Essential Albums: Opeth - Damnation
Opeth’s “Damnation” (2003) - the Swedish progressive metal band’s entirely clean masterpiece that changed progressive metal by removing all the metal.
Swedish progressive death metal band Opeth had built their reputation on brutality. Crushing riffs, death growls, ten-minute epics that shifted from acoustic beauty to extreme metal violence without warning. By 2003, they were established masters of progressive death metal.
Then they made an album with no distorted guitars. No death growls. No blast beats. Just Mellotron, clean vocals, and 1970s prog rock influences—particularly British band Camel.
Damnation was released on April 22, 2003, five months after its heavier counterpart Deliverance. Both albums were recorded simultaneously in summer 2002, intended as two sides of the same coin. Produced by Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree, Damnation was meant to show Opeth’s mellower side while Deliverance delivered the expected heaviness.
Steven Wilson received death threats from metal fans for “ruining” the band.
Twenty years later, Damnation is considered a timeless masterpiece and remains a fan favorite. It’s the album that proved Opeth—and progressive metal—could evolve beyond anyone’s expectations.
