Whilst Opeth are now rightly revered as progressive metal innovators, it wasn’t an easy journey. As history records, the planned follow-up to the immense ‘Blackwater park’; a double album offering up the band’s heaviest ever material alongside a disc showcasing Mikael Akerfeldt’s increasingly progressive tendencies; went somewhat askew and the albums ended up being released some six months apart, which dulled the intended impact. Looking back to the original release of ‘damnation’ and ‘deliverance’ it felt that Music for Nations underestimated Opeth’s fans when they refused to release the albums together. From a business perspective you can, perhaps, understand why nervous label execs might release the heavier of the two albums first, but the subsequent wait for ‘deliverance’ to appear made little sense at all (particularly as Opeth recorded the two albums together and on a single album budget). It seemed a patronising move, and it is not difficult to imagine the frustration Mikael and his band must have felt at the delay in releasing their most experimental and downright beautiful album to date.
Happily, the albums are finally getting the respect they deserve. This beautifully packaged edition, released simultaneously on vinyl and CD/DVD, is certainly something for fans old and new to treasure and it encourages fans to listen to the albums together as was intended. With Steven Wilson returning to mix ‘Damnation’ into 5.1 and with Bruce Soord subbing for Andy Sneap for the ‘deliverance’ mix, neither album has sounded better and it’s a chance to experience Mikael’s increasingly immersive sounds in a manner that seems entirely fitting. Moreover, the new packaging (a gorgeous digi-book) allows plenty of room for Travis Smith’s evocative artwork which now appears alongside liner notes from both Mikael and well-respected journalist Jerry Ewing. In short, Music For Nations are using their rebirth as an opportunity to correct a rare mistake and, in doing so, fans are getting a stunning version of two long-revered albums.
Of the two albums you might imagine that ‘Damnation’ might fare better from the surround mix because the music’s forward-thinking arrangements suit the multi-channel placement of instruments better, but you’d be wrong. Bruce Soord is a genius when it comes to sound placement, and opening track ‘wreath’ demonstrates just how immersive a surround mix can be when done by a master musician with imagination and skill to spare. Simply listening to the way the instruments slowly swim into view via the various channels is a delight and the clarity and resonance of the mix is truly a delight. As the song progresses through a wide variety of musical pastures, so the new, expansive mix allows percussive elements and vocals to shift around the room. Nothing here is gimmicky and, like Pink Floyd, the progressive grandeur of the music seems tailor-made for multiple channels. The power of the album, which always impressed, now truly blisters in the third dimension and when the title track kicks in like an atom bomb, it’s hard to avoid the adrenalin rush that normally only greets you when hearing such a track for the first time. Put simply Bruce has done a fantastic job that expands upon the original version in almost every way, giving fans the chance to hear the record in a completely different light.
In some ways Steven Wilson had an easier task as he was revisiting his own work. As a result, the remixed stereo version is only subtly different from its original incarnation. However, when it comes to the surround version, Steven shows the same stunning skill that he has employed with his own catalogue and which has seen him become the go-to producer for such progressive luminaries as King Crimson and Jethro Tull. In short, ‘Damnation’ sounds better than it ever has. At the same time, however, the impact is not as breath-taking as the newly remixed ‘deliverance’ simply because Steven’s mix of the original album was already incredibly forward-thinking and immersive. Therefore, where new elements frequently leap from the shadows with ‘deliverance’, on ‘damnation’ there are fewer surprises and the enhanced surround field simply gives the original mix a touch greater depth than before. That’s not to write off ‘damnation’ – it sounds amazing – rather it pays tribute to Steven’s original and deeply impressive mix of the album.
Should you buy this newly mixed and mastered double set? In terms of presentation it certainly is well put together and the liner notes and expanded artwork are a joy. However, if you lack the wherewithal to play the surround mixes I’d argue that the new stereo pressings are not worth the price of admission alone. The original discs (which most fans, I assume, already have) are more than adequate and there’s nothing in the way of bonus tracks here to enhance the offer. If, however, you have a 5.1 set up, then this set should be high on your list of purchases. ‘Deliverance’ in particular is revealed in far greater detail than ever before by Bruce Soord’s intelligent mix and Steven Wilson’s surround work does a grand job of icing an already rich cake. There is no question that this is a definitive edition of the two albums in Opeth’s catalogue that first truly expressed the artistic dichotomy that the band faced. Whereas many bands would have been content to tread the path that Opeth first truly laid down with ‘still life’ and then perfected with ‘blackwater park’; ‘damnation’ highlighted the direction to which the band would finally commit with ‘heritage’ and it’s wonderful to finally have a version which does full justice to Mikael’s original, ambitious vision.
