If you look in the dictionary, you’re unlikely to find the word “accessible” next to Opeth at all. At least to the average music fan, anyway. However, to anyone who’s even remotely a fan of rock or metal, Opeth have always been a solid gateway into the depths of more progressive-leaning death metal. While it’s still quite heavy, 2001’s Blackwater Park is one of the best places to start, marking a big transition from a musical perspective.
Released on March 12th, 2001, Blackwater Park‘s transitional sound is particularly fitting, considering Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson also produced the album. Fan favorite songs like “The Leper Affinity” and “Harvest” continued to build off previous record Still Life‘s more streamlined sound, and the chemistry Steven Wilson had with Mikael Akerfeldt and company was quite evident. With somewhat more palatable songs (only 3 of them reach the 10 minute mark) and a better balance between the progressive + death metal sides of the band, it’s one of those records that’s difficult to find significant faults in. Could there have been some fat trimmed off a few of these songs? Perhaps, but at the very least, none of it is really what you’d call filler or unnecessary. And while Opeth has a discography full of defining moments (the all progressive and acoustic Damnation, Still Life, and 2005’s Ghost Reveries), calling Blackwater Park one of the most important albums released this millennium is not a far-fetched statement. In fact, most people would say it’s the truth.
