Given the release of “The Last Will and Testament”, I figured it would be fun to an Opeth discography rundown of all the albums, similar to what I did with Cannibal Corpse a few years ago. I haven’t listened to some of the releases in a long time, so it was fun to go through them again and reevaluate them. What do you think? Do you agree? Hit me up on Instagram.
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Full-length Opeth discography
- Orchid (1995)
- Morningrise (1996)
- My Arms, Your Hearse (1998)
- Still Life (1999)
- Blackwater Park (2001)
- Deliverance (2002)
- Damnation (2003)
- Ghost Reveries (2005)
- Watershed (2008)
- Heritage (2011)
- Pale Communion (2014)
- Sorceress (2016)
- In Cauda Venenum (2019)
- The Last Will and Testament (2024)
The Opeth discography is certainly extensive. I got into the band around the release of “Deliverance” in 2002, being instantly hooked on that album, and especially “Blackwater Park”. Those two albums and “Damnation” have been my most listened Opeth releases for sure, but I’ve enjoyed songs and moments on all of them. The “Heritage” transition was rough on me, though I’ve come to warm up to the newer era more and more. Anyway, let’s rank some albums.
14. “Heritage” (2011)
Wow, this is an album I’ve shat a lot on over the years. Listening to it with fresh, more eclectic, I wish it would’ve grown on me, but I can’t really say that it’s the case.
The absence of growls is not the problem. Clunky songwriting, stock retro nods and high-pitch singing are my issues. I’ve never been one for the occult rock trend either, so those nods don’t do it for me either. It comes across as equal parts jarring and boring.
On the other hand, there’s certainly a strong musicality to “Heritage”. Great playing and a will to experiment. But at thus stage of the new Opeth era, the band just doesn’t have it. I appreciate it slightly more in 2025, but it’s still an album I won’t return to.
Fav track(s): None
13. “Sorceress” (2016)
The title track is definitely one my least favorite Opeth songs. Everything from the song structure, to the occult rock tropey lyrics to the mix of prog meandering and chugs just totally puts me off. Adding insult to injury, “Sorceress” came out at the point in my life where I was the least into Opeth. That means that I haven’t really explored this album much, but now it’s time.
This album has some decent folky moments here and there, but much of what I liked on “Pale Communion” is gone. It’s just not particularly emotive. Yeah, it’s certainly aesthetically pretty in places, but I don’t feel moved. The band once again ventures into uptempo “gubbrock” with “Chrysalis”, reminding me of “Slither”. Certainly an erk moment for me. “The Seventh Sojourn” is quite cool with the Eastern vibes, almost getting into Dead Can Dance territory.
Opeth is certainly still willing to experiment, but this one focuses on many of the sides that I appreciate the least. Maybe I’m just not 70’s prog enough to get this one?
Fav track(s): “Will o the Wisp”
12. “Orchid” (1995)
My opinions on this album closely resemble my thoughts on Katatonia‘s debut. It’s a band with obvious potential and appeal starting to work its sound out. It’s nowhere near finished, and that’s why I’d rank it somewhere around the bottom.
That said, there is a lot going on musically, and Mikael already sounds vicious. I’m often divided on the traditional heavy metal influences, while digging the acoustic moments. As I said, it’s very much a band trying find its style and identity.
My favorite parts are the Ulver-like mystic sections for sure. Transitions are jarring though, sometimes not in a good way. It’s a solid first step given the bands inexperience, but I rarely return to it. Oh, and it’s definitely too long, even for an Opeth album.
Fav track(s): “Under the Weeping Moon”
11. “The Last Will and Testament” (2024)
Before chairs start flying: yes, this is musically an insanely tight and colorful album, and Waltteri’s drumming rules. It definitely has its unique character and explosive musical moments. But is it really that memorable, though? Well, not entirely in my case.
It feels like a return of “Heritage”, in ways, with jarring transitions, ebbs and flows. Ebbs and flows can certainly be a good thing in many cases, but I’m often finding this album hard to stick. Maybe it’s a lack of hooks, maybe it’s the chapter-based album structure? I don’t know. There’s definitely no “Bleak” or “Deliverance” on here for me, not even a “Hjärtat Vet Vad Handen Gör”.
The musical free-flow and complexity is very impressing, indeed, but I’m not sure this will ever click with me. It’s cool to hear that the band is still developing, though.
Fav track(s): “A Story Never Told” & “§4”
10. “Morningrise” (1996)
To be honest, I haven’t really been a big fan of this album, even when I listened to Opeth the most. It came across as a good album fading in comparison to the more recent work; a stepping stone on the way. Listening to it in 2025 as a part of my Opeth discography rundown, nothing has really changed.
