discography, their albums feel as if they lead you into a forest, leave you there and force you to find your way home.
You really need to listen to this album as a whole. The songs taken out of context are works of art by themselves, but as an album.... it's a masterpiece.
The ending represents getting lost in the forest and coming across the same trees over and over again. And the syncopated hits are like his terrified and panicked heartbeats
Actually it doesn't represent a shit. It's just what Mikael wanted to play. He says, most of his songs doesn't mean anything, even the most emotional song of him. Sorry to kill the vibe. Good day.
@@ogulcanyolcu8714 What Mikael says and what he does usually contradicts itself. He says their songs don't mean anything but almost always the music matches the mood and the story of the song. Thus, the music Opeth plays make the listener feel the story even if Mikael says otherwise
Those hits were amazing in every way. I wasn't expecting the emotional draw that reverberated through my senses. Very well done by them!
@@TheCharismaticVoice Just wanted to let you know that when it comes to Mikael and his growls, you so far have been hearing those vocals at their worst. This performance here is known for when he started to lose strength in those vocals. When you get around to pre-2010 performances you'll see what I mean. He stopped doing those vocals on their albums ever since. I'd suggest live performances from two of their DVDs, The Roundhouse Tapes and Lamentations.
@@TheCharismaticVoice Also, Mikael elongating the 's',...you should watch an interview with him and you'd hear he does the same when he talks. So I don't think it's overly intentional for him when singing.
"The Drapery Falls" is another amaaazing song. Makes you feel so many feelings. Its almost like a lullaby at times. Id love to watch your analysis on it :)
That was the first song I ever heard by them. I was stunned, enchanted; I couldn't believe how magical the atmosphere it created was, and how immersively it drew me into it. It does make you feel so many feelings. Masterful stuff
The song that got me into Opeth. And progressive metal as a whole -- still my favorite genre 15 years later!
He too, this and Ghosts of Perdition.
Did you notice the beginning rhythm is similar to the ending of Deliverance?
Coming over from MCore, the song that got me into progM is Dream Theater's Dance of Eternity 😂 I've been searching more bands like DT and I think Opeth is something similar
Yeah progressive metal/death metal/rock are just the best when done right.
"Smooth jazz or forrest monster." That's the best description of of Mikael's voice I've ever heard, I think.
I absolutely love .... love........LOVE the way you treat each song with respect and understanding of what the artist might be trying to convey!! Even if it’s not your favorite type of music. The attention to detail in your reactions Really sets you apart as a reactor and your honesty really shines through!!
Thank you, Rich!
I love Elizabeth's face whenever Mikael roared 😆
@@Vastilious Have you tried? 😄
"Did he just say 'rawr'?" no, he rawred, there's a difference
Seeing Opeth live is one of the best experiences of my life. Such a great band that covers many different styles.
I'd recommend Opeth - Burden, one of the most beautiful Opeth songs between the harmonies of the guitars, keyboards and the clean vocals...
Probably the best song ever written
Those edits on the outro showing Fredrik completely still and ominous are hilarious hahaha
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Hi Elizabeth, as an Opeth and Porcupine Tree(Steven Wilson) fan, I would like to ask you to listen to Storm Corrosion album made by Steven Wilson and Mikael Åkerfeldt(Opeth's Vocalist and guitarist), especially songs that you might like are; Hag, Happy, Storm Corrosion, and finally you might like Mikael's beautiful voice in Ljudet Innan song.
Let us know please if you like it :D, cheers and love from Turkey.
Yes. yes I do. I feel I may finally rid myself of the cover musician's bane - 'the impostor syndrome' if I pay attention to your observations! Plus you make it so fun! I want to sing like ME, and with Mikel's effortlessness and I think you are on to some great points! I cant help but like a woman who can hear he genius of Opeth either! I'll try to contribute when I hit some new stuff. The look on your face is how I feel about Opeth, so..SOLD 😏 Thank you for the effort you put in, Elizabeth
"And of course you have Mikeal's voice, which can be smooth Jazz.....Or Forest Monster" LOL best description of Mikael's voice I have heard, LOL
I really think most of the peculiarities you mention regarding his diction come more from his native language being swedish.
Best band ever imo. Mikaels growls are inhuman and his clean singing is beautiful. Perfect for Opeths music that switches so often from death metal to acoustic passages.
