I just began listening to Opeth, starting with Damnation. I listened to this album for a first time a couple days ago, and I thought it was brilliant. I really enjoyed Burden and Porcelain Heart. I thought they blended acoustic and metal riffs very effectively, reminded me of Metallica's Fade to Black.

I love that track...prolly my 3rd favorite now from the album.(only after Burden & Heir Apparent...akerfeldt's vocals are so brutal there)

Anyways, i find that most ppl who dislike this release is mainly on the basis that they haven't progressed all that much. I do kinda understand that argument, but I'm still far from being bored my them. One should just enjoy their consistency. Still very few bands out there try to copy their style.(unlike what happened to 'melo-death' which i just ignore now-a-days) I mean, give me any of their release and I'd still enjoy listening to it.
And their sound is definitely changing imo...The usual long structure and harsh/clean vocals thingy still exist, but the atmosphere doesn't feel the same at all...not to mention, akerfeldt's harsh vocals has definitely changed a bit. More in the vein of Unblessing the purity.
The only thing I'm worried about now is Roadrunner Records. I don't care even if they sell out(or whatever it's called) as long as they do their own thing and nothing influenced by the record label.

EDIT:After another listen, Porcelain Heart has got a bit boring...It's still catchy but i think the problem is that it stretches for too long and way too formulative...But Heir Apparent just becomes better and better with each listen. Quickly becoming one of my all time favorites.

BUMP.

Am I the only one who loves Coil on this album? It's a very good acoustic track, IMO.

I think that this album is one of the best I've heard. It was very rewarding to listen to. "Excellent" is my vote.

The thing is, while I can fully understand that Watershed would sound impressive to somebody not fully acquainted with the rest of Opeth's discography, it sounds like nothing particularly interesting or special to somebody who is. I still think it is the worst thing they've got in their entire catalogue, showing minimal progression and development from where they were 3 years ago. The Ghost Reveries is a vastly better record than Watershed and I struggle to understand even for a moment how anybody could opine otherwise.

Well Rainard, how important is it really that any group must make leaps and bounds on every single new release? Isn't one of the main draws of Opeth the fact that their sound, even as it changed from Orchid onwards, was consistently something of beyond-competent quality composition, both technical and lyric-wise? And over a whole decade at that....

Personally, I would say its fairly difficult for ANY group currently around right now to meet your rather pompous expectations when for the most part, Opeth HAVE improved themselves in almost every instance over the course of their 9 studio albums (and yes, even when compared with Ghost Reveries, I do think they have grown a bit on Watershed).

This isn't avant-garde we're talking about here. You can't expect massive growth on every single damn release. Opeth are not the freakin' Residents! Keep your expectations grounded in reality or YOU WILL be disappointed. Its that simple.

Not to mention the fact they kick-ass live no matter what they play...:)

I certainly do feel that Watershed was a dissapointment and rather bland IMO. Whilst expecting dramatic changes in their sound might shift their demographic too far, Opeth's music has lent itself to be a little more experimental and their heavy/ambient sound is becoming a tad tiresome now. I am an Opeth fan but feel that they could certainly be more experimental if they had the balls to do so.

I can't actually listen through their other albums anymore. Only watershed remains listenable to me.

I still like Watershed. :)

I like Watershed a lot, my favourite.

Do you know also 3 bonus tracks on DVD?
They are different and two cover versions... but it's interesting for me. You can listen to them on Youtube - Derelict Herds, Bridge of Sighs and swedish song Den ständiga resan. Great music, in my opinion they should put it on normal album.
I love diversity in voice of Mikael. When you listen to these 3 songs, in every song his voice is different :)

After a couple of years and a bit more perspective makes Watershed Opeth's worst album and the only one that I don't bother listening to anymore. I'd like to change my vote to average :D