Warthur Sorceress finds Opeth continuing the run of nostalgic prog albums that began with Heritage and continued through Pale Communion. As on those two albums, the band show a keen appreciation of not just the prog rock bands of the past, but also the sounds which were influencing and inspiring those bands.

Pale Communion had its moments where it took on influence from the heavier end of psychedelic rock, and Sorceress finds the band deepening their appreciation of and drawing on the psychedelic sounds which the early prog scene coalesced out of. Indeed, one song is named The Wilde Flowers, after the band which would, post-fracture, spawn Caravan and The Soft Machine, and whilst I wouldn't say the band go full Canterbury here, I would say there's passages on here which aren't entirely incompatible with that.

Other tracks, such as Will O the Wisp, have a folky air to them and a general production approach highly reminiscent of Jethro Tull from the early 1970s, or heavier moments. The band have still more or less exited the metal sphere on this album, but Chrysalis is hard rocking enough to suggest a potential route back, with a pulsing intensity which puts me in mind of Hawkwind.

Whilst many Opeth albums took a while to grow on me, Sorceress gripped me from the start, and I think it's an excellent further improvement of the approach of Heritage and Pale Communion.

Necrotica Sometimes it’s hard to determine if a review is really going to sway people anymore. With a number of bands, especially ones with established fanbases, it often seems like people’s minds are set pretty quickly on a new album or project. But the real fun happens when a group has a polarizing impact on its audience; there’s an odd pleasure in watching a bunch of critics fight each other on a band’s quality or musical direction, preferably with some popcorn on standby. And since 2011, Opeth has been one of the most interesting bands to witness for this very reason. Their 2003 record Damnation might have been an interesting deviation from the typical progressive/death metal formula we know them for, but hey, at least Ghost Reveries and Watershed brought those elements back! Surely they wouldn’t switch to a different style for good, right?

Right?

Ok, so most of us know what went down after Watershed. But, for the people who aren’t aware, I’ll give the rundown. Essentially, Heritage was a major switch for a band who were mostly rooted in extreme metal at this point. Sure, the progressive rock stuff was always there from the beginning, but from Heritage onward, the band decided to abandon metal altogether to create something more rooted in the golden age of progressive rock. The title of the album was pretty apt, as it seemed like a deliberate tribute to the band’s 70s roots. What fans didn’t expect, however, was that the band stayed on this path up until the present day. Pale Communion ended up being more of a prog throwback than its predecessor, and the band started sounding more and more like a stylistic pastiche who forgot their original musical identity. So when these elements started popping up again on the new record Sorceress, many people’s minds were already set and the fanbase battlegrounds were established as usual. So what’s the point of reviewing something if that’s the case? Well, hear me out on this one.

Right from the get-go, Sorceress plays out like a long buffet of musical stylings. It’s really fun hearing Opeth go from genre to genre on this album, as the record sees them tackle folk, progressive rock, progressive metal, jazz, 70s classic rock, classical, blues, and more. This does lead to some disjointedness from time to time, but the adventurousness of Opeth’s songwriting is what anchors them here. You almost have no idea what to expect when the introductory folk number “Persephone” sets the tone, but the following title track is much more effective at giving an overview of the experience. Technical drumming marries bizarre keyboard motifs, until a doom metal riff drives the distorted guitar playing. It’s like a funeral march, but with a heightened sense of fury in Mikael Akerfeldt’s mean vocal performance. Say what you will about the musical content, but I simply can’t deny how strong Akerfeldt’s singing is on this album. From the mid-range Ian Anderson-esque performance he gives on the light folk rock ballad “Will O’ the Wisp,” to the raspy high notes he provides on the title track and “Chrysalis,” the man’s dynamics and range have improved over time.

But these aren’t the only strong points of Sorceress. Go a little deeper, and you’ll find the aforementioned “Will O’ the Wisp,” a simple acoustic guitar piece that evolves into a beautifully melodic and emotive electric guitar solo. The blues tone melds perfectly with the acoustic framework, and the rhythm work is suitably subtle underneath the great melodies. “Sorceress 2,” despite the lazy title, is also a highlight here. It’s entirely driven by vocals and acoustic guitar work, and the blend of major and minor keys creates a fascinatingly unsettling piece of music. And if there’s anything that this album has shown me, it’s to never underestimate the versatility of Opeth’s band members. Just listen to the incredible buildup and climax of “Strange Brew” (nice Cream reference, by the way), in which Joakim Svalberg’s eerie keyboards create a suspenseful vibe before anything else kicks in. The piano work keeps building and building… and the guitar work comes in briefly… and then the band just goes ***ing nuts. The playing is controlled and precise, but the discordant keyboards and Martin Axenrot’s nimble drumming create sort of an organized chaos. Eventually, the track erupts into a gloriously bluesy metal section with amazing guitar solos topping it all off. The entire song is a masterpiece of atmosphere and dynamics, and the musicianship is top-notch the entire way through. This is easily the album’s centerpiece.

