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.
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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.
The Story Behind Damnation
Recorded at Maestro Musik, Studio Fredman & No Man’s Land during summer 2002, Damnation emerged from a period of profound personal tragedy. Mikael Åkerfeldt dedicated both Damnation and Deliverance to his grandmother, who died in a car accident during the time the albums were being recorded.
For those parts, Åkerfeldt flew down to Wilson’s studio No Man’s Land in the UK, just a day after his grandmother’s funeral. This grief permeates every note of Damnation, giving the album its characteristic melancholy and emotional weight.
The album was produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt and co-produced by Steven Wilson, who also engineered, mixed, and mastered the recording. Wilson played all keyboards on the album and contributed backing vocals, his influence seeping into every arrangement.
“I remember hearing the first mix on headphones in a crummy hotel somewhere in the UK,” Åkerfeldt recalls. “I had trouble believing it was us, myself, Peter, Lopez, Mendez (as well as ol’ Steve on keys). It was completely different from anything we’d done up to that point, and quite frankly, since.”
Deliverance and Damnation were both produced by Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson and the idea was to create two albums that would be counterparts; meaning one mellow album and one heavy album. The albums were originally intended to be released as a double LP showing the 2 sides of the band, heavy and mellow, but were instead released separately—Deliverance first, then Damnation five months later.
The Sound of Melancholic Prog Perfection
Damnation works because it doesn’t sound like a metal band trying to be mellow—it sounds like a 1970s progressive rock album recorded with modern production values. The album was a radical departure from Opeth’s typical death metal sound, and the first Opeth album to use all clean vocals, clean guitars, and prominent Mellotron.
Essential Tracks:
“Windowpane” (7:44) - The album opener bursting with Mellotron sounds and featuring a Gilmourian guitar solo, setting the template for the entire album’s aesthetic—melancholic, spacious, and built on patient, evolving compositions.
“Hope Leaves” (4:30) - Perhaps the album’s most nakedly emotional moment, where Åkerfeldt’s sensitive, sad-touched voice carries a melody that demonstrates how vulnerability can be more devastating than any blast beat.
“Death Whispered a Lullaby” (5:49) - The only track with lyrics written by Steven Wilson, this song perfectly captures the collaborative chemistry between Wilson and Åkerfeldt, blending Porcupine Tree’s atmospheric sensibility with Opeth’s compositional depth.
Out of all of our records, I think this one is most suitable for the vinyl format due to the fact that it is not really cluttered with stuff. A pretty airy recording with 5 musicians and done on 2 inch tapes as well.
The production emphasizes space and dynamics rather than compression and heaviness. Every instrument has room to breathe. The Mellotron swells, acoustic guitars shimmer, and Åkerfeldt’s vocals—free from death metal growls—reveal a previously hidden dimension of emotional expression.
Cultural Context in 2003
Damnation arrived at a crucial moment for progressive metal. This was 2003—Porcupine Tree’s In Absentia had just proven that progressive rock could be both commercially successful and artistically uncompromising. Tool’s Lateralus had shown that metal audiences were ready for complexity. But could a death metal band completely abandon distortion and still be taken seriously?
“At the time I remember getting death threats from metal fans for ‘ruining’ the band!” Steven Wilson recalls. “As if it could be anyone’s intention but Mikael’s to do a record like that anyway.”
The album was critically acclaimed despite—or perhaps because of—its radical departure from expectations. In a review for Sputnikmusic, Mike Stagno wrote that Damnation is a progressive rock album that departs entirely from the extreme metal elements of Opeth’s previous work, and stands as one of the best albums released in recent years.
In 2014, TeamRock put Damnation at number 91 on their “Top 100 Greatest Prog Albums of All Time” list commenting: “the first Opeth album to abandon metal entirely, Damnation trumped its heavier sibling Deliverance by bringing Mikael Åkerfeldt’s masterful songwriting to the fore”. Loudwire listed Damnation as the second best album of 2003.
The album demonstrated that Opeth wouldn’t be trapped within the confines of any genre or label, and that the band’s importance and influence would be far reaching. It gave permission to countless other metal bands to explore their mellower sides without fear of losing credibility.
Why Damnation Is Essential
First, Damnation proved that heaviness is emotional, not sonic. Despite the change in style from Opeth’s previous albums, Damnation was critically acclaimed and boosted their popularity, leading to the release of Lamentations on DVD in late 2003. The album showed that you could create crushing emotional weight without distorted guitars or death growls.
Second, it established the template for how extreme metal bands could evolve. After Damnation, it became acceptable—even expected—for progressive metal bands to explore their softer sides. Bands like Katatonia, Anathema, and countless others followed Opeth through the door they’d opened.
