"Deliverance" CD by Opeth

by Patrick Schmidt (01/03) So here it is, the sixth album of the Swedish gods Opeth. "Deliverance", too, won't disappoint any true fan of this exceptional quartet. The basic essence of this again overly long album is surprisingly aggressive and gloomy, so "Deliverance" comes closest to the band's early works, such as "Orchid" or the heaviest Opeth-album so far, "My arms, Your hearse". Yet, the listener doesn't have to do without the typical Opeth-trademarks and gets a true fireworks of fine ideas. Mikael Akerfeldt often growls in extremely deep regions only to go on with his unmistakable clean voice. The technical brilliance of the band is again stunning and is perfectly set to scene by the impressive sound. Each of the six songs is a highlight for itself, but I have to highlight the rough "Wreath" and the almost 15-minute title song, 2 songs having everything that Opeth have always stood for. Fans of the more mellow sounds should better check out the band's twin album, "Damnation", rather reflecting the calmer side of the band. Ingenious!