This song is an icon of my descent down the metal pipeline that led to me enjoying harsh vocals. I first checked out Opeth right around the start of 2022, having been recommended the band by my bass teacher. My only real experiences with progressive metal came from Dream Theater and Tool, so although I was familiar with some screaming in songs, it wasn’t something I was all that into. I started out with some of their top songs on Spotify, like Windowpane, Sorceress, and To Bid You Farewell, and I quite enjoyed those. However, Ghost of Perdition was clearly a no-go because of the vocals turning me off. I ended up looking up what their best songs were to try to find something of theirs I could like, and I kept hearing about Blackwater Park, so of course I checked it out. My first time listening was basically “this sounds pretty cool…” into “oh no” at 1:57. I listened to metal, but I wasn’t one of those people who listens to extreme stuff like this. I mean, you can’t even tell what they’re saying!

And for the first month or so, that was the case. I attempted to try them out, but it all sounded the same to me and I just didn’t get it. Eventually I did add Blackwater Park to my playlist, although I think somewhat hesitantly; I was doing it more for the instrumental aspect than the vocals. As much as I would like to claim harsh vocals just “clicked” suddenly one day, I think it was a more gradual process. But the change in my music taste is definitely shown in that at the beginning of that year, I didn’t like harsh vocals, then I was “disappointed in myself” for adding the song to my playlist in February, then by the end of the year it was my most listened to song of the year in my Spotify Wrapped. People always talked about the final lyric of this song (quoted above), but I originally felt like the delivery comes so suddenly without any buildup; now, I can say that I get it.

Structurally, this song is pretty weird, but nothing out of the ordinary for Opeth. It gives you only a taste of the heaviness at the beginning through one verse before suddenly putting the brakes on and transitioning into a slow, quiet, ghostly instrumental section for 3 minutes. But when the band truly kicks back into gear, it gets heavy. This song is full of amazing riffs, and from here on out that really shines. And then at 8:06, suddenly there’s a slap bass section?? Something you hardly hear in metal at all, and in a death metal song at that. Even if it’s covered up by the guitars and vocals a fair bit, it’s awesome.

I’m hesitant to call this Mikael Åkerfeldt’s best vocal performance, but it’s certainly up there. What’s so special to me about the vocals, rather, are the lyrics (that used to be “unintelligible” to me). The imagery it paints is really powerful, a village, or perhaps a world, dying of disease and their own sin. The “aesthetic” of it, the album cover, and just the title “Blackwater Park” does so much for my imagination. As a sidenote, I end up tying it — and a lot of Opeth’s music — to the themes in Elden Ring; it does help that my interest in the band was at its peak while I played through the game.

9:41 onwards builds the energy perfectly, lead with that amazing scream and riff. The drums become more powerful, until finally landing on those last seven haunting words. After all that, it’s only fitting to fade out on the acoustic guitar alone, the sun setting for the last time, and death lingering in the air.