This is album number three from Sweden’s finest exponents of Prog metal, although at this point melodic death metal would have been more accurate as Michael’s deathly screams far outweigh the cleans at this point in the band’s progression.
This album first appeared in ’98 but this version is a 2021 reissue and I guess Candlelight will keep doing these reissues for as long as they can, like Relapse do with the early Mastodon catalogue. Quite simply, this album is superb. I love every note on this record and you forget how good “old” Opeth were and how melodic and dramatic some death metal music can be.
It’s hard to look past Demon Of The Fall as my favourite track because it’s such a total beast of a song that they thankfully still play today. April Ethereal and Circle Of The Tyrant are equally as epic, and just for shits and giggles April Ethereal gets todays vote.
I know this is not everyone’s slice of pie, but man it’s so good.
10/10 from The Grooveman.
