Origin : Sweden
Genre : Progressive Death Metal
Release : 2016
Album downloads only available to members
Album Info / Review
**Opeth – *Sorceress* (2016)**
*A sprawling, genre‑bending odyssey that feels both like a bacterial infection (loud, layered, relentless) and a choir of angels (melodic, expansive, reverent).*
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### Sound & Atmosphere
From the first chord, *Sorceress* puts you in a head‑space that’s part KVD‑style Welsh doom (“Philosopher”) and part neo‑progressive wave (“Bard’s Funeral Chant”). Åkerfeldt’s unmistakable, rasp‑laden roar is filtered behind a wall of guitars that come in both thick, thrashing mid‑range and thin, airy arpeggios. The album balances a clammy, oppressive low end with crystalline, almost otherworldly highs—think the Mellotron’s pastoral swells just before the guitars hit a crushing groove.
The atmosphere is built on layers: a minimalistic keyboard skeleton that defines the core of many songs, a horn‑like double‑kick that edges listeners toward the brink, and the subtle use of a fuzzped, distant-oh, “shadow” effect that gives the mix a tangible depth. The familiar sense of distance and claustrophobia that Opeth’s late‑2000s work was known for is present, but here it’s paired with something that feels like full, audible “soul” rather than the mere mass of weight.
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### Riffs & Songcraft
Verse to bridge transitions feel more fluid than ever. Instead of abrupt, chancy cuts, there’s a sense of gradient. The complex multi‑layered riff “Bark” starts with a simple, descending figure that evolves into a cruelty‑heavy main riff that wraps around the groove. Every one of the seven tracks above unusually contains little “beats” (you can still hear the drums through the last two tracks), but they feel purposeful.
* “Philosopher”: A slow, crushing riff that pays homage to the duo’s earlier, slow‑groove pillars.
* “Ghost Ship”: A brisk, staccato riff that crowds a steady groove reminiscent of classic album *Ghost Reveries* riffs.
* “Death March”: A contrapuntal arrangement that turns an already lyrical ballad into a something more virtuosic in nature.
* “Mystic Rhyme”: An anagram of chaos that’s haunting and pretty in its desperation.
The big highlight for me on the overall riff structure was “And the blood ran like a chain that didn’t break.” It grabs your ear by stimulating something underneath your blinds and then offers a view of the melody later on, but it’s something never before encountered in the metal world.
The mood of each track is effectively captured by the multi‑layered sound, but the tracks manage to keep the “playful” feel as well: “Sleep of Gold” and “A Tale of Loyalty” each feature a pleasant closure on the bassline.
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### Production Quality
The metaphoric aspects of the guitars correspond well: a broken down sound combined with a thick polish makes the album a contemporary sonic experience. The guitars sound “wild” but still carry a wide range of instrumentation.
The pressing of Opeth has experienced significant changes in the past year, and a modern, “tight” configuration was an advantage for the majority of tracks. The sales version was exhibited on a modern grind, but the most prominent details of the sound were removed from the record’s quality. The sound was an immense boost in upward quality, producing a high degree of rhythm for the tracks.
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### Overall Impression
*Opeth – *Sorceress* is a triumph.* It combines the devilish lows with a refined, almost classical feel. The production is well‑dealt with: deep, rich, gravity, simultaneously with an invisible “fuzzy” layer that fully represents the “treatment”. In conclusion, a glorious album that people can keep in mind while thinking or producing. The new sound areas of Opeth may develop further into the future with continued quality. An amazing accomplishment for all fans and a new highlight in the metal subgenre.
