It's been over 10 years since I first heard this transition from growls to clean vocals in Opeth's Bleak, and to this day it still blows me away. What transitions in Opeth's songs still blow you away no matter how many times you've heard them?

[u/HuckleberryAny4541]

[u/emptybagofdicks]

Harlequin Forest has the best transitions of any song I've ever heard and the transition into the final riff is just perfection.

[u/Darkwoth81Dyoni → u/emptybagofdicks]

The "secret" Harlequin section in the previous track is one of my favorite bits of Opeth.

[u/LeanGroundQueef → u/Darkwoth81Dyoni]

Reverie.

[u/CaddyStrophic]

We all know this is Steven Wilson, right?

[u/xeyon → u/CaddyStrophic]

Ashamed to admit it took me 20 years to realize that.

[u/TheDeanof316 → u/xeyon]

Mikael primarily sang the cleans on 'Bleak', with Wilson contributing a bit to the chorus and a couple other words.

[u/sleepy5zzz → u/CaddyStrophic]

He's the reason I ever discovered Opeth in the first place. Saw he produced Damnation, got it at the local record store, then Blackwater Park, and never turned back.

[u/TheDISASTERyt → u/CaddyStrophic]

On vocals? What?

[u/Wompie → u/CaddyStrophic]

Holy shit it is

[u/HeyNewFagHere → u/CaddyStrophic]

wait, wdym its steven wilson?

[u/CaddyStrophic → u/HeyNewFagHere]

Yeah! The cleans on Bleak are Mr. Wilson! I think his voice compliments the song so well. 10/10

[u/TheDeanof316 → u/CaddyStrophic]

No, not true, look it up rather than take my word for it. He contributed a bit but Mikael primarily sang the cleans on Bleak.

[u/Wishilikedhugs → u/HeyNewFagHere]

The "Devious movements" line is SW, and Mikael sings the next "moved me from relief" line. They alternate again until the "you're close to the final word" part, where Mikael harmonizes that part with himself. Then they alternate again.

[u/JoshuaSonOfNun → u/Wishilikedhugs]

damn I thought someone was pulling my leg but damn

[u/Historical-Green-463 → u/CaddyStrophic]

It’s also the worst part of the album

[u/Tankh → u/Historical-Green-463]

If you wanna be so wrong about something, why post it so people can see?

[u/gracecook72]

the song Blackwater Park. around five minutes in it transitions out of the ambient section, the distorted guitars come back in to play four measures of the new riff, and this low growl that lasts almost ten seconds just fades in. elevates then above the rest

[u/Darkwoth81Dyoni → u/gracecook72]

There was a point in time I wrote an angsty RP script that could be spoken during that section.

[u/Vehk_n_Vehk]

Master's Apprentices

Edit: the way the song builds up tension constantly and relieves it prefectly with the clean part, and then again the switch to growl.

[u/ponderofclams]

Godheads lament might do it

[u/PerceptionOk4061 → u/ponderofclams]

Best song from Still Life imo

[u/Fukin_Slayer666]

The voice transition in Harleqin Forest. And the riff transition in Forest of October after Mikael growls "My tears are forever lost", and then the riff changes with a short but intense "yeah" from Mikael. It always gives me chills.

[u/Hadez192]

The transition into clean guitar for the outro at the very end of Blackwater park, without a doubt gives me chills every time, even after hundreds of listens. That was also the moment I realized i had found something that resonated with me more than any other piece of music had before

[u/Tiger-EC → u/Hadez192]

Also the grunt and growl after the intro and then going into the second phase of the song. Both impeccable.

[u/Hadez192 → u/Tiger-EC]

Yeah the whole song is a fucking masterpiece for sure

[u/TeddyJPharough]

When the Moor comes into the catchy chorus is a great one

[u/inthemeadowoftheend]

"Dirge for November" completely changed my taste in metal 22 years ago.

[u/TERLIBEN]

Deliverance!

[u/pizzatimefriend]

when I first heard this I thought Opeth had two vocalists

[u/dcooper08 → u/pizzatimefriend]

Well, Steven Wilson sings some of these parts, both solo and in harmony, so it is two vocalists in this particular song. Also easy to hear them harmonizing at the end of Drapery Falls.

[u/pizzatimefriend → u/dcooper08]

that makes SO much more sense

[u/ReallyBrainDead → u/pizzatimefriend]

Same. Especially since the first time I saw them, they decided to do a tour of all no death metal vocal songs. They even did Throat of Winter, off the God of War soundtrack.

[u/-tomelette- → u/pizzatimefriend]

Same

[u/b0ck3n85]

There are simply too many to count, but since I'm completely nerding on Watershed atm I'll go with 2.30 into Derelict Herds where the song shifts completely and the growls go "There was a feeeeevah, there was a faaaailuuuure" - that shit makes the hair on my arms stand every time.

[u/Juicecalculator]

The bongos into the guitar solo in wreath. It grips me every time

[u/SegmentedMoss]

5:26 in Serenity Painted Death

[u/Tiger-EC]

I’m currently obsessed with the drop into the outro at 8:00 of A Fair Judgment. Absolutely bonkers.

[u/JoshuaSonOfNun]

Dating has ruined my single life

[u/TheDeanof316]

Last few times seeing Opeth, when Akerfeldt asks the crowd which song we want I always shout out "Bleak"! (and/or..."In Mist She Was Standing").

Last time I saw Bleak live was around 2006...it's looking pretty bleak man!

[u/Confident_Inside5352]

The transition in "Karma" around 0:57 - beautiful piece.

[u/Tough-Insurance-1029]

The §4 outro always gives me a huge chill over my body.

[u/speedpickmynose]

I actually really dig the most recent album, S7 has some great ones

[u/Minstrel-of-Shadow]

"To see a beloved son in despair of what's to come..." and then the riff that comes right after

[u/Secret-Papaya1973]

10 yrs? Oooof u make me feel old. My opeth tattoo is 17 yrs old

[u/HappyNietzsche420]

Rode into the dark unawaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrreeeeee

[u/NatthDeath]

A mí me encanta la transición en §5, a casi la mitad de la canción como por el minuto 3:10