OPETHs Pale Communion Cracks U.S. Top 20 Pale Communion, the eleventh studio album from Swedish progressive metallers OPETH, sold around 13,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart. The bands previous CD, Heritage, opened with 19,000 units back in September 2011 to land at No. 19. OPETHs 2008 studio effort, Watershed, registered a first-week tally of more than 19,000 copies to enter the chart at No. 23. Watershed was the follow-up to the bands acclaimed Ghost Reveries CD, which debuted at No. 64 on the Billboard chart back in September 2005 with first-week sales of just under 15,000. OPETHs 2003 album, Damnation, premiered with a little over 5,000 copies. Pale Communion was released on August 26 via Roadrunner Records. The cover artwork was once again created by Travis Smith — with art direction by OPETH mainman Mikael Åkerfeldt. Pale Communion, which was produced by Åkerfeldt and mixed by longtime collaborator and PORCUPINE TREE frontman/guitarist Steven Wilson, was heralded by the lead single Cusp Of Eternity. The best way for me to write is always to just write the stuff that I want to hear myself, stated Mikael. Im pretty headstrong, so a few negative reactions to Heritage didnt push me in any way. That album started something new. Every record feels like part of a chain. We wouldnt have done Heritage without the previous records and the same is true of Pale Communion. I sat down and wrote the songs like I did for Heritage and the one before that. Heritage rejuvenated the band a little bit and I could see a way to continue doing this band without focusing on what were known for. Wed done that for so many records that I was a bit fed up with it. Now we have a future and Pale Communion is the continuation of that. Yet another compelling evolutionary step and a consolidation of the foundations laid down on Heritage, Pale Communion is simply another sublime piece of sonic artistry from one of the greatest bands on the planet. From the skewed grooves and dazzling atmospherics of the opening Eternal Rains Will Come to the devastating orchestral sweep and melodic precision of the closing Faith In Others, it is an album that expands OPETHs sonic palette beyond all measure while still retaining that mercurial essence that first made them such a unique proposition. As Mikael explains, Pale Communion is a record that came together intuitively and without compromise, driven forward by the magical chemistry between all five members of the band. I would have to say that were happy band right now and there have been times when we werent happy, he stated. Everyones pulling their weight and it feels like a collective with the same ideas. Weve been touring a lot for the Heritage record, so were a tight unit. We hang out a lot as friends. We play well and we get along well and we have a mutual understanding of where we want to take this band. And I know the guys can play anything. Theyre fantastic musicians. As I was writing the songs, Fredrik [Åkesson, guitar] came down to my studio to lay down some solos. He was really involved in the process and listening to whatever I came up with. It was the first record for Joakim [Svalberg, keyboards] and hes been really psyched about doing this record. Long before we started recording, he was saying that he couldnt wait to be involved, and he really stepped up to the plate. Axe [drummer Martin Axenrot] and [bassist Martin] Méndez are a tight unit too. Axe went over to Barcelona where Méndez lives to rehearse for a few days and then they put everything down in three or four days in the studio. It was easy. It was easy for everybody. In keeping with OPETHs oft-professed love of the classic rock, hard rock and progressive records of the early 70s, Pale Communion was recorded at the legendary Rockfield studios in Wales. Soaking up the atmosphere of the place where such immortal albums as JUDAS PRIESTs Sad Wings Of Destiny and QUEENs Sheer Heart Attack were recorded 40 years ago, Mikael could hardly have found a more suitable location for the recording of his bands new material. I do like many records that were made there and its a legendary studio, he agreed. “We like to pay homage to that stuff. The place where we made Heritage is famous for ABBA recording there, for instance! But Rockfield was available, it was fairly cheap, it was a residential studio and they cooked for us! Its right in the middle of nowhere so we know we wouldnt be distracted by the city lights or pubs or whatever. Thats why we chose it. But then, of course, Sad Wings Of Destiny was recorded there so it cant be complete shit! I think we couldve made a good sounding record anywhere, but the location and the logistics of being there were good for us. While Heritage was a proud move away from the digitised uniformity of modern metal and into the beatific warmth of old school analogue, Pale Communion is an altogether sharper and more vivid representation of OPETHs ongoing development. Overwhelmingly melodic and yet remorselessly diverse and unpredictable, these eight songs are as potent and mesmerising as anything in the bands illustrious canon. From the exquisite ebb and flow of Cusp Of Eternity — the first new song to be released into the wider world — and the epic, menacing sprawl of the ten-minute Moon Above, Sun Below through to the throbbing instrumental perversity of Goblin (which, of course, was inspired by the Italian prog band of the same name), the lush, country-tinged harmonies and rhythmic rumble of River and the gorgeous strings and pin-sharp melodic thrust of Faith In Others (the best song Mikael has ever written… according to Steven Wilson), Pale Communion is another flawless triumph from a band that seem to still be gathering strength and gaining momentum. Who knows what the future will bring… Itll be our 25th anniversary next year and were 11 records in. Well just see where it takes us, as always, said Mikael. I hope people appreciate that we dont play by the rules. I want us to be in a position where were accepted for what we are, and not what people want us to be. I guess were a rock band but we do a little bit of everything and thats what I like about it. It makes it interesting and fresh for us as musicians to not be pigeonholed and to not be pure. It would be complete death for me as a musician to just do one thing. I admire bands that can do that, but are they true to themselves? Dont they have any other influences? Thats quite impressive and probably harder than branching out. But we cant do that. Its impossible for us. I dont know where were going next and thats exciting to me.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 12:37:41 +0000
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