Review Summary: The ascent to greatness begins.
The blueprint has been laid down, so the only thing left to do is to start constructing.
Orchid introduced some truly compelling ideas for progressive metal when it came out. Though some of the ideas weren’t fully developed just yet, the idea of beautiful contrast in metal was nonetheless engrossing and overall enjoyable. However, the band chose to expand upon these ideas a bit and improve them slightly with
Morningrise. Thus, this record marks their ascent to their towering influence on modern metal music. Sure, some parts still meander a fair amount and Mikael’s cleans have yet to reach a universal level of gratification, but Opeth’s sophomore outing certainly displays an extensive amount of talent and charisma. In addition to this, there exists some key elements of
Morningrise that allows it to stick out like a sore thumb in their tremendous discography.
Right from the start, the listener will notice a heightened prominence of the bass in the hard hitting atmosphere. A common critique of Opeth as a whole happens to be how the bass usually gets swallowed up by the shredding guitar in the mix and this is definitely true. It’s an undeniable yet forgivable occurrence on the best of the band’s records, but with
Morningrise, it’s literally night and day compared to their later work. There never exists a moment on the record where it’s inaudible or uninteresting. Underneath the towering and unique guitar tones of “Advent,” Johan De Farfalla continuously strums away skillful bass riffs. There are even times where one will be paying more attention to what he’s doing instead of the exhilarating riffs and Mikael’s out of this world screams which is a fantastic change of pace. It may not seem like much when reading amount the bass having an increased volume on a progressive metal album, but it definitely makes all of the difference when actually experiencing it.
Much like their exceptional debut, Mikael’s utterly potent screams prove to be ever so apparent. It may sound impossible judging how perfect they were on
Orchid, but they get even better here. As opposed to his vocals on later albums, which are more guttural, his screams carry and echo in the atmosphere similar to the way black metal vocals play out. He’d be right at home on a true black metal record as a matter of fact with this style. Throughout the whole record he consistently belts out powerful scream after scream with a surprising amount of ease. Just examine “Black Rose Immortal” for example. Despite the song as a whole meandering quite a bit in sections due to its bloated length, Mikael lets out a hefty, lengthy howl in its conclusion that will only leave the listener slack jawed in awe. Rest assured, he surely never disappoints in the harsh vocals department on
Morningrise.
Aided by Mikael’s incredible harsh vocals, another notable positive lays in the musicianship. Along with the punchy bass in “Advent,” this song boasts a steady array of unique riffs and drum fills that are nothing short of thrilling. It should also be mentioned how the lengthy, atmospheric acoustic section is also quite well done. “The Night and the Silent Water” continues this trend of brilliance with a streak of some of the most memorable guitar work in Opeth’s discography. The same can be said for yet another acoustic session towards the middle that is truly beautiful. It’s safe to say that these two songs are among Opeth’s very best tracks in their vast career.
However, in the second half is where
Morningrise drops the ball a little bit. As stated before, “Black Rose Immortal" showcases one hell of a final minute with an impressive scream and chilling guitar work, but this song just lacks a cohesive feeling. The first half nonetheless impresses immensely, but the rest keeps the listener wondering whether or not an end is anywhere in sight. For this reason it definitely proves to be the least interesting track on the record due to its unfocused nature. That said, it’s definitely hard to pull off a twenty minute epic and keep someone’s attention for the whole entire thing. Don't worry Opeth, Dream Theater can't even do it. Luckily, it’s admirable that the payoff is nothing short of spectacular. This song consists of about a third of the album so it’s just disappointing how it doesn’t deliver as much as it should.
Thankfully, the album ends on a lovely high note with eleven minutes of soothing bliss with "To Bid you Farewell." After an album bursting at the seams with heaviness, it’s awesome to simply kick back and take it all in. The acoustic guitar, accessible rhythm section and prominent bass lay down the ground work for Mikael’s slightly improved vocals. They’re still not perfected yet, but he gets the job done here. This concluding journey reaches a soaring climax when the electric guitar comes in along with Mikael’s impressive harmonies. After it’s all said and done, the listener will be thoroughly impressed. There does exist notable yet forgivable flaws such as Mikael’s average cleans and sections that seem to drone on and on. However, the album overflows with so much talent and charisma that the listener will get sucked in immediately. The beautiful contrast of the light with heavy sections like the incredible one in “Nectar” only get better and better as time goes on. It’s also amazing how the band’s talent for writing compelling guitar work walks that path too. Any new listeners starting from the beginning should best be prepared because their best works loom on the horizon.
MAYH is where shit starts to get real.
