Damnation (album)
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Damnation is the seventh full-length studio album by heavy metal band Opeth. It was released on 22 April 2003, five months after Deliverance, which was recorded at the same time. Damnation was produced by Steven Wilson. Mikael Åkerfeldt dedicated both albums to his grandmother, who died in a car accident during the time the albums were being recorded.[3]
The album was a radical departure from Opeth's typical death metal sound, and the first Opeth album to use all clean vocals, clean guitars, and prominent mellotron, as well as being inspired by 1970s progressive rock,[4] which typically features no heavy riffs or extended fast tempos. Despite the change in style from Opeth's previous albums, Damnation was critically acclaimed and boosted their popularity, leading to the release of Lamentations on DVD in late 2003.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [5] |
| Pitchfork Media | 9.1/10[6] |
| Sputnikmusic | 5/5[7] |
In a rave review for Sputnikmusic, Mike Stagno wrote that Damnation is a progressive rock album that departs entirely from the extreme metal elements of Opeth's previous work, and stands as one of the best albums released in recent years.[7] Ned Raggett of Pitchfork Media also felt that it succeeds without Opeth's previous death metal style, and showcases each band member's technical abilities on what is "the most surprising and entertaining album" in Opeth's discography.[6]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Mikael Åkerfeldt, except where noted; all music is composed by Mikael Åkerfeldt
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Windowpane" | 7:45 |
| 2. | "In My Time of Need" | 5:50 |
| 3. | "Death Whispered a Lullaby" (Steven Wilson) | 5:50 |
| 4. | "Closure" | 5:16 |
| 5. | "Hope Leaves" | 4:30 |
| 6. | "To Rid the Disease" | 6:21 |
| 7. | "Ending Credits" | 3:39 |
| 8. | "Weakness" | 4:09 |
Notes
A music video was created for an edited version of "Windowpane". The vocal melody in the chorus of "To Rid the Disease" is borrowed from a track recorded by Mikael Åkerfeldt's sideproject Sörskogen, "Mordet i Grottan".[8]
Personnel
Opeth
- Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, guitar, engineering
- Peter Lindgren – guitar (1–7), engineering
- Martin Mendez – bass guitar (1–7), engineering
- Martin Lopez – drums, percussion (1–7), engineering
Additional personnel
- Steven Wilson − keyboards, piano, mellotron, backing vocals, mixing, mastering, production, engineering
Chart positions
Weekly
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 54 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 97 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 37 |
| French Albums Chart | 112 |
| US Heatseekers | 10 |
| US Top Independent Albums[9] | 14 |
| UK Albums Chart | 181 |
| US Billboard 200[9] | 192 |
Monthly
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Poland (ZPAV Top 100) | 76[10] |
References
- ^ [1] Archived 2009-09-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ [2] Archived 2011-01-02 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ http://www.metalstorm.net/bands/trivia.php?band_id=13&bandname=Opeth
- ^ According to the liner notes to Deliverance
- ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r634404
- ^ a b Raggett, Ned. Opeth 2012-04-20.
- ^ a b "Opeth - Damnation (album review 8)". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 2014-06-20.
- ^ Interview With Mikael Åkerfeldt. HailMetal.com. Accessed 28 August 2006.
- ^ a b Opeth > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums at Allmusic
- ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20030614090754/http://www.zpav.pl/bestsellery/best.html
External links
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| Studio albums | |
| Live albums | |
| Compilations | |
| Related articles | |
