Sorceress
| Sorceress | ||||
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| Studio album by Opeth | ||||
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Publication |
September 30, 2016 |
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| Label (s) | Nuclear Blast | |||
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Format (s) |
CD, LP |
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Title (number) |
11 (+5 bonus tracks on limited edition double CD) |
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running time |
56:36 / 90:18 (special edition with bonus) |
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| occupation |
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Tom Dalgety |
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Studio (s) |
Rockfield Studios, Monmouthshire , Wales |
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Sorceress (English for: "Sorceress") is the twelfth studio album by the Swedish progressive metal band Opeth , which was released for the first time on September 30, 2016 via the band's own imprint Moderbolaget Records on the new label of the band Nuclear Blast . On August 1, 2016, the title track was released as a single, for which there is also an official video with text overlay.
The album was recorded in the Welsh Rockfield Studio, where Pale Communion was already created. The band announced in advance that the album would be “darker”, “more intense” and “heavier” than the previous two.
The album debuted at number 1 in the German album charts and reached listings in Switzerland , the United Kingdom , the United States , Austria and Sweden .
Emergence
Bandleader Michael Åkerfeldt explained on the homepage of his record company : “The new album Sorceress is our 12th studio album since the beginning of the nineties. I find it hard to imagine that we've really been active for 26 years and have produced a total of twelve albums. That makes me very proud and Sorceress is no exception. I love the album and the band feels the same way. I wrote the music in a period of five to six months, but it only took us 12 days to record the album at Rockfield Studios. Once again we took a step forward. Or to the side. Or backwards. Regardless, it's definitely different - and very varied. [...] It is both fresh and classic, progressive and nostalgic. Hard and gentle. [...] "
Although Akerfeldt doesn't see Sorceress as a concept album , several songs deal with the dangerous aspects of love. In an interview with the American Rolling Stone , he explained: “I tried to draw inspiration from the negative aspects of love: jealousy, brainfucking, paranoia and everything that comes to me, which is ultimately a nice feeling. It's something that I value very highly in my life, but it can have a really destructive effect on you, just like me. ”As another inspiration for the creation of the album, Åkerfeldt gave the Italian prog band Il Paese dei Balocchi and their album of the same name from 1972.
Track list
album
- Persephone - 1:52
- Sorceress - 5:48
- The Wilde Flowers - 6:44
- Will O The Wisp - 5:07
- Crysalis - 7:17
- Sorceress 2 - 3:48
- The Seventh Sojourn - 5:30
- Strange Brew - 8:46
- A Fleeting Glance - 5:09
- Era - 5:41
- Persephone (Slight Return) - 0:54
Bonus CD
- The Ward - 3:13
- Spring MCMLXXIV - 6:11
- Cusp of Eternity (live) - 5:44
- The Drapery Falls (live) - 10:23
- Voice of Treason (live) - 8:11
tour
From August 19, 2016, Opeth went on a worldwide tour, which will start with an appearance at the Pukkelpop Festival 2016 in Kiwit-Hasselt, Belgium , after which it will lead to several dates in the USA , Canada and Mexico before returning to Europe, where it will end on November 24, 2016 in Berlin .
Commercial win
Sorceress sold 16,000 times in the first week of sales in the United States , which allowed the album to enter the US album charts at number 24 . In Germany , the album made it to number one , making Sorceress the band's first number one album. In addition, the vinyl record also reached the top position in the German vinyl charts for a month . In addition, the album reached listings in Switzerland and Austria , where it landed among the ten best-selling albums, while in the United Kingdom a placement in the top ten was just missed. In Sweden , Sorceress got on the number seven.
reception
Sorceress received mostly positive reviews from the German trade press . Matthias Mineur of Classic Rock wrote that Mikael Åkerfeld dared to venture further into jazzy regions with Opeth than on their predecessor Pale Communion from 2014. In doing so, he had relied on musical legends of the 1970s such as Jethro Tull and Wishbone Ash and King Crimson oriented. The song Will O The Wisp , which is dedicated to Ian Anderson , is described as the Opeth counterpart to Dun Ringill by Stormwatch from 1979. Nik Brückner, one of the reviewers of Babyblauen Seiten, writes that the album has become a bluesy retro-rock work with temporary Prog elements, which Marc Colling also noticed. He wrote that the album ties in with Pale Communion and has now completely detached itself from their musical roots. Like Brückner, Colling comes to the conclusion that the work is not suitable for prog fans of Frickelorgien, but is highly recommended for every fan who expects a high-quality prog rock album.
Marc Halupczok from the German Metal Hammer writes that the group on Sorceress want to introduce fans of the album Ghost Reveries to today's music by Opeth. However, there are many points of criticism on the album for the recently disappointed fans of the old days. Nevertheless, Sorceress is a good-class album by an extraordinary band. Manuel Berger from Laut.de even gave it the highest rating, although the album seems pretty smooth at times. Nevertheless, the band managed to create another piece of the puzzle that wasn't there before. Berger assumes that the upcoming album will also be a success. Alex Klug from Metal.de is also clearly impressed by Sorceress , even if he realizes that the album buckles slightly in the second half. Thomas Berger from Powermetal.de makes the sound as the only point of criticism, because he describes that the band has sounded the same for two albums and the sound is only being expanded. Nevertheless, Sorceress is a work with a lot of charm, flair and character that make the love of music tangible.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Opeth to release 'Sorceress' album in Late 2016 . June 15, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
- ↑ First single from the new album "Sorceress" . August 2, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
- ↑ OPETH - Sorceress (OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO) . August 2, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
- ↑ OPETH Guitarist Says "Sorceress" Is "Darker", "More Intense" And "Heavier" Than Previous Two Albums . August 3, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
- ↑ OPETH - to release 12th studio album »Sorceress« on September 30th! . July 18, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
- ^ Opeth on How Romantic 'Mindf - ks,' Obscure Prog Inspired New LP . August 1, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
- ↑ OPETH: Sorceress DIGIPAK . July 18, 2016. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
- ↑ OPETH: Tour Dates . August 1, 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
- ^ Metal By Numbers 10/13: What new sorcery is this? . October 13, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
- ^ Opeth - Sorceress (vinyl). officialcharts.de, accessed on April 12, 2019 .
- ↑ Chart tracking: DE - AT - CH - UK - US - SE
- ^ Matthias Mineur: Classic Rock : Opeth - Sorceress criticism
- ↑ Nik Brückner, Marc Colling: Baby blue pages : Opeth - Sorceress criticism
- ↑ Marc Halupczok: Metal Hammer : Opeth - Sorceress criticism
- ↑ Manuel Berger: Laut.de : Opeth - Sorceress criticism
- ↑ Alex Klug: Metal.de : Opeth - Sorceress criticism
- ^ Thomas Berger: Powermetal.de : Opeth - Sorceress criticism