I don't think that Opeth have released a uniformly consistent album since SL, except perhaps Damnation which can't really be considered a typical Opeth album.
This album is very good on its own but is still disappointing.
I'd rate the individual tracks as;
Coil - awful, one of their worst songs ever.
Heir Apparent - excellent, great growls and will be a crowd favourite at their shows.
The Lotus Eater - arguably the best track on the album and with Opeth at possibly their most technical.
Burden - another great track, the ballad track of the album and worthy enough to be considered among songs like To Bid You Farewell and Face of Melinda as their best work. Reminds me a lot of older Porcupine Tree.
Porcelain Heart - good one, compared to The Grand Conjuration but far better than that disaster.
Hessian Peel - this is like Harlequin Forest from GR, decent track with no bad parts but nothing stands out much either.
Hex Omega - this is a bit repetitive like Porcelain Heart but is not unbearably so. Nice keyboards too.
I guess this has to be the most divisive Opeth album yet; while GR wasn't as brilliant technically it didn't get nearly as many negative reviews either. Also somehow despite trying many new things in terms of instrumentation the sound remains too much typical to the band.
People seem to expect Opeth to blow them away with every new album they release but it seems to me that they finally have reached their limits of musical expression and style. They still remain my favourite band overall but I'm sure that Watershed won't be album of the year for me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rainard Jalen
Well first and foremost, the best and most creative album Opeth ever did, by a cakewalk, was Morningrise.
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I'd say it was Orchid even though it didn't have the varitey provided by the acoustics in BRI and To Bid You Farewell. It is probably the only Opeth album I still listen to regularly. As a whole I think the songs on Orchid is better than the ones on Morningrise.
Also the break part in Under the Weeping Moon about 6 minutes in is imo the best thing Opeth have ever done.
Edit: the poll seems to be broken btw.