Attempting to find the words to describe the utter genious of Opeth's fourth masterpiece, Still Life, is a near impossible task. No matter what words I choose, it does not even come close to describing how powerful this album is. It's one of those albums that everyone just simply needs to hear. No matter what genre you tend to gravitate towards, Still Life desrves at least three listens by everyone. And not passive listens, but deeply involved, concentrated listens. For one hour, close the door to the outside world and to everyone else around you, forget everything that's going on in your life at the moment, and allow yourself to be completely swept away by the divine brilliance of Opeth's Still Life.

From the start, it's quite noticeable that Still Life is not as aggressive a work as 1998's My Arms, Your Hearse, as there is more emphasis put on the more laid back, acoustic sections and Mikael Akerfeldt's softer singing voice. That's not to say this album is without its share of brutal moments, as Mikael's monstrous growl can be heard in abundance, with aggressive musical passages in accompaniment, but just not in every song. Two songs stand out from the rest here: "Benighted" and "Face Of Melinda", both of which feature Mikael's soothing clean vocals exclusively, as well as acoustic guitar being the foundation of the constructions. "Benighted" remains this way throughout its 5 minute duration, while "Face Of Melinda" breaks into a powerful storming, yet melodic outro. These two compositions are beautifully tranquil pieces that allow the listener to lie back and drift away into serenity. The most aggressive moments can be found in "Godheads Lament" and "Serenity Painted Death" which feature Mikael nearly destroying his vocal chords as he screams in conjuction with scating yet meloic guitarwork and the pounding rhthym section. "Moonlapse Vertigo" is probably the quintessential Opeth track, as it showcases each aspect of their sound, from the furious to the serene. "The Moor" and "White Cluster" open and close the album respectively and perfectly introduce and close this masterpiece, the gateways to brilliance incarnate.

Unlike most bands who choose a complex and technical path in which to express themselves, Opeth never forsake feeling and emotion for mere techinicality. Every note in every song possesses pure emotion and stirs up feelings of rage, sadness, hope and despair. Four albums into their career, Opeth have solidified a place in the Heavy Metal Hall of Fame by creating some of the most beautiful, innovative, original and downright mindblowing music ever to be heard in any genre of music, ever. Truly amazing...

This review is credited to:
palewake