Similarly to “Orchid”, there are a lot of technical but jarringly composed moments. It is not as awkward, but to me it is clear that the band is still searching for its flow and songwriting. Style-wise, the album is a definite move away from the classic heavy metal stylings of the debut, towards the darkness of “Still Life” and “Blackwater Park”. Songs tend to drag and sections tend to repeat a bit too much though. Unsurprisingly, 20-minute behemoth “Black Rose Immortal” drags the most.
Vocally, this is a nasty sounding disc. It’s Mikael around recording “Brave Murder Day”, so he’s at the top of his extreme vocal game. His clean vocals are improving, while not being quite there yet. All in all, this is good, but nowhere near what’s to come a few years later.
Fav track(s): “To Bid You Farewell” & “Advent”
9. “In Cauda Venenum” (2019)
I listen to Swedish version as it is the original, English is kind of an afterthought.
I’ve always found this album to be one of the better releases of the new Opeth era. The songwriting is tightened up compared to its predecessor, and there are less derivative retro moments or occult rock going on. Instead, we get a rather emotive rock album where Mikael uses his new-found vocal techniques better than ever before. The talent was always there, of course, but on this album it connects with me way more than before.
There’s some massive cheese present on ICV, but it’s often positive – “Minnets Yta” being the prime example. Mikael is successfully delving into personal and societal themes, definitely treading the line, but almost always staying on the right side. “Allting Tar Slut” is a pretty nice closer too, with some solid rock epicness going on.
This is a solid album that I mostly enjoy. Like on “Pale Communion”, it feels like the band got a digestable and effective version of their new era sound together. It’s an honest album with its own character, and unsurprsingly, I prefer the more straightforward moments to the prog experimentation.
Fav track(s): “Hjärtat Vet Vad Handen Gör” & “Minnets Yta”
8. “Watershed” (2008)
Ah, “Watershed”. Almost at my watershed moment. Ehm, sorry. Anyway, this is the album where I initially started slipping away from Opeth. Granted, I loved the wildness of “The Lotus Eater” right away, as it went extreme on the metal and prog in the best possible way. Very danceable middle part, too!
“Heir Apparent” is one of the big songs in the Opeth discography where i find the individual parts stronger than the sum. 07:24 melody, daaaaaamn! It takes it time to get there though, and it’s not particularly well-connected to the other parts.
“Burden” is a lovely ballad, but aside from those three tracks, I don’t get much out of this album. It doesn’t help that “Porcelain Heart” and “Hessian Peel” are two of my least favorite Opeth tracks ever. Much of the album reminds me why the famous Mendez intervention is drawing close, but I’d gladly keep listening to “The Lotus Eater” and “Burden” at least.
Fav track(s): “The Lotus Eater” & “Burden”
7. “Pale Communion” (2014)
Opeth’s second prog era-album sees them picking up steam a lot. The songwriting is way more coherent than on “Heritage”, and there are way more memorable and emotive moments. First two tracks are solid progressive rock, and “Elysian Woes” is a welcome “Damnation” throwback.
In general, I enjoy the album’s more streamlined, hooky tracks more, while the more experimental, jazzy stuff tends to pass me by. But the band undeniably took a huge step forward here compared to the jarring confusion that dominated “Heritage”.
“Faith in Others” is one of my fav Opeth tracks ever, so it’s certainly the right way to the end the album. So much emotion and space in this track, just a lovely epic rock number. As mentioned, there are some loose, jammy parts that I can’t quite connect with, but overall this is a nice album that has aged well.
Fav track(s): “Faith in Others” & “Elysian Woes”
6. “Ghost Reveries” (2005)
Originally, “Ghost Reveries” was the album where I started losing touch with Opeth a little bit, back in ancient hieroglyph times. Some songs obviously rock, but I wasn’t completely convinced by the retro prog moments and more playful musical ideas. Hey, I was 19 years old and still pretty damn trve kvlt metal, OK?
Anyway, it’s an album that grew on me over the years. I’m not big on “Beneath the Mire”, but “Baying of the Hounds” has aged well. “The Grand Conjuration” is one of the weirdest Opeth songs for me, as it’s one of their worst songs in terms of songwriting and structure, while containing some of their coolest parts ever. I love the main clean vocal theme, and the “Whispered conjuration..” part is one of Mikael’s most brutal verses ever.
