Opeth - The Roundhouse Tapes

[BarryL]

I'm really loving this live CD recorded in London in November 2006.

Yeah, there are some death metal vocals, but so far I'm 2/3s of the way through disk one and in total there are only a few minutes of them. Much of the music is instrumental or with regular vocals.

The band rocks, the music is heavy and melodic, and the crowd is loving it.

If you like the band, you'll love this.

If you're curious, this is probably a good place to start given you can pick up a double CD of good rock for about the price of a useless Rod Steward CD.

[3-LockBox]

Wow, the keys are really upfront on some of these. I'll be so glad when Akerfeldt ditches those types of vox for good. The dude's got such a great singing voice.

I keep reading rumors of an alleged project with Akerfeldt, Steve Wilson and Mr. Everywhere - Mike Portnoy; I sincerely hope its true.

But you're right, these guys can rock. As good as Iron Maiden in their prime.

You gotta love the way Akerfeldt introduces the song Windowpane, "Time for the song that'll get us chicks backstage" (Windowpane is from Damnation and is mellow tune sung in a normal voice throughout).

I hope they make another album like Damnation.

[kexodusc]

I really like this band, and I'm another one who can only tolerate the cookie monster vocals in small doses. I avoided the live album because, well, I'm not a big fan of most live albums, but if there's actually a bit more singing in this, I'm pretty darn curious - too often live albums come across as poorly mixed versions of the same old...sounds like there's a bit more here.


Thanks for the recommendation Barry!

[ForeverAutumn]

Apparently, the DVD of this show is also excellent. It was highly recommended by the owner of my local indie record store, who is quite well verse in metal and prog.

[Duds]

My God it pisses me off when people ***** about the "cookie monster" vocals. The combination of the two types of vocals is one of the things that makes this band great and unique.

Ditching the "cookie monster vocals" would be a mistake.

[ForeverAutumn]

My God it pisses me off when people ***** about the "cookie monster" vocals. The combination of the two types of vocals is one of the things that makes this band great and unique.

Ditching the "cookie monster vocals" would be a mistake.

Not in my opinion. I think that it's the music that makes this band so great and unique. I don't like death metal vocals and the only reason that I tolerate the vocals of Opeth is because the music itself is so great. I don't listen to other death metal bands because I've yet to find one that can compare musically (although, to be fair, I haven't tried all that hard).

What drew me to Opeth in the first place was their album Damnation. It was only after hearing that album that I ventured to some of their other material, which I would listen to far more often if it had clean vocals.

I think that it was a very smart move for the band for branch out and try to attract a new audience this way. From what I can see it worked. I think that they've kept a nice balance of the two vocal styles and its a credit to Akerfeltd's talent that he can pull them both off so successfully. But I would prefer if he kept it clean.

BTW, has anyone heard anything with the new guitarist yet?

[kexodusc]

Not in my opinion. I think that it's the music that makes this band so great and unique.

Yeah, didn't really see anyone here "*****ing" about the vocals, but I would agree with FA's comment above. The death metal growls and combining them with singing are anything but unique, were around long before Opeth, and because they all sound so very similar, become very boring very quickly.
Opeth uses them in context better than most bands though, there's a real contrast in themes in many Opeth tunes. This makes it tolerable. Still, most fans I've met like Opeth in spite of the growling, not in part because of it.

Opeth's music is what separates them from generic death metal. Do people really argue whether Akerfeldt has better growls than George Fisher or whoever? Aaarrghhhh, nummmm, nummm, nummmm....arrggahhhgahghahgg, nummm, nummm, nummm...

[Finch Platte]

Rod Stewart's got a CD out???

fp

[3-LockBox]

What drew me to Opeth in the first place was their album Damnation. It was only after hearing that album that I ventured to some of their other material, which I would listen to far more often if it had clean vocals.

Same here FA. That was a great album.

Myself, I think the cookie monster vox are just downright silly and cartoonish. Its the aural equivalent of Anime'.

[ForeverAutumn]

Myself, I think the cookie monster vox are just downright silly and cartoonish. Its the aural equivalent of Anime'.

I'm not sure that I'd go that far. I do think that these vocals can be used well at times. Threshold uses growling vocals in their song Slipstream to enhance one line. Each time that this line is repeated at the end of a verse it's as a cookie monster vocal and it works very well...as a garnish...to enhance.

But I have trouble taking in a full song done this way.

Sorry Duds. You seem to be in the minority here (but we're all a bunch of old farts). You're entitled to your opinion and I'm glad that you expressed it. There aren't enough real "discussions" around this place any more.

[Duds]

and let me guess, anyone who enjoys those types of vocals are all tattooed up, are on drugs, dont have jobs, ride motorcycles, and are in gangs...

if you dont like them, then listen to Damnation and forget the rest of their albums!! its really that simple!

[Duds]

No worries FA, and sorry if I came across as a jerk to everyone here. I just happen to like some cookie monster vocals, not all, just some.

I apologize to 3 Lock for my post before this one too if I was too harsh sounding!

I'm not sure that I'd go that far. I do think that these vocals can be used well at times. Threshold uses growling vocals in their song Slipstream to enhance one line. Each time that this line is repeated at the end of a verse it's as a cookie monster vocal and it works very well...as a garnish...to enhance.

But I have trouble taking in a full song done this way.

Sorry Duds. You seem to be in the minority here (but we're all a bunch of old farts). You're entitled to your opinion and I'm glad that you expressed it. There aren't enough real "discussions" around this place any more.

