If ever a band has developed musically and not been afraid to do it their way it has to be Opeth. Somehow they have retained their dark heritage  from earlier days and yet woven this heritage into a a sound that is right up to date, experimental, progressive and.. gulp.. commercial. New album Watershed opens with “Coil”, a gorgeous acoustic led song that floats along on serene vocals from Akerfeldt and Nathalie Lorichs. Both delicate and gentle it's a very clever way to start the album as it gets the listener wondering just when and how the traditional brutal power of Opeth is going to be first displayed. Well you don’t have to wait long as the band launch into “Heir Apparent” with the subtlety of a bull in a china shop. This song has to be one of the most absorbing and complex songs of Opeth's career so far. The main guitar riffs nail the listener to the floor and the songs key guitar solo provides a slap across the face for good measure. For a song that is so aggressive there is an inescapable feeling of grace to the whole proceeding.

“Lotus Eater” contains some of the album's most complex layered guitar parts that will take guitarists months to decipher. Vocals jump form growls to more clean and pop like deliveries but it’s the song's dark jazzy middle which finally gets hold of the listener leading them on a journey that culminates in spoken sound bites that conjure up a drug addled delirium perfectly.“Burden” is a melodic progressive rock workout with the band displaying their penchant for seventies style prog’ to glorious effect. Swathes of Mellotron and gloriously bombastic drumming form a wonderful backdrop for Akerfeldt and Akesson to dig into their guitars and unleash flowing solos that are mini compositions in themselves. The dual harmony playing towards the end conjures up an almost Michael Schenker like vibe from the era when he was at his best. At the end the acoustic play out section features a guitar going wonderfully out of tune in a controlled and pre-meditated manner. It’s pure and utter genius to this reviewer and something completely new to these ears.

“Porcelain Heart” is lyrically and melodically very dark and menacing and as the song progressed it conjured up visions of a tortured soul coming out of the darkness to tell his story leaving behind despair and pain. Might sound a bit over the top to some but it just goes to show the power of great music. “Hessian Peel” could be described as a heavy progressive electric folk workout. It feels like it is in three parts. The first is folksy, the second is the more traditional Opeth style metal before finishing in a third section of progressive rock madness. It’s effective and very satisfying. Final song “Hex Omega” is a dizzy and complex musical journey that goes from light to dark, brutal to gentle and melancholy to mad all on the turn of a beat or the play of a note.

“Watershed” shows Opeth once more developing their style that little bit further. Their music is definitely moving into more listenable progressive rock territory. Don’t get me wrong they are still too metal for some ears but if they keep developing their sound at the same rate, as they appear to be doing, it won’t be long till they get a huge new contingent of rock fans on board. As far as Opeth's back catalogue goes “Watershed” will become a fan favourite and with the recently announced UK  tour there has never been a better time to dip your toes into the rock phenomena that is Opeth.

Al Hey