Edit: As far as lyrics go, this was part of a concept album that was eventually scrapped, the story is still there within the album though just out of order track wise. Opeth also really likes to make the listener feel uneasy by doing strange rhythms and playing them for longer than you would expect to keep the listener on edge.
If you take "Isolation Years" from the album, then... yeah. It's the concept album they wanted to make.
@@KhriZippy Yup just out of order
My favorite band ever. I have seen them over 20 times and they've always been amazing. So glad to have seen them at New England Metalfest and it's cool that it shows me headbanging and signing along to them during "The Drapery Falls."
So many favorites "When" "The Moor" "Drapery Falls" "Deliverance" and "Harlequin Forest" are up there for me. This is such a great song.
@Brit Sehnsucht It's because Mikael wrote the song Isolation Years and loved it so much he had to put it on the album even though it wasn't part of the concept.
Please please please check out "Vrain" by "Hamferd", it's a Faroese doom metal band and the song has the biggest difference between the beauty of the clean vocals and harshness of the growls that I know. People mention Akerfeld in the comments of how good it is
The story of this song is a continuation from Ghost of Perdition where he murders his mother at the devil's behest and the guilt and regret he feels.
Ghost Reveries was initially intended to be a concept album, with numerous tracks linking together a story of a man's turmoil after committing an unconscionable act, symbolised by killing his own mother. However, Mikael Åkerfeldt commented:
"I had intended to do a occult concept piece lyrically and got off to a great start with some downright evil lyrics like "The Baying of the Hounds" and "Ghost of Perdition", then I did "Isolation Years" which had nothing to do with the intended concept but I liked it so much I decided to ease up on the concept idea in favour of this one lyric. Why I decided on a occult theme? Well, I've always been intrigued by it, especially Satanism and stuff like that. I studied some books that oddly enough my wife had in her collection like "Servants of Satan" as well as "Witchcraft and Sorcery" + some more. I figured it'd be interesting to see what a mature 31 year old mind would make of this subject as opposed to the 16 year old kid who used to pose in front of his Bathory poster. I'm quite happy with them to be honest, and they're ... evil!" - Akerfeldt
"Death becomes a Jest" means that death is no escape to his guilt - he will be going to hell when he dies and his torment will continue. The Harlequin mocks him "oh you want to die?, you can never escape what you have done, go ahead, die, I will see you soon >:)"
I see "they are the trees, rotten pulp inside and never well" as he thought he could escape into the forest to outrun his sin, but his seclusion and flight from his deeds infects the forest and the devil will not allow his torment to end. To me this is the essence of the title "Harlequin Forest' - he thought he could run away and hide from what he has done but even the forest mocks and torments him, there is no escape from what he has done.
This is my all time favorite Opeth song, I could literally talk for hours on just this song :)
When they perform in concerts, do they do these two songs back to back? Are there other songs in the series? This is FASCINATING!
@@TheCharismaticVoice Opeth's live sets can vary wildly - sometimes they play through an entire album (usually for an anniversary or new album cycle) and then do a second set of "best of". Opeth have a couple concept albums, namely Still Life and My Arms Your Hearse, although many of their albums (and songs in general) have interlinked concepts, narratives, and themes.
@@TheCharismaticVoice normally Opeth only play one song of each album in their shows
@@TheCharismaticVoice those songs are The Baying of the Hounds, Beneath the Mire and The Grand Conjuration
Absolutely 100% agree, here - all time favorite Opeth song, and favorite album as well. I didn't know those details about what he said in that interview, though - I feel lame for that, being such an intense fan and all! Very cool to hear him speak with interest and positivity towards the occult, and to know more about his intentions with the incorporation of such themes. Thank you...I love to see these insights. I've tended to focus more on their musicianship itself rather than lyrical background; although of course that's a vital part of it all too. I should expand my gaze a bit it seems...
How I love re-discovering my favourite songs through your always pertinent, in-depth analysis. Thank you for being so musically open-minded, it really is a treat to watch your journey through the shaded woods of metal :)
10:04 That's what I love(d) about Opeth. They could go from melting your face to melting your heart in a split second.
Their last album has some of the most intense vocal performances ever, truly beautiful and powerful. You should listen to "All things will pass", really touching song
I was just watching the Ghost of Perdition reaction and was thinking that this song would be great to listen to next... what a coincidence!