But as one might imagine, not all is perfect here. First off, the lyrics have taken quite a huge nosedive from previous Opeth efforts. Remember those amazing stanzas the band would write in the old songs? Here’s a sample from 1999’s “Godhead’s Lament”:

Marauder Staining the soil, midst of stillness Beloved fraternity to an end Red eyes probe the scene; All the same Stilted for the beholder Depravity from the core Handcarved death in stoneladen aisles

And now look at an excerpt from “Will O’ the Wisp”:

When you’re tired of waiting And time is not on your side When you’re tired of hating me You no longer want to hide; Stuck to the failures of your life Marred with the sorrows of your strife

Not that simple lyrics are necessarily bad, of course, but there’s a lot of cheese to sift through on Sorceress. The lyrics tend to be both cliched (especially on the title track) and corny, which is a far cry from Akerfeldt’s previous work with the band. Also, as I stated, things do get disjointed once in a while. There probably could have been a better way for the band to transition from the beautiful folk of “Will O’ the Wisp,” to the abrupt metal intro of “Chrysalis,” or from “Persephone” to the weird groove of the title track. The album’s structure seems a bit confused and unpredictable, which proves to be both a good and bad thing in the end. While it keeps the listener guessing, it also means the record struggles to find a real concrete direction to take.

Still, part of the fun with Sorceress is the variety. It’s a true musical adventure, and while the derivative moments of Pale Communion rear their heads here and there, the diversity on this record is crucial to replaying it over and over again. This may not necessarily be the best Opeth album I’ve heard, but it’s the most fun I’ve had with an Opeth album in a long time. Many of you may have your minds made up already, but for those on the negative side of the fence, I recommend giving the record another listen. You might just find a few gems and a few surprises lurking within this glorious mess of an album.

UMUR "Sorceress" is the 12th full-length studio album by Swedish progressive metal act Opeth. The album was released through Nuclear Blast Records in September 2016. It´s the successor to "Pale Communion" from 2014 and it features the same lineup as the predecessor. Mikael Åkerfeldt (guitars, vocals), Martín Méndez (bass), Martin Axenrot (drums), Fredrik Åkesson (guitars), and Joakim Svalberg (keyboards).

Stylistically "Sorceress" continues the progressive rock/folk direction from the last couple of releases, and just to get it out of the way, there is nothing on this album which is related to their progressive doom/death metal past. This is purely 70s influenced progressive rock with strong folk leanings, and the occasional nod towards 70s hard rock and jazz rock/fusion.

The material on the 11 track, 56:35 minutes long album is generally well written and relatively memorable. There´s great dynamic on the album with both hard rocking louder parts, mellow melancolic folky parts, and epic moments. "Sorceress" is predominantly to the soft side though. Tracks like the title track, "The Wilde Flowers", and "Strange Brew" feature some hard rocking moments, but there are several very mellow emotive tracks featured on the album too. The predominantly instrumental "The Seventh Sojourn" is a standout track, as a result of the middle eastern influenced melody themes. The limited edition of "Sorceress" features the two studio bonus studio tracks "The Ward" and "Spring MCMLXXIV" (and a couple of live tracks) and both tracks are good quality compositions, which could easily have made it unto the standard edition of the album.

"Sorceress" is a well produced album, featuring an organic sounding production. It´s a sound which suits the material well. So upon conclusion "Sorceress" is a another quality release by Opeth. To my ears it doesn´t reach the heights of "Pale Communion (2014)", because the melody lines just aren´t as interesting or as memorable as much of the material on that album. It doesn´t sound like "Heritage (2011)" either, because it´s more structured and less progressive in nature, so on the positive side Opeth have again managed to release an album with an individual identity. On the negative side there aren´t that many tracks on the album which stand out as highlights. The quality is as mentioned good and there´s a professional touch to both compositions, production, and musicianship, but I´m missing some musical magic here. In the end "Sorceress" sounds a bit too safe and derivative of the band´s influences. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

adg211288 Ever since making the decision to embrace a more progressive rock based sound full-time, the Swedish one time extreme progressive metal act Opeth has certainly been dividing opinions. Quite right to, as their output since Heritage (2011) has been quite far removed from what many deem to be the classic Opeth sound. For this reviewer's part I did like Heritage but it hasn't stood the test of time as well as I'd expected and though I do appreciate it in its own way, I've never been too fond of the following Pale Communion (2014), which I found to be much more stripped down on influences, making it the least interesting Opeth album. Sorceress (2016) is the band's twelfth album and up to its release it was anyone's guess as to what Opeth would be doing this time.

I'll say it right off the bat, those hoping for Opeth to return to the sound of albums like Ghost Reveries (2005) and Blackwater Park (2001) are going to be left disappointed once again. Opeth in 2016 is still first and foremost a progressive rock band. However they have brought some metal back on Sorceress, as well as a whole load more influences including psychedelic rock and folk rock, which immediately makes it come across as a much more varied album than Pale Communion, with a lot more changes between heavy and light sounds. An early highlight comes in the form of the Sorceress title track, which blends heavy psych with metal riffs to create something that could even be called a kind of doom or perhaps stoner metal. The following The Wilde Flowers is an even more varied track collecting multiple influences into one coherent piece, including a quite fast metal section to close. You won't catch Mikael Åkerfeldt dipping into Opeth's death metal roots at any point (and perhaps those days are behind the band forever), but Sorceress is best shot the metalheads will have at getting into a modern Opeth album. There are softer tracks like Will O The Wisp included here, but it's altogether a much more rocky release.

