Portnoy Ranking Every Opeth Album Is the Most Prog Thing EVER

Within the newest episode of The Prog Report’s “Wheel of Prog,” legendary drummer Mike Portnoy helps the group tier rank each Opeth album and it is essentially the most prog factor ever.

“Wheel of Prog” is an interesting collection through which The Prog Report crew take turns spinning a digital wheel that is loaded with panels representing every document by the episode’s function group. One by one, and in random order, the albums are slotted right into a tier rating hierarchy of (from greatest to worst) S, A, B, C, D and a dialogue ensues.

Previous episodes sort out the catalogs of different prog greats — Porcupine Tree, Dream Theater, Rush, Neal Morse & Mike Portnoy and, the main target of our consideration presently, Sweden’s Opeth.

Within the video additional down the web page, Portnoy joins Roie Avin, Dan Levy and Vic Giol and spends about one hour dissecting Opeth’s 13 full size albums, the band’s profession arc and the entire sonic developments and adjustments, notably, their swap from progressive demise steel to progressive rock. He even reveals his all-time favourite Opeth tune!

What Is Mike Portnoy’s Favourite Opeth Tune?

“It is the whole lot I may ever need out of an Opeth tune,” Portnoy says of the Ghost Reveries monitor “Baying of the Hounds” (transcribed by Loudwire).

“Earlier than [Dream Theater’s] Progressive Nation [tour], I informed Mikael [Akerfeldt] he may solely come on the tour if he places that within the setlist,” he mused.

Opeth, “The Baying of the Hounds”

What Opeth Albums Did Mike Portnoy Need to Rank?

“I am going to admit, I’ve an actual drawback rating these final 4 prog albums,” a candid Portnoy assesses, citing the band’s shift to prog rock which is devoid of Akerfeldt’s distinct demise steel growls.

“[Those albums] all have loads of stuff that I like. There’s additionally some stuff that I am not so loopy about as properly. I may simply rank the center interval — that is simple. However these final 4, in reviewing for this, I actually needed to spend most of my time with the final 4 as a result of I’ve a tough time gauging which I like higher than the others,” he explains.

Tier: B

Wanting again at Opeth’s early profession, Portnoy notes, “The primary two albums are one other band. It was simply Mikael and [guitarist] Peter [Lindgren] after which a unique rhythm part. The manufacturing is a lot drier, a lot extra black steel/demise steel.”

Though he isn’t an enormous fan of this period, the drummer acknowledges that he fairly enjoys listening to this early materials dwell. Even so, Morningrise falls to the underside of the ranks.

“For me, it is a D-tier. It is such a unique band than what they had been about to develop into. And I feel loads of it has to do with the completely different rhythm part as properly,” he gives.

Tier: D

• My Arms Your Hearse (1998)
• Tier: B

On his third spin, Portnoy once more lands on an earlier document, however one he is extra keen on.

“I actually like this album and that is my favourite of the unique three,” Portnoy enthuses, persevering with, “That is the place they began to sound like Opeth. It is the primary album with [drummer Martin] Lopez on drums. [Bassist Martin] Mendez was within the band although Mikael performs bass on this album. That is full of classics — “April Ethereal,” “When,” …”Demon of the Fall” is a staple that they nonetheless play.”

He slots in within the B-tier, however acknowledges, “I’d perceive if it acquired knocked down [in the ranking.”

Tier: B

With only one album remaining on the wheel, Portnoy winds up having to rank Opeth’s first three albums. He was looking forward to discussing some others that lean closer to his favorites, but, always the pro, gladly carries on and reiterates a comment from earlier.

Portnoy bumps Heritage from D-tier to C-tier and slots Orchid, Opeth’s debut, into the D-tier alongside its followup, Morningrise.

“They’re just not who they are yet, they’re still finding their sound. For that reason alone, Heritage belongs above it. Whether or not you like Heritage, whether or not you like the prog and the fusion side, you at least have to give the band credit for being more developed 20 years into their career. So, you have to put it higher,” the drummer reasons.

Tier: D

Watch the full episode of “Wheel of Prog” directly below to see how The Prog Report tier ranked the remaining Opeth albums and follow them on YouTube.

Mike Portnoy Tier Ranks Every Opeth Album With The Prog Report