Opeth's debut, Orchid, was quite an audacious release, a far-beyond-epic prog/death monstrosity exuding equal parts beauty and brutality -- an album so brilliant, so navel-gazingly pretentious that, in retrospect, Opeth's future greatness was a foregone conclusion. Fact is, these Swedes -- with the opening cut, "In Mist She Was Standing," exceeding the 14-minute mark -- laid their cards on the table at the beginning of the hand and still took the pot, so ambitious and convincing is the band's artistic vision. And while the record finds the group searching for the razor-sharp focus and prominent emotional hook put forth on the later, classic releases My Arms, Your Hearse, Still Life, and Blackwater Park, Orchid is still an exhilarating listen, with the band meshing double-time death tempos with bleak, frostbitten riffs and moodily expansive, jazz-influenced, melodic instrumental passages sporting an abundance of delicate acoustic guitars and pianos. Mastermind Mikael Akerfeldt's guttural growls puncture the nearly interminable arrangements with the kind of brutality that stops die-hard death and black metal fans from giving up on the lengthy arrangements completely, although with five exorbitant cuts clocking in at ten-plus minutes (three of them over 13 minutes), some fat-trimming would have kept things even remotely manageable. Still, one has to admire Opeth's unwavering adherence to the album's astoundingly depressive tone, Orchid being a near-brilliant ode to misery that would kick the door down for Akerfeldt and his cohorts to claim sole ownership of a well-conceived and, at the time, startlingly unique sound. [Note: Orchid was originally released in 1995 and reissued in 2000 by London-based label Candlelight with a bonus track, "Into the Frost of Winter," a considerably gritty, unproduced rehearsal recording from 1992; not surprisingly, the bandmembers vastly improved their songwriting and instrumental skills prior to Orchid's release. Parts of the track would eventually morph into the song "Advent" on Opeth's 1996 album Morningrise.] ~ John Serba
2003 reissue of 1995 album includes the bonus track 'Into The Frost Of Winter'. The band's blending of both acoustic and electric guitar with the dual personality of Akerfeldt's vocal outpouring made Orchid immediately a genre-setting release. 8 tracks. Guitar World call them 'Metal's most brilliant band'. Candlelight.
Photographer: Torbjorn Ekebacke.
Personnel: Mikael Åkerfeldt (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Peter Lindgren (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Anders Nordin (piano, drums, percussion); Johan de Farfalla (acoustic bass, electric bass, background vocals).
simply amazing... This album is a great album and one of if not the best debut album ive ever heard. The sound of this album is very melodic, heavy, and even sometimes prog and folk influenced with beautiful sometimes even creepy acoustic guitar interludes. The atmosphere that you ge with this album is amazing. The songs make you feel like you are in a dark gloomy gray place or a really dark forest. For any metal fans, you must get this album. Submitted by jushdsfip (HELL) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo 1 of 1 found this helpful.
Extraordinario debut Ok, me he sentido tentado de ponerle cinco estrellas al debut de Opeth. Si no lo he hecho es porque se opaca a la luz de las obras maestras que han alumbrado después. Pero no seamos injustos. El primer disco de Opeth es un gran debut. Es difícil imaginar que un grupo novato alumbre una obra de tanta belleza, derrame tanta conceptualidad, tanto talento, tanto feeling. Los escarceos acústicos ya se encuentran presentes en las largas piezas rodeadas de un ambiente lúgubre, ensombrecidas por la bruma, lo que constituye la marca de fábrica de Mikael Akerfeldt. Las líricas son rollo aparte: pesadumbre, tortuosidad, poemas de desesperación, de soledad. Lo único que tal vez se le puede reprochar a este disco es que las voces claras son usadas en forma tímida. Después Akerfeldt demostraría que no solo regurgita con ganas, sino que es capaz de encumbrarse en la melodía y otorgar diversos tintes a su voz. Esta versión remasteriszada de Orchid incluye además una rareza llamada Into the forest of winter. La canción del disco: sin duda la épica In mist she was standing. Lo mejor estaría por llegar Submitted by cesarpita (Lima, Peru) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
don't get confused..... SILHOUETTE and REQUIEM are also on this release. somehow cd universe didn't list them on their page. don't know why. a mistake i guess. however, this has the same exact songs as the import version, and is cheaper too. trust me, i bought this from cd universe, and it has those songs. GREAT DEBUT ALBUM! even better than the follow-up. i think. buy this.... Submitted by joel (milwacky, wi, usa (f gwb!)) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Well Done Absolutely fantastic album in short. Creativity is already phenomenal, and what we know today as Opeth is here 110%.
Crunching death metal riffs and beautiful acoustic interludes are abundant throughout, and the transitions are flawless.
My only problems with the album are 1. The half assed production (esp. that thin guitar sound) and 2. Mikael's undeveloped vocals.
Other than that, musicianship is perfect and everything else is pretty much unbelievable.
Fav. tracks are The Apostle In Triumph, Requiem and Under The Weeping Moon. Submitted by danny (Sydney, Australia) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo 0 of 2 found this helpful.
Buy the less expensive "version"....it's the same. just so you know...this is the SAME recording as the non-import Orchid listed. so do yourself a favor, trust me, buy the cheaper version. Submitted by joel (milwacky,wi,usa (F GWB!)) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo This review is for a different format.
simply amazing...
don't get confused.....
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