Opeth - ”Heritage” (2011)

Opeth was a band name that over the years popped up now and then, but since I had understood it was a band associated the death metal genre, and its typical growling, I kept a distance. Death metal has never been my thing. Not growl either.

But one day in the fall of 2012, the band was going to have a concert in my home town Uppsala, and a friend had an extra  ticket. He had spoken warmly about Opeth and described their music, and especially Heritage, in a way that made me think that maybe, just maybe, this was a band for me. According to my friend Opeth had a clear progressive touch, the vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt was a really nice guy and the other band members real experts on their instruments. So I followed my friend to the concert.

The promises were fulfilled. It was an amazing concert that mixed really heavy, loud parts with fragile, beautiful parts. The changes between these extremes were done in a split second. I liked what I heard and was glad that my friend had persuaded me, and that Mikael had put the growling away. Well, it showed up in a few songs but it was actually quite OK. The other band members seemed indeed to be really skilled musicians and I watched enviously the bassist's fingers and the drummer's waving arms (two instruments I have tried myself).
 

The concert gave such a good taste that I decided to get their latest album (today's theme). First, I wanted it for Christmas, but none of my relatives saw the necessity to have Heritage at home. One day during a visit to a vinyl record shop, I looked through the shelf with new albumes (new, in form of non-used) and found Heritage. At the same time the store had just received a used copy of the Stones album Let It Bleed from -69, with accompanying original poster and offer to join the Stones fan club. I had been looking for quite some time for this album. Tough choice. The price for Let It Bleed was slightly higher, and I knew I liked the music on Heritage better. At the same time it felt like Let It Bleed, with original accessories, was a more desirable item from a collector's perspective. In the end I bought Heritage, and since it commanded a slightly lower price than the Stones album I also bought a Sly & The Family Stone album. Since Heritage is a double album, one can say that I got three records for the price of one. So I was happy. Of course I visited the shop a few weeks later and bought Let It Bleed too.

The Swedish band Opeth's tenth studio album Heritage is a really, really good album. Mikael Åkerfeldt has written all the songs and has mixed the album together with his friend Steven Wilson. I have no greater knowledge of Opeth's previous musical creations but understand that Heritage is different than a lot of other stuff they've done. The album opens up in peace and quiet with the title song which is performed by a grand piano and an upright bass (I think), no singing. Then it speeds up and the listener is offered metal, prog, folk, jazz,  acoustic guitars, distorted guitars, atmospheric parts, heavy parts, ballads. Often in one and the same song. It might sound like it could be unfocused. But no. Opeth succeeds in merging this into a really nice experience where a floating soundscape logically takes over after a distorted guitar just ripped the speakers to pieces. And the icing on the cake pops up in the form of the Swede Björn J:son Lindh who plays a smokin' flute in one song. This surely will blow you away!

The mysterious cover is based on one of Michael Åkerfeldt's dreams and is created by Travis Smith. It can be mentioned that the keyboardist Per Wiberg left the band after the recording was finished. Today, Opeth is Mikael Åkerfeldt (vocals, guitar), Martin Mendez (bass), Martin Axenrot (drums), Fredrik Åkesson (guitar) and Joakim Svalberg (keyboards).

Heritage is an album that has everything and thus becomes both fun and interesting to listen to. I don't see you'll get tired of it, thanks to its variety. Highly recommended. Opeth belongs unquestionably to the elite within Swedish music.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Heritage 2:03
2. The Devil´s Orchard 6:44
3. I Feel The Dark 6:38

Side B

1. Slither 4:01
2. Nepenthe 5:39
3. Häxprocess 6:59

Side C

1. Famine 8:34
2. The Lines In My Hand 3:53

Side D

1. Folklore 8:19
2. Marrow Of The Earth 4:21