Opeth - Master's Apprentices

     Mastodon, eat your heart out, because Opeth have got you trumped in the new album department. Sure, we now know that Mastodon's Once More Round the Sun is nearing completion, but Opeth have done one better and not only released the title of their forthcoming disc Pale Communion but also announced a release date of June 17 to boot! Happy early birthday to me!

     The first single from Pale Communion isn't due out for another month or so, so for now we'll have to delve into the band's back catalogue for a suitable song to celebrate the news of new Opeth. Tonight I'd like to suggest the epic "Master's Apprentices" from the 2002 disc Deliverance. It's anyone's guess what Pale Communion will sound like, but here's hoping it's got a little of this classic Opeth flavour.

Opeth - Wreath

     Rather than getting all proggy on you again (can you tell I like prog?) we'll stick with some heavier shit in tonight's quickie post. Yes, as you can tell from the title of this post, I'm going with some Opeth, but I promise it's not 70's prog-folk Opeth.

     Your song this evening is the relatively brutal "Wreath" from 2002's Deliverance. I say 'relatively' because while it's not the all-out onslaught of earlier Opeth, it's also not the more acoustic guitar-laden stuff of more recent albums. Deliverance, the heavy counterpart to the gentler Damnation, is therefore the middle road, moderation in all things-ish happy medium of heaviness in the career of one of my favourite bands, and that's why you're getting the title track tonight. Good luck sleeping tight after that little lullaby.