Oh, as soon as I dropped the Ghost of Perdition video, everyone was clamoring for this one!
I love his growl because it is possible to understand what he's saying. This is well demonstrated in his songs with Bloodbath.
The way Opeth work harmonically is incredible! Masters!
Akerfeldt's growl is the creme de la creme of guttural vocals. He's consistent, powerful and has a pristine diction that is really, REALLY difficult to have when growling.
He's my fave death metal vocalist by far, especially in bloodbath. His growls just have that gross, nasty, festering putrid sound to them. Love it.
You will most definitely like their masterpiece "Moon Above, Sun Below" it has no growls at all.
That song is amazing.
Ive never heard anything from that album, still busy w the heavy stuff
@@TheFbiFilesRepeat you're really missing out
@@OmarChouikha yeah ill get to it. Im still hurt by they stop doing heavy stuff lol
After all these years I fibd myself almost only listetning to Blackwater Park and Still Life
The next Opeth song you should listen to could be "Windowpane" or "Burden"
I loved the video
I was going to suggest Burden too. Such a great melody.
Burden.. oh.. brilliant song!
@@drumstix80yes Burden! The first Opeth song I heard many moons ago that started a lifelong obsession.
I also do think it's pretty important to point out the fact that this was performed at the end of a 2½ hour concert where over half the songs involved a lot of screaming!
Aye. Whenever I get sad about his diminished growls these days I remember its cos he gave them all away to the fans over decades.
Very privileged to have been in that crowd. Recently saw them again at Hammersmith and his voice is as fantastic as ever
I think Mikael’s best vocal performance is the one from Live at Shepherd’s Bush Empire (2003). His growls were at their best.
Real, pena que quase só tocaram músicas do Damnation
Yep
@@felipeostrufkmelo3641 Pena? Aquele é o melhor dvd deles justamente por isso.
Primeira metade totalmente acústica e segunda metade com distorção é ideal pra um show do Opeth.
I've seen them live about 10 times between 2005 and 2019. But in these new blurays Mikael growls are really a lot worse than what I've heard, used to and always loved.
@@tubelious Yeah, it started getting worse in this one. Another reason for Lamentations being the best dvd
The studio version is absolutely breathtaking. I almost get teary every time.
Symphony X - Paradise Lost. Russel Allen's voice doesn't get nearly enough love.
Or Symphony X - Egypt.
@@Hy-jg8ow i second this
Or the Odyssey
@@1337-Nathaniel That should be for the 2nd time around, cuz that'd be quite a commitment as an introduction!
Domination! That song made me say daaaaaamn
Opeth is my all-time favorite Prog metal band, because they are so complex. I've been following them for about 15 years on and off. I keep coming back and I'll spend months infatuated by all of there albums from Damnation to present. They're music takes you on a journey into light and dark crevices of the soul and brings them to the surface. They help me work through my depression. It's quite healing believe it or not. Additionally, I may not have the education you have to pick out the process in which they perform but love to listen to your critique, describing what seems like alchemy to me. You have increased my respect for their abundant talent that I could certainly sense but couldn't quite understand before.. Thanks..
This song is from the Ghost Reveries album. It was originally planned to be a concept album about the stages of demonic possession.
Correct. This was about a man's journey into the occult and Satanism.
Opeth beautifully weaves their lyrics so well through their riffs in a way I’ve never heard before. They have such a unique sound. Their lyrics are so deep and meaningful; so existential and so human. These deep existential themes conflict throughout their songs. You can hear it as Michael screams but then sings beautifully a moment later to show that existential dichotomy. He has this way of delivering the lyrics alongside the melody to complete this full picture of what is happening. It’s late and I butchered this, but they’re one of the few metal bands that can just bring me to tears as the music is just so beautiful yet dark, ghostly yet alive; the battle within ourselves.
You go through this mysterious depressing yet uplifting journey that seems like it has an ending but then ends with this very unsettling vibe to it. Almost as if the lyrics are telling you that you have only just begun. The snake/dragon eating it’s tail. As soon as you go through the journey, “It’s only just begunnnnn.”
opeth is one of those few bands that make me wish I could relive my discovery of their music. hearing songs like this for the first time is mindblowing. pure poetry
Interesting analysis Elizabeth! I was brought up on classical and always enjoyed pieces that 'paint a picture', leaving the listener to interpret the music in their own way. Composers like Vivaldi or Dvorak (Slavonic Dance Op. 46/8 for example) who could take the listener through all states of emotion, from calm to crazy and back.
