Album Review: Opeth - Damnation [20th Anniversary]
Reviewed by Rick Eaglestone
Sweden’s Opeth commemorate the two decades that have passed since 2003’s release of Damnation with the faithful 2015 remastering and remix by Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson the first time on vinyl.
I was really happy when I heard the news about the release as twenty years ago this album was actually my gateway into the band, at the time I had missed the uproar this caused as it was completely left field from anything the band had apparently done before which I suppose to understand it for myself is like when Paradise Lost went for Icon/ Draconian Times to Host an album that is still divisive but generally now considered a great body of work for the band and I think that is now the case with Damnation
I will admit that it has been a while since I have listened to it by as soon as the soothing pace, harmonies and prog tones of Windowpane come through the headphones it feels as no time as passed. The album effortlessly glides and weaves through tracks like In My Time of Need and my favourite still of the album, Death Whispered a Lullaby
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The format of the tracks is shorter than previous releases and clearly demonstrates that you need to be 9 minutes long to tell a strong narrative which the combination of Closure and Hope Leaves still deliver perfectly.
Speaking on the release, the band’s lead vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt comments,
” Damnation” is a special record, even if they are all special to me. I remember hearing the first mix on headphones in a crummy hotel somewhere in the UK. I had trouble believing it was us, myself, Peter, Lopez, Mendez (as well as ol’ Steve on keys). It was completely different from anything we’d done up to that point, and quite frankly, since. Out of all of our records, I think this one is most suitable for the vinyl format due to the fact that it is not really cluttered with stuff. A pretty airy recording with 5 musicians and done on 2-inch tapes as well. It’s a record I’m immensely proud over and it also remains a fanfavourite I believe.”
The best storytelling of the entire album still must go to To Rid the Disease and embodies everything this album is and just why I was drawn to it all those years ago, the piano pieces and slow basslines still give me goosebumps.
The instrumental Ending Credits still gets me as it is not the final track of the album, which is of course is left to the much better choice of Weakness, which still boasts some wonderful ethereal soundscapes.
It has been fun to revisit Damnation now that I have experienced previous releases such as Morningrise and most recently In Cauda Venenum but have still says even with such an impressive and varying discography this is still a paradigm shifting masterpiece.
