| Not to start flames here, but in defense of Opeth...
I put Mikael at the top of my list mainly because of his growl. He has a very, very unique growl, and it has some really good range as far as growls go, as well. I find every word perfectly enunciated and easy to understand, yet still brutal and guttural. His cleans aren't my favorite, but his clean melodies definitely are. There are some Opeth lines that give me goosebumps...
"Faint touch, writhing in the embers..."
"And you are just like them all, stained by the names of fathers..."
"Everything you believed is a lie, everyone you knew was a death burden..."
(Those who are fairly big fans of Opeth should be able to recall the melody from those lyrics)
As far as Opeth as a band being overrated - of course to each his own. I think they're so great because they transcend so many boundaries in metal, while still keeping a very distinct sound that is obviously Opeth even in just a few notes. The moments of extreme brutality and also of extreme beauty, often at the same time, the structured madness, the moving yet brutal air of it all... That's what keeps me comming back. That, and Mikael is an awesome concept writer. |