I think that's why I (and a lot of others) are drawn to this type of music. I don't necessarily need the lyrics to enjoy a piece. The vocals are an instrument and harmony, just as much as the specific lyrical content. Like you say, you can interpret it any way you like.
When I was younger, kids would say, how can you listen to that raaahhh raahhhh noise, but they wouldn't understand that the lyrics are not meant to be the sole focus of the artistic license in the same way pop music is created.
Like you correctly say Elizabeth, the growling can also be incredibly relaxing if listened to correctly - for example, I would happily relax and fall asleep to the album 'Heartwork' by Carcass, as his voice is almost like white noise, engraved into harmonised guitars. You don't need to dive under the water, just float on top of it - i.e. don't try and focus too much on any particular element, but rather the composition as a whole.
It takes you on a journey, it can take you into another world, in a way that only progressive music styles can.
Thanks again for your sharing your educated and personal thoughts on this!
Forgot to mention - I went to this performance at the Royal Albert Hall and they were amazing as they always are, but the acoustics in that place made that particular event extra special :)
I know I already commented during the premiere, but here's a recommendation:
Therion - Clavicula Nox - The Miskolc Experience
Lori Lewis is your countrymate and an Opera Soprano which is just incredible.
They have many many cool songs, but I guess this would really be up your alley, given your background.
Opeth lyrics, pre Sorceress, were almost all written by Mike immediately before he recorded the vocals - a process he described as unimaginably stressful. They read like epic poetry and he's literally making it up as he goes because he absolutely has to. Insane. And yes, they're good enough that he could probably sell them as collections in their own right.
The musicianship needed to pull those "punches" this tightly, at the end of the song, is remarkable. Always a pleasure to listen to this :-)
The neat thing about it is that if you watch them, they’re practically relaxing into the offbeats. There’s hardly any body tension, they’re probably internally counting in half time, the comfortability with playing those accents makes it all seem normal. That feeling is wonderful, it’s the point where you’re going “all right, all the tough stuff is done, now we can relax on these repeats.”
They might be playing to a click track, which makes it a little easier but since they're (the punches) irregular, it remains impressive.
YES!!!! This song has been on repeat for me this past week!! Both Opeth songs you have analyzed are off the same album, hmmm.... this will be great, I can’t wait. Thank you!
I've always found the evolution of Mikael's vocals fascinating. In the 90's and early 00's he had more of a raspy, Black Metal quality. You can still hear this in live performances like the 2003 Lamentations concert at Shepherd's Bush Empire ("Master's Apprentices" and "Deliverance"). By 2010 he had shifted to a more death grunt quality, as in this concert. By 2018 and the time of the Red Rocks Amphitheatre concert he wasn't doing much with the growls anymore and they sound even more different. Since you have seen the more recent performances I would love it if you would analyze his earlier vocal work from the Lamentations concert such as "The Leper Affinity", "The Drapery Falls" or especially "Deliverance".
Next thing you wanna do is
Sons of winter and stars live rehearsal in sonic pump studios
This is a masterpiece
It is by another band, namely Wintersun. Just to prevent confusion.
Omg yes yes yes gotta remind her in this live recording the lead singer has 1 lung. So amazing. One of my all time favorite songs in metal. Sits right next to Opeth. Something about that scandinavian metal man!!
Yasss
@@sydisticsandman wut? I did not known that, it's crazy
@@davidramirezrodriguez3373 Jari got 2 lungs, however he is indeed missing something like 1/4 or 1/3 from one of his lungs, due to him getting tuberculosis during military service. If my memory serves me correctly, his lung operation was what inspired him to write song Death and the Healing on the debut Wintersun album
I’ve loved Opeth’s music for years now. I know that his compositions are brilliant, but I don’t have the musical background to explain why, it’s just *feels* brilliant when I listen. You so eloquently put into words why the music is brilliant. I value your videos immensely, please continue with Opeth. Maybe Blackwater Park.
Opeth is a band that just keeps blowing your mind almost 20 years after the first time you hear their music. The ending to this song makes my skin crawl, my thoughts darken and my fist tightens! It's such a powerfull riff! Love your reactions as usual! Keep up the great work :)
"Harvest"- Opeth would be a great one for you.