I'd say that since Opeth stopped being a full on metal band that Sorceress is their best release. Like Heritage it chops and changes its style a fair bit, but it sounds like its done much more smoothly this time. Everything feels more natural. That it has more influences to its progressive rock sound makes it a lot more interesting than Pale Communion was, but it's how well its done that makes it such a quality release. The metalhead in me obviously feels inclined to say that the metal and hard rocking moments are when its at its best, but the band is doing the softer stuff really well too. It's a release that's all about the balance between all the styles, and Opeth have done this one right. I think that for the first time I can really say I'm on board with the direction these guys are going in now. A pleasant surprise.

progshine Huh, wow, just wow. But don't get my 'wow' wrong, it's a bad wow...

I always respected Opeth because they paved an original road for them (and many other bands) with their mix of sounds. There were all sorts of crazy talk since they decided to move on with Heritage and I never really cared, I liked the way Opeth was going. I thought Heritage was an amazing record and Pale Communion a solid 4 stars effort.

When Sorceress was announced I didn't jump or sunk in expectations but I wanted to hear the album for sure. So, I finally did through Deezer and... well, Mikael lost it on this one. No doubt about it.

More than half of the album is based on Progressive Folk with moments like 'Sorceress 2' being really bad with cringing falsetto vocals (and once again the falsettos on 'Era). And what the hell is the Indian-kinda-of-thing on 'The Seventh Sojourn'?... I am actually really flabbergasted with how this album ended up. In its vas majority the album is Folk, 75% of it being no Rock at all.

The good moments are on the Hard Prog moments like 'Sorceress', 'The Wilde Flowers' and especially 'Chrysalis'. 'Strange Brew' also has its heavy moments but it actually becomes boring with all the jazzy and atmospheric moments.

Mikael keeps saying that the band moves on, and I like that concept and thought that the band was doing that so far, but Sorceress is not moving on, Sorceress is about copying the past (others and Opeth's own past) and going into a direction that is not even that interesting, let alone a 'forward moving' kind of direction. And I am not alone with this thought, only this time I will have to agree with most of the negative reviews.

I am not sure, but I believe Opeth burned all the 'fan credits' they still had with this album... bad move.

Nightfly If there was still any doubt that Opeth have moved on from their death metal roots for good then Sorceress should finally make things clear once and for all. I’d heard rumours that they were getting heavier again, even returning to metal. Well…

…Well, yes, there are times when Sorceress is heavier than Heritage and Pale Communion, even the odd glimpse of metal. The title track was the first song to be given a public airing in advance of the album’s release and after its Mike Ratledge (Soft Machine) style keyboard dominated intro it slips into a tantalizingly heavy groove but still packed full of melody. However, overall anyone still yearning for the Opeth of old is going to be once again disappointed. Those of us who are happy to go along for the ride, myself included, with Mikael Akerfelt’s vision of beautifully crafted prog with way more than a nod to the genres golden seventies heyday are in for another treat.

Diversity is the key word here. There are moments of acoustic beauty like Persephone, Sorceress 2 and Will O The Wisp – a greater tribute to Jethro Tull I never heard. The Wilde Flowers – this was the original name of legendary Canterbury band Caravan which I suspect supplied the inspiration, though it doesn’t sound much like them being considerably heavier than that band ever got. The prog references keep coming in the song titles – Chrysalis (the famous record label). The song is one of the heaviest here, not dissimilar to The Baying of The Hounds in parts, which itself had a strong seventies heavy rock groove. Like many Opeth songs though it has plenty of dynamics with quieter sections. The Seventh Sojourn was a Moody Blues album title (an eastern flavoured instrumental here apart from some late entry ethereal vocals) and Strange Brew was a Cream Song, you get the picture.

Despite the diversity of material here Sorceress flows well and still unmistakably sounds like an Opeth album. The production is similar to Pale Communion – organic with plenty of bottom end. Some have complained PC was a bit muddy and will no doubt have similar feeling about this but it sounds great to me on my vinyl copy and very sympathetic to the seventies vibe the band are going for. The musicianship is of course excellent and once again the keyboards play a key role though there’s still plenty of space for the guitars with some heavier riffing and some very tastefully played solos. No growl vocals of course and Akerfeldt’s voice is now so good he can rely on his clean singing entirely and perfectly suited to the material on Sorceress.

Opeth have released another brilliant album of beautifully crafted songs and I expected nothing less. I’d say it’s the best of the last three. No it’s not a prog metal album per se but has moments where it’s heavier than anything they’ve released since Watershed which may go some way to appeasing older fans not too happy about their direction of late. Where they go now is anyone’s guess and nothing would surprise me, even a U-turn back to full on metal of some description though I suspect the death growl vocals are long gone for good.