OPETH, Sweden's gloomy torch-barers of all things death metal return with the follow-up disc to last year's Deliverance. On
that disc, they showed their amazing dark metal stylings mixed with lush orchestrations, brilliant acoustic passages and
beautiful vocal harmonies along side the death howling growls of heavier offerings (all within the same song mind you). Well, this disc is Opeth mellowing out and taking a more laid-back approach that (almost) anyone can sit down and enjoy. Keep in mind, this is NOT happy-sounding stuff. It's still as dark and brooding as ever, but it's painted with a
lighter brush and it's sonically less brutal than previous efforts.
Damnation is eight tracks of beautifully-written and performed pieces that flow effortlessly on layers of haunting acoustic guitars,
keyboards and vocal harmonies. Each track carries you through many different stages of emotion and often time leaves you
feeling somber, but the overall effect is amazing. I have yet to hear another band out there doing what these guys
do so well. They are simply unmatched in musicianship, songwriting, or performance.