3 years later . . . Please, the Live "Lamentations" version :).
BY FAR one of my favorite Opeth songs. Ive heard it a billion times and every time its like the first time. when i first heard the song, it struck me as a person struggling with this inner being telling them that the people around them couldn't survive without ridiculing them. the ups and downs in tempo, being that peaks and valleys of ones inner mental states. the ending being that battle lost, allowing the listener to hear that the evil won, changing the course of what you were hearing. I LOVE OPETH \m/
This is one of my favorite Opeth songs ever. I'm still trying to grab the story he's telling in this, but I love that too.
Dear Elizabeth! Today I discovered your channel and at first I was smiling at you….just another „Reaction - on“-channel. But the I got a little closer to what you are doing there and I was quite surprised about a very successful opera singer, that gives comments on rock classicals like Child In Time and so on. But this one here, yes, now I am lacking the right words, but you are simply a wonder, young lady! How can it be, that you can go inside an Opeth song so close? You are a really music loving human being. Shall I tell you, that in 2019, I have been to Bayreuth at the Wagner Festspielhaus to see the Lohengrin and quite a few weeks later I attended an Opeth Gig in Cologne, Germany? And what shall I say? Nobody understood me so far that I found out connections between the two different music styles of E- and U-Music. But I did. And now someone like you offers me a harbour of my world of music that somehow belongs together. I appreciate for what you are doing there and you sense and love for music. I wanna say thank you and so I gave you a like and an abo. Kindest regards, BERNHARD
Of course somebody has to suggest The Drapery Falls and thats me. Once she hears it she'll know what she was missing
I’ve been using the lyrical template as a means to write some stuff of my own recently... I love using Opeth songs as creativity fodder for my own writing, and the albums of Ghost Reveries and Blackwater Park are rich material.
Totes with you mate, The Drapery Falls is my favourite Opeth song.
The first Opeth song I ever listened to and was immediately drawn in and hooked
@@glowworm4058 I just hope she doesn't do what the Daily Doug did, and talk all over it trying to work out the key that isn't there.
I'm really enjoying watching you experience my favorite metal for the first time. It's like living it all over again.
That repetitive pattern at the end symbolizes being lost inside the forest walking in circles, pretty cool right?
It was insanely cool!
By far my favorite Opeth song. Severely underrepresented in their catalog and always admired the deepness of the lyrics. Glad you dove into that. Mikaela voice is amazing.
Some King Diamond would be fun to watch you react to. A very special voice for sure
I remember my first reaction after listeing to "conspiracy" for the first time. To bad there was no camera :D
"Sleepless Nights" would be a good one. Live at the Fillmore.
Or ripper Owens cover of Abigail.
GRANDMAAAAAAAA
Yea that would be great, sad that theres not much reactions to him :c
This has been one of my favourite songs for almost 7 years now, and your interpretation seems like it should be one that resonates with me -- and yet I never caught it until you brought it up. That's brilliant.
I remember when I discovered your channel and Opeth by this video year ago, Opeth became my favourite band and Charismatic voice favourite reaction channel since that moment. maybe you want to react to more Opeth, if yes I am proposing song "Isolation years" without harsh vocals and distorted guitars but beautyfull singing and lyrics. Greetings from Poland (sorry for my bad English)
Loved this review of Opeth’s song. They are a very special band ! … and your face at the ending part was priceless … thank you!
Some Opeth recommendation : Hessian Peel and The Lotus Eater from the album Watershed
I’ve really always thought that Opeth planned each note out for a reason. They write out a storyline and seem to fit music around it. A very rare group of musicians
Opeth is something you can’t ever forget if you really love music. Some people remember harsh vocals and syncopated rhythms, some remember the journey they had, almost visual, theatrical in some way.
Not a lot of non-fans know that Akerfeldt started as a not-so-good bassist but then found himself as a unique vocalist and a great composer. From the first ever Opeth record people started to recognize their style as a Progressive Death Metal to distinguish it from the more common at the time, straightforward death metal. They already had all the features you can hear in this particular song: clear vocals, chiming acoustic guitar, calm and bittersweet melodies. If it wasn’t for that, they wouldn’t have been working with one of the most valuable adepts of progressive rock, Steven Wilson. And this period in their career has developed their style, quenched and tempered it. Akerfeldt started to investigate his jazzy vocal style after that.