Finally, the album showcased Mikael Åkerfeldt as one of metal’s greatest songwriters, period. With the death metal elements removed, his compositional skill became impossible to ignore. “Damnation was when everyone understood that he was not going be trapped within the confines of any genre or label, and that the band’s importance and influence would be far reaching. Rightly so Damnation is now seen as a timeless masterpiece,” Steven Wilson notes.
The album was re-mixed and remastered in 2015, pressed to vinyl on a double LP together with the dichotomous Deliverance—finally realizing the original vision of presenting both sides of Opeth simultaneously.
Essential Info:
• Release Date: April 22, 2003
• Label: Music For Nations
• Genre: Progressive Rock, Atmospheric Rock
• Length: 8 Songs. Duration: 43 minutes
Musicians:
• Mikael Åkerfeldt - Vocals, guitars, lyrics (all tracks except “Death Whispered a Lullaby”)
• Peter Lindgren - Guitars
• Martin Mendez - Bass
• Martin Lopez - Drums
• Steven Wilson - All keyboards, backing vocals, co-producer, engineer, mixer, mastering
• Note: Steven Wilson wrote lyrics for “Death Whispered a Lullaby”
Where to Listen:
• Spotify - Full album available
• Apple Music - Complete experience
• Bandcamp - Various editions
• YouTube Music - Including original “Windowpane” video
• Physical: Original 2003 CD, 2015 Deliverance & Damnation double LP remixed/remastered by Steven Wilson, 20th Anniversary Edition (2023) on various vinyl colors including picture disc
• Note: 2015 remix includes Steven Wilson’s 5.1 surround sound mix of Damnation
The Sound Vault Verdict
Damnation is that rare album that makes you question everything you thought you knew about a band’s identity. At a time when extreme metal bands were expected to stay extreme, Opeth created something that proved artistic evolution doesn’t mean compromise—it means having the courage to follow your creative vision wherever it leads.
This is essential listening not because it’s a progressive metal masterpiece, but because it’s a progressive rock masterpiece made by a death metal band. The fact that distinction matters reveals everything about why this album changed the game.
In our current moment where genre boundaries feel increasingly meaningless, Damnation reminds us that the most radical artistic statements often come from artists brave enough to abandon what made them successful in the first place. Opeth didn’t make a “softer” album—they made an album that proved emotional devastation doesn’t require distortion.
Twenty years later, it still sounds like the most emotionally heavy album Opeth ever made. That’s exactly what makes it essential.
Explore Further:
If Damnation resonates with you:
Anathema - Weather Systems (Former doom metal band’s complete atmospheric transformation)
Katatonia - The Great Cold Distance (Swedish melancholic metal masters)
Porcupine Tree - In Absentia (Steven Wilson’s band at their progressive rock peak)
Q: Why did Opeth make an album without any death metal on it? A: Damnation was originally conceived as one half of a double album project with Deliverance, meant to showcase both the heavy and mellow sides of Opeth. Mikael Åkerfeldt has cited 1970s progressive rock, particularly British band Camel, as inspiration for the album’s entirely clean, atmospheric approach. It was a deliberate artistic choice, not a compromise.
Q: Who produced Damnation and what was their role? A: Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree co-produced the album with Mikael Åkerfeldt, and also engineered, mixed, and mastered it. Wilson played all keyboards on the album, contributed backing vocals, and wrote the lyrics for “Death Whispered a Lullaby.” His influence is deeply woven into the album’s sound and production approach.
Q: When was Damnation recorded and released? A: Damnation was recorded during summer 2002 at Maestro Musik, Studio Fredman, and Steven Wilson’s No Man’s Land studio in the UK. It was released on April 22, 2003, five months after its heavier counterpart Deliverance. Both albums were originally intended to be released together as a double LP.
Q: What happened with the death threats Steven Wilson received? A: At the time of Damnation’s release, some extreme metal fans felt that the album’s complete departure from death metal was a betrayal of Opeth’s sound. Steven Wilson received death threats from fans who blamed him for “ruining” the band, even though it was entirely Mikael Åkerfeldt’s artistic decision. The album is now considered a timeless masterpiece and vindicated Opeth’s evolution.
Q: Is Damnation the best Opeth album for non-metal fans? A: Yes, Damnation is widely considered the most accessible Opeth album for listeners who don’t typically enjoy extreme metal. With its entirely clean vocals, progressive rock influences, and emphasis on melody and atmosphere rather than heaviness, it serves as an excellent entry point. Many fans discovered Opeth through Damnation before exploring their heavier work.
Q: What instruments are featured on Damnation? A: Damnation features clean electric and acoustic guitars, bass, drums, and prominent Mellotron (played by Steven Wilson). The album notably avoids distorted guitars, death metal vocals, and blast beats entirely, creating its atmosphere through dynamics, space, and vintage progressive rock instrumentation recorded on 2-inch analog tape.