[Javier]

Opeth the one and only metal/death band i dare to listen to, probably is the same material they performed in the DVD, wich takes most of damnation with some blackwater park, so take a look to this one also.

[3-LockBox]

and let me guess, anyone who enjoys those types of vocals are all tattooed up, are on drugs, dont have jobs, ride motorcycles, and are in gangs!

No, but that person would prolly feel a lot less self-concious about listening to them, when he wasn't posting on LimpBitzkit and Linkin Park message boards, or teasing his goatee into inverted devils' forks, or scouring the internet for free downloads of Japanese animated porn.

[kexodusc]

and let me guess, anyone who enjoys those types of vocals are all tattooed up, are on drugs, dont have jobs, ride motorcycles, and are in gangs...

if you dont like them, then listen to Damnation and forget the rest of their albums!! its really that simple!

LOL...
Nah, they just have a different musical preference than me...it's ok,I dig old school thrash metal - there I said it...

[kexodusc]

I'm not sure that I'd go that far. I do think that these vocals can be used well at times. Threshold uses growling vocals in their song Slipstream to enhance one line. Each time that this line is repeated at the end of a verse it's as a cookie monster vocal and it works very well...as a garnish...to enhance..

For sure - a bit here and there is fine...The whole song, or something like 3/4 of all vocals...I start to laugh a bit and take it less seriously...just me though.

Sorry Duds. You seem to be in the minority here (but we're all a bunch of old farts). You're entitled to your opinion and I'm glad that you expressed it. There aren't enough real "discussions" around this place any more.

Excuse me, ma'am, who you calling "old"?

[ForeverAutumn]

and let me guess, anyone who enjoys those types of vocals are all tattooed up, are on drugs, dont have jobs, ride motorcycles, and are in gangs...

if you dont like them, then listen to Damnation and forget the rest of their albums!! its really that simple!

Well, if the crowd that I saw at their concert was any indication then the people that enjoy them are mostly young and wear a lot of black fishnet clothing. I assume that they have jobs if they could afford the clothing and concert tickets. I have no idea what mode of transportation they used to get there however. My guess is that most of them took the subway.

The whole point is that we DO like them. Silly boy.

[ForeverAutumn]

Excuse me, ma'am, who you calling "old"?

Who you calling "ma'am"?!

[3-LockBox]

Say Barry,

Hows did that DJ-ing gig work out?

[BarryL]

I'm still doing it, but I only did it twice in '07. I'm slated now for one show a quarter in 2008. The last show was a Christmas show featuring some Tull, Emerson, Transiberian, Marillion, Lake, Chris Squire, Flower Kings, Annie Haslam, Jordan Rudess, Neal Morse, Jim Gilmour, and maybe a few others in there. It was about 50% Christmas music, and a lot of the rest had a grand spiritual quality to it.

For examle, I played Squire's Hold Out Your Hand and You By My Side, Marillion's Beautiful from Afraid of Sunlight, an instrumental bonus track from the FK bonus disk with The Sum of No Evil, and Jordon Rudess's cover of Dance On A Volcano from The Road Home.

It was fun playing Greg Lake's Humbug, which was the B-side of I Believe In Father Christmas off of a UK 45 from 1975. It's probably been 20 years since I listened to that.

Thanks for asking.

[BarryL]

and let me guess, anyone who enjoys those types of vocals are all tattooed up, are on drugs, dont have jobs, ride motorcycles, and are in gangs...

I had a good laugh when I saw Opeth. They were the squeekiest clean kids in a band that I've ever seen. I bet that there isn't one tatoo between the lot of them. They kept saying to the audience "We're a death metal band." Their music is great, but their appearance doesn't match their image.

As for druggies, idlers and gang members liking Opeth, I think the music is too complicated for such folks. Not much of it is in 4/4 time and other than between songs, there isn't much swearing.

[-Jar-]

Same here FA. That was a great album.

Myself, I think the cookie monster vox are just downright silly and cartoonish. Its the aural equivalent of Anime'.

Naw, they add to the power and drama of the music. It's part of the genre. It would be like, I dunno, telling a country band that they needed to get rid of their fiddle player.

It's intrinsic. It's a mindset. You listen to Meshuggah, Converge, Mastodon, guys that gargle with broken glass.. yeeahhhhhrrrgh.. there IS power in that. When done right, it's not cartoonish.. it's another instrument that conveys power, rage, emotion, even if you can't understand one word.. You're either down with death metal or you're not. I like it that Opeth branched out with Damnation, but that's not really what they are.. for someone like me, who loves everything from Slayer to Pink Floyd to Entombed to King Crimson.. Opeth is a real treat. And I don't own anything fishnet or any eye liner either..

-jar

(hi everybody!)

[Duds]

excellent post!!

Naw, they add to the power and drama of the music. It's part of the genre. It would be like, I dunno, telling a country band that they needed to get rid of their fiddle player.

It's intrinsic. It's a mindset. You listen to Meshuggah, Converge, Mastodon, guys that gargle with broken glass.. yeeahhhhhrrrgh.. there IS power in that. When done right, it's not cartoonish.. it's another instrument that conveys power, rage, emotion, even if you can't understand one word.. You're either down with death metal or you're not. I like it that Opeth branched out with Damnation, but that's not really what they are.. for someone like me, who loves everything from Slayer to Pink Floyd to Entombed to King Crimson.. Opeth is a real treat. And I don't own anything fishnet or any eye liner either..

-jar

(hi everybody!)

[3-LockBox]

I don't own anything fishnet or any eye liner...

That's OK...we have a laid back attitude towards such things around here. The military calls it "Don't ask, don't tell".