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Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Watershed

Universal acclaim
Based on 10 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 34 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Roadrunner
Release Date: 03 June 2008
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Rock, Metal
Summary
The Swedish metal band's ninth album is the first with Martin Axenrot and Fredrik Akesson, who replaced Martin Lopez and Peter Lindgren.
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
PopMatters
It’s their most crucial album since 1999’s stunning "Still Life," and its title could not be more appropriate.
Read Full Review >Hartford Courant
If anything, the group's latest is another musical masterpiece from a band known for putting out musical masterpieces.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
Watershed marks a new chapter for Opeth, one that promises infinitely more than its predecessors.
Read Full Review >The New York Times
Watershed, the new Opeth album, broad enough to encompass death-metal pummeling as well as cello and English horn, is typically engrossing--symphonic, and in a way organic.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
Patience, persistence and a good set of headphones will uncover fragile melodies here amid the maelstrom, though the guitar noodling can veer dangerously close to Mark Knopfler territory. [July 2008, p.101]
Pitchfork
Watershed has friction, and friction brings heat. Those left cold by metal's po-faced tendencies might well warm up to it.
Read Full Review >Alternative Press
What Opeth do best is flat-out shred, and at its finest moments, Watershed howls like the unholy union of Queensryche, Yngwie Malmsteen and Morbid Angel. [Aug 2008, p.166]
Uncut
Growls and blast-beats come decorated with guitar work that explores scale after scale of diabolical pleasures. [Aug 2008, p.101]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.8 (out of 10) based on 34 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
kyle b gave it a10:
Breathtaking album.
Chris S. gave it a10:
Brilliant album, the best metal album from the decade since Blood Mointain from Mastodon. Brutal and beauty, the album's centerpiece is the furious "Heir Apparent", one of