I still don’t really have a strong connection to the album, and that becomes (heir) apparent when listening to the whole song. It goes really hot when it’s at it’s best, but I think most Opeth fans appreciate it way more. Final thought: “Reverie/Harlequin Forest” slaps. Hard.
Fav track(s): “Reverie/Harlequin Forest” & “Ghost of Perdition”
5. “My Arms, Your Hearse” (1998)
To me, this album is where Opeth really begins. Many of the previous quirks are gone, and the songwriting is way more memorable. Not to mention that atmosphere, musicianship and production are all clearly leveled up.
Hook writing is much stronger, especially “Demon of the Fall”. Yes, it’s an overplayed tune, but I really dig them in this more compressed format. Growls are great, as always, and the clean vocals are greatly improved compared to “Morningrise”. Much better melodies.
Overall, the band has largely uncovered what will make them so special, producing some amazing songs on the way. The 50-minute running time is also way more to my taste. As prog and doom as I am, it takes a lot for me to get through albums longer than this. “My Arms, Your Hearse” has just the right running time, not overstaying its welcome.
Fav track(s): “When” & “Demon of the Fall”
4. “Still Life” (1999)
“Still Life” is a big fan favorite. I enjoy the album, but perhaps not as much as most Opeth fans. I’ve always viewed “The Moor” as Opeth at its most melodeath, and in this case it really works. Probably my favorite song by them at this point in their discography. “Godhead’s Lament” is another banger, with some Mikael’s best growls and screams ever (“Marauuuuuuuder…..”).
These songs are still absolutely masterpieces in 2025, but what about the rest? It’s more or less common knowledge that “Serenity Painted Death” slaps, and I enjoy both the acoustic tracks (perhaps not as much as the fanbase though). The remaining tracks are alright.
This leaves “Still Life” and “My Arms, Your Hearse” neck in neck for me. The compactness of “MAYH” is a strong argument for it, but then again, “Still Life” opens with the two strongest tracks from the band up until this point.
Fav track(s): “The Moor” & “Godhead’s Lament”
3. “Deliverance” (2002)
“Deliverance” has a lot going for it: Mikael’s best growls on an Opeth record, an overplayed for good reason title track, and some of the band’s most brutal moments. It’s not as refined and detailed as its predecessor “Blackwater Park”, which is understandable given the stress of the D&D recordings. Most of the foresty, mystic feel is exchanged for pure darkness, and I don’t mind it.
I’m very into the Katatonia-like dissonant drone of “Wreath”, and the jarring transitions in some songs generally work (I gradually soured on the band’s transitions later in the discography). “By The Pain I See In Others”, Mikael’s least fav Opeth song, is certainly a mess in terms of structure, but some of the parts are godly. Actually, the merry-go-round circus section might be one of my all-time favorite Opeth parts. It’s wild! Like a circus? Ehm..?
Small issues aside, “Deliverance” an excellent part of the Opeth discography and a good counterpart to “Blackwater Park” and “Damnation”. There were times when I considered it my favorite album – in 2025 it’s almost there.
Fav track(s): “Wreath” & “Deliverance”
2. “Damnation” (2003)
“Damnation” is equal parts depressing as delightfully amazing. Having the band strip all the metal at their peak going full progressive rock is a great move. It was fun coming back to this album in 2025, because clearly I don’t listen to it enough.
Instrumentally, there is so much beautiful stuff going on, from the hypnotic rhythm section jams on “Closure” to the mellotrons and tasteful guitar solos. Mikael sings better than ever, especially when he relies on his smooth baritone range. Tracklist is also spot on. I dig every song, but “Hope Leaves” and “Closure” remains my two favorites. And unusually for prog-related stuff, the running time is also just right.
All in all, “Damnation” is fucking great and my opinion on the album hasn’t changed a bit over the years. The only risk I see with this one is becoming extremely depressed and autumn-melancholic, but I guess that’s a small price to pay.
Fav track(s): “Hope Leaves” & “Closure”
1. “Blackwater Park” (2001)
Well, “Blackwater Park” is what is. That’s how insightful my review is. I’ve listened to this album hundreds of times over the years, and it’s still amazing. It feels like Opeth simply took everything they’ve learned on their previous releases and perfected the formula.
It’s an immaculate album in terms of songwriting, performances and production. Even with the long songs, hooks are huge, but the atmosphere is what really draws me in. Pristine it may sound, it’s still super dark, culminating in the closing title track.
For me, the band peaked here, and the album is deservingly regarded as their classic. It’s a predictable number one, but hey, good music is good music!
Fav track(s): “Blackwater Park” & “Bleak”
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