This particular song is from their first after-Wilson album, and really close to the period when they shifted from death metal to fusion jazz/rock territory, letting the features listed above truly bloom and develop. I suggest you explore their path more thoroughly to truly understand the development of Mikael’s (yes, not Michael but Mikael) voice and composing skill. From iconic things from their first albums, through Steven Wilson production to the very recent times. My own list, in order of time (things parenthesized are the most exceptional):
Apostle in Triumph
Black Rose Immortal
To Bid You Farewell (as far as I know, the first one with completely clear vocals)
Demons of the Fall
Remember Tomorrow (Iron Maiden cover, just check how Mikael’s voice added bitter sweetness to the song)
The Moor
Benighted (this one has really nice music and soft vocals)
Harvest (almost completely acoustic, with clear vocals only)
Drapery Falls (one of the most beautiful songs of them)
Deliverance
A Fair Judgement (if I remember correctly, it also has completely clear vocals)
Windowpane
To Rid The Disease
Ghost of Perdition
Harlequin Forest (these two are here just to point out their place in timeline)
Coil (Mikael’s training in vocals made it to this point, one of the most significant songs preceding the fusion period)
Burden
Porcelain Heart
Hessian Peel
The Devil’s Orchard (from their first fusion album)
Slither
Famine
Eternal Rains Will Come (really jazzy one)
Elysian Woes
Faith in Others
The Wilde Flowers (on the Sorceress album the band started to sound heavier again but they kept rock organ in most of their songs)
Will o the Wisp (another acoustic masterpiece)
Spring
I know, the list turned out to be a little too big. But it should illustrate how their development in style evolved through time. These are for your personal experience but maybe some of them will make it into another video of yours :)
This has still got to be my favourite reaction from Elizabeth.
You, my dear, have figured out the joys of Opeth! I can tell you’re intrigued. Your analysis and interpretations are on point! Please dive deeper into the rabbit hole! You’ll become a full on Opethian!
Some more suggestions: Atoma by Dark Tranquility and Witness by Ravenscry. Enjoy!
Wow!! I had such a great time enjoying this journey of a song with you. This is one of my favorite opeth songs and your reactions and analysis of the lyrics were so great! 🤘🏼
It's natural now that you check out the band Porcupine Tree (leading Steven Wilson). Songs I'd recommend Raven that refused to sing, Routine original video, and other populars but live.
Please don't do Routine, I don't think my heart could take it!
@@banehog I can certainly imagine.
I was thinking the same thing! I second this recommendation :)
3rd for Porcupine Tree!
The songs you mentioned aren't Porcupine Tree songs, though. They are from Steven's solo project.
In case you didn't know, Steven and Mikael made a record together under the name Storm Corrosion.
I find great joy watching someone become a fan of Opeth.
Came back to watch this video only because your reactions to growl are always GOLD
I love all the technical details you can pull out of these video. Thanks again :)
I get goosebumps thinking about seeing them live again when I watch this.
I can't believe you haven't done a reaction to Katatonia yet
or Riverside
I absolutely adore that you understand the art of this music. Even to the point of appreciating the artistically evocative intent of a section that makes you feel uncomfortable. Ma'am... You totally rock! 🤘
Mikael has said many times that the essence of Opeth is contrasts--in volume, tempo, style, vocals, you name it, and you can hear it all here.. When you reflect on the shifts in mood and feeling in this song across soooo much terrain of that forest, you begin to sense this is a band that really takes you on a subtle, complex journey with every song. Across their albums Mikael is always changing and always experimenting--much like his friend Steven Wilson, who produced this album. Opeth transcends descriptions and genre. They are truly original and uncompromising.
Thanks for giving a song I've played countless times for many years a new light to look upon!
I think you should react to "Anesthetize" by Porcupine Tree , live in Tillburg version. They are masterful in their live performance.
What a comprehensive analysis, it really opened up the song for me in a completely novel way. This channel totally fine-tunes my understanding of already cool songs!
Leprous & Ihsahn - Contaminate Me (live @ Rockefeller)
Yes!!! I want her to do Leprous so bad!!! 🥰
@@nicoleborchers1617 she already did
Awesome review really interesting breakdown! This is my fave Opeth track
Her: "this song has so many meanings, dark atmosphere and look this riff, they played this for so long to symbolize searching for something..."
