Pale Communion

After 3 years from the tenth and discussed progressive rock album Heritage Opeth continue with the evolution from their death metal origins to the progressive rock with this new record called Pale Communion which presents a mix between late seventies and early eighties progressive rock. In 2011 there were a lot of discussions and disappointments behind their tenth studio album Heritage because there was a big change of direction and it sounds like a complete detachment from the prog\death metal style that many fans considered the main feature of this band.

In these last years the leader Mikael Akerfeldt has underlined in many interviews a different perception of music and his nostalgic love for the vintage sounds of the seventies that were confirmed with the realization of Heritage. Pale Communion continues on the progressive rock way demonstrating the unlimited power of creation of the mastermind and main compositor M.Akerfeldt, this time there is also a more recognizable Opeth’s sound especially in songs like “Elysian Woes”, which sounds like something from their Damnation album, or in the longest one “Moon Above, Sun Below” and its alternation between clean and distortion, calm and heavy sounds.

Pale Communion offers eight tracks with a run time of 55 minutes, there is a lot of melodies and harmonies perfect fixed together, some unusual sessions, especially at the beginning of “River” that sounds like something never made before from Opeth with clean guitars that reminds me something from ‘70s pop rock. The love of Mikael Akerfeldt for the Italian progressive rock is all in the instrumental track “Goblin”, a tribute to the Italian progressive rockers. The most rhythmic and heavy song is the single “Cusp of Eternity” , “Voice of Treason” and “Faith in Others” are perfectly orchestrated and full of emotions and melodies with a cinematographic sound.

I can say that Pale Communion is one of the best and unpredictable Opeth’s album, a perfect example of what does Akerfeldt mean when he say “ all over the place”, this band continues to not repeating themselves. All the songs are well written and easily identifiable, this album continues on the way of Heritage but its more accessible and focused. In an ideological discography order I can put Pale communion between Watershed and Heritage as a linking album. This is an open mind evolution for this band and Pale Communion is another little masterpiece in modern rock/metal music.