I havent really had a chance to hear the new album but the first thing that registered were the use of the harsh vocals. (Note, havent heard in cauda much).

This Sputnik Review which contained the following:

• He (Åkerfeldt) talks about it cynically in interviews, saying that it feels like the growls are all anybody ever cared about in the band’s music. And it seems like this is a little bit true, at least for some fans; for a lot of people, the first reaction to hearing “Paragraph 1” was to proclaim that Opeth is “finally back,.*

I dont know what reviews were referenced, but if true, just curious as to whether prog listeners agree that it was always about the growls... Lets face it metal fans can be heavily OTT with change.

Opening track of the 2024 Album - The last WILL and TESTAMENT

Hey folks. Just finished a tab of the song "Superior" from Extol's incredible "Burial" album. Figured I'd share it here as I'm sure there's a few around here that know of Extol's greatness. If you want a .gp8 version of the file, just let me know.

From the a new album release -

Over a decade in the works and two since Time I, it is here. I've only had one listen so far, and not really enough to offer an actual review, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I think I'm going to be coming back to the guitar solo two third of the way through Storm quite a bit.

This album came out yesterday! All the music is written by Arjen Lucassen so it should be of interest to Ayreon fans.

The Haken thread I posted a while ago generated a bit of activity so I might try it again from time to time. Let's rank Leprous' albums in anticipation for Melodies of Atonement. Feel free to include their two demos if you know them (I do not)!

1. Coal
2. The Congregation
3. Bilateral
4. Pitfalls
5. Malina
6. Aphelion
7. Tall Poppy Syndrome

Holocene is a slow burn but it's really been clicking for me after seeing these guys live. This was perhaps the highlight of the whole show.