Pale Communion

Opeth's first album in three years lacks the absolute willpower and prevailing ambition of the band’s best work. These eight songs run cold on new energies and ideas, a rarity for a catalogue custom-made to overwhelm.

When Opeth released Heritage in 2011 -- the wonderfully indulgent, somewhat unfocused exercise in prog rock aesthetics -- some longstanding fans were offended because the band had abandoned death metal.

"Heritage" turned more than few heads in the metal world as OPETH all but declared themselves liberated from the genre. Death metal is now practically exorcised from the songwriting process of these virtuosos, who turn in a prog-chopped masterpiece bearing the influences of GENTLE GIANT, KING CRIMSO...

A review of Opeth - Pale Communion, which is out worldwide on August 26th from Roadrunner Records.

Sweden's Opeth return with another uncompromisingly creative but admirably coherent record, writes <strong>Dom Lawson</strong>

Opeth - Pale Communion review: Not Opeth on acid, just Opeth mimicking some guys on acid.