Pale Communion is the eleventh studio album by Swedish heavy metal band Opeth. The album was released on 25 August 2014 through Roadrunner Records.[10] The album was produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt and mixed by Steven Wilson.[11] Pale Communion is the first album with keyboardist Joakim Svalberg after the departure of Per Wiberg in 2011.
Musical style[]
Mikael Åkerfeldt said of the album, "I wanted to do something more melodic with this album, so there's stronger vocal melodies and more melodies overall for this album."[12] Greg Kennelty of Metal Injection said the album does not contain "growls or death metal vocals".[13] He also described the album as "the missing link between Damnation and Ghost Reveries or if Heritage was written directly after Ghost Reveries without Watershed having ever existed."[13]
Artwork[]
The cover art was designed by Travis Smith, who has designed several previous Opeth album covers. The artwork contains Latin text. The left panel quotes Axel Oxenstierna: "Don't you know, my son, with how little wisdom the world is governed?" (An nesci, mi fili, quantilla prudentia mundus regatur?). The middle panel quotes Terence: "In these days friends are won through flattery, the truth gives birth to hate." (Hoc tempore obsequium amicos, veritas odium parit, Andria, vv. 67-68). The right panel quotes Marcus Valerius Martialis: "He grieves truly who grieves without a witness." (Ille dolet vere qui sine teste dolet, Epigrammata, I, 33).[14]
Track listing[]
All songs written and composed by Mikael Åkerfeldt, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Eternal Rains Will Come" | 6:48 | |
| 2. | "Cusp of Eternity" | 5:35 | |
| 3. | "Moon Above, Sun Below" | 10:52 | |
| 4. | "Elysian Woes" | 4:47 | |
| 5. | "Goblin" (instrumental) | 4:32 | |
| 6. | "River" | 7:30 | |
| 7. | "Voice of Treason" | 8:00 | |
| 8. | "Faith in Others" | 7:39 | |
| 9. | "Solitude" (live) (special edition bonus track) (Black Sabbath cover) | 5:56 | |
| 10. | "Var kommer barnen in" (live) (special edition bonus track) (Hansson de Wolfe United cover) | 5:52 | |
Total length: |
67:33 | ||
Personnel[]
- Opeth
- Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, guitar, production, art direction, engineering
- Fredrik Åkesson – guitar, backing vocals
- Joakim Svalberg – piano, keyboard, backing vocals
- Martín Méndez – bass guitar
- Martin Axenrot – drums, percussion
- Additional personnel
- Dave Stewart – string arrangements
- Tom Dalgety – engineering, production
- Janne Hansson – engineering
- Steven Wilson – mixing, backing vocals
- Paschal Byrne – mastering
- Travis Smith – cover art
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jurek, Thom. Pale Communion - Opeth. AllMusic. Retrieved on August 24, 2014.
- ↑ Bowar, Chad. Opeth - Pale Communion Review. About.com. Retrieved on September 15, 2014.
- ↑ Slessor, Dan (20 August 2014). Opeth - Pale Communion. Alternative Press. Retrieved on September 15, 2014.
- ↑ Van Horn, Ray (29 September 2014). Opeth - Pale Communion. Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved on September 29, 2014.
- ↑ Kitteringham, Sarah (22 August 2014). Opeth - Pale Communion. Exclaim!. Retrieved on September 3, 2014.
- ↑ Lawson, Dom (21 August 2014). Opeth: Pale Communion review – strange, intricate prog-metal genius. The Guardian. Retrieved on August 24, 2014.
- ↑ Cope, Chris (19 August 2014). Opeth: Pale Communion. The List. Retrieved on August 25, 2014.
- ↑ Currin, Grayson (28 August 2014). Opeth: Pale Communion. Pitchfork. Retrieved on September 3, 2014.
- ↑ Ezell, Brice (28 August 2014). Opeth: Pale Communion. PopMatters. Retrieved on September 3, 2014.
- ↑ OPETH Album Officially Pushed Back To August. Metal Injection (8 May 2014). Retrieved on May 8, 2014.
- ↑ Opeth's "Pale Communion" Coming June 17. Roadrunner Records (7 April 2014). Retrieved on April 8, 2014.
- ↑ Dick, Jonathan (21 March 2014). Opeth Started from the Bottom, Now They're Here. Vice. Retrieved on April 8, 2014.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Kennelty, Greg (27 March 2014). First Impressions of the New Untitled OPETH Album, A Track-By-Track Review. metalinjection.net. Retrieved on April 8, 2014.
- ↑ OPETH Pale Communion Album Art Revealed!. Metal Injection (27 May 2014). Retrieved on May 27, 2014.
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