Me: " it makes me chill a bit, you know, relax a little bit."
The way you explain my favorite song is just beautiful! I love you and you're commentary.
My how you have grown, it seems like it was just yesterday you were scared to try Opeth.
I didn't see Elizabeth's metal head interest developing personally... but here we are!
@@milton1448 Why not, metal is just classical with added electrons, plus metal songs tell long complex stories, much more akin to opera than pop is, for sure.
Oh my goodness. I went from needing gin to craving more Opeth!
@@TheCharismaticVoice Welcome to your new addiction!
@@TheCharismaticVoice There’s so many great songs on all their albums. Too many to list.... I don’t have a favorite, but I recommend you listen to: Burden, Famine has a flutist in it, Strange Brew 😍 and A Fair Judgement. Can’t wait till they tour the US again.
I’ve always loved the dude in the balcony in the outro.
This was one of the best gigs I ever went to. 3 hours of Opeth. It was amazing.
It's worth pointing out also, that this was the penultimate song of the entire show, so at this point he had been singing and growling for well over 2 hours, and he could still pull off those clean vocals without any stress or fatigue showing in the performance, which is a testament to just how good of a vocalist he really is.
Such a shame they went downhill after the Watershed album.
I was about to say I agree with everything you said. But I like Opeth post Watershed as well. In fact In Cauda Venenum is among my favorites from them.
You could say it went downhill...but really, we all know MA was just doing what MA wanted to do with Opeth, and I believe we are lucky to have that. I have been fortunate enough to see them once, on the Heritage tour - one of the most enjoyable concerts I ever got to experience.
Watching her watch this was was such a journey. Her face was a joy to experience. So beautiful.
I pray to the metal gods that one day Elizabeth would get to interview Mikael.
In Cauda Venenum is their most recent album. You want incredible singing and instrumentation? Try "Continuum" or "Next of Kin."
I love CV, but IMO continuum is the worst song in the album. Honest I would love for her to react to garroter, or all things shall pass
That ending was really nice. I'm so used to listening to progressive metal that this ending just feels like a cool ending to me, i'm not unsettled by the synchopation. But first, this live performance really made the effect more powerful than the studio version, and second ,your reaction to it made me remember that yeah that part is really heavy indeed!
Another Opeth song I'd rec is Moon Above, Sun Below!
"Moon Above, Sun Below"
@@Framesforgames omfg, thank you. fixed
The sound mixing of Opeth is always amazing in my opinion.
Fun seeing new videos about them : )
Also very nice hearing people interpreting the songs, and I agree with a lot of points you mentioned.
Please review "Harvest" next by Opeth. The song has everything
Really glad that I found this channel. I LOVE your voice/lyrics analysis! Thank you!
I'm really looking forward into the next Dio's song
Me too!
That performance was from when they were at their peak, he sounds incredible
Isolation Years would for sure be an interesting one to see reviewed...
So excited to see you do another video on my favorite band. Your analysis was amazing and its exciting to see how you interpret a song that I have listened to so many times; It made the song feel new in a sense. The jarring chaotic ending is my favorite part of the song I thought it was hilarious watching your reaction. There is no band that does weird, eerie and dark better than Opeth. I love your channel thank you for the awesome video!
2:30 ish. it's funny that you say that, he mentioned in an interview that he doesn't like the sound of his own voice and is always trying to sound like someone else. at least in the beginning. until he found his own vocal identity
That's super important. When I talked with Devin Townsend (interview pending release once copyrights clear) we had that exact conversation. How does one love their voice when they've been down on themselves about it for so long.
I'm noticing in the interlude we listened to at about the 16:00 mark also sounds like the lyrics were written in Iambic Pentameter, so it almost demands the accents on certain syllables. Really interesting and thoughtful at every level of their song. Haven't been exposed to much Opeth in my past, and the respect they have for their craft is unmistakable. Thanks for taking the time and sinking into this song, I really enjoyed it!
You must be receiving hundreds of requests every day, but (if you ever read this) it'd be amazing if you could do Devil & The Deep Dark Ocean for your next Nightwish reaction (the live version from Decades). Thanks for the wonderful content!