Opeth - Damnation (2003) #Review

Hi friends, this time I present a unique album by Opeth, it was released in 2003, and I represent another facet of the band, never before seen, with such intensity. This album is actually the second part of the previous album called Deliverance, but with a very different sound. It is a totally quiet album, without distortion, without elements of death metal, this album is actually a jewel of progressive rock, recreated by a metal band, it is impressive. Opeth is undoubtedly one of the best current bands, capable of experimenting and risking to try any progressive sound, both in metal and in rock.

In this album, as I mentioned, we will listen to Opeth, in his most calm and progressive side, with many characteristics of the progressive rock of the 70s. The voice of Mikael Åkerfeldt, in his quietest and most heavenly style, with a lot of passages acoustics and completely progressive themes. Opeth shows us that his great ability to create calm atmospheres that transmit melancholy, sadness and of course, very good music. This album sounds a lot like Porcupine Tree, oh yeah, and also has the help of the leader of Porcupine, the impressive musician Steven Wilson, who cooperates in this album with the production, some secondary voices, the keyboard and some lyrics.

This marvel of progressive rock of the last 2 decades, opens with "Windowpane", a very good song, which highlights the sound of the bass, and the guitar solos, very sentimental, where the voice of Åkerfeldt fits perfectly, without the need of gutturals . We continue with "In My Time of Need", my favorite of this album, totally brutal, a very relaxing song with a slightly sad lyrics, where the voice stands out again, with good acoustic passages, where the choir is loaded with a great feeling. Then follows "Death Whispered to Lullaby", a song in which Steven Wilson was involved in the composition, it's a very good song, with a beautiful solo at minute 3, and with acoustic guitars from the beginning

"Closure" is a great song, with a very hypnotizing sound, with a very particular melody that evolves as the song continues, it is very good, the final fascinating, I feel some Latin touches at the end, I do not know why. Then follows "Hope Leaves", a beautiful ballad that is one of my favorites on the album, it's a simple thing, but with a very good melody, although a bit sad. Excellent voice of Mikael, impressive, sometimes I forget that this guy is able to perform very good guttural. "To Rid the Disease" with a very dark atmosphere, opeth delights us with this theme, where the piano is the main attraction without a doubt

"Ending Credits" a completely instrumental theme, with good guitar taps, serves as a bridge to the end of the album with "Weakness" where the keyboard under the great Steven Wilson stands out, with a very porcupine sound, where opeth shows us a somewhat different sound, where Mikael's voice sounds very background. Very good song, awesome sound to close this wonderful album.

Undoubtedly this album is another jewel in Opeth's discography, with this album they showed us what they are capable of doing and how they can experiment to perfection. As they know how to handle themselves in progressive music, in many ways, like metal or rock. In this album they transmit different ideas to those that we were used to, leaving aside the intensity and power of death metal, to delight us with pure progressive rock, similar to the progressive rock of the 70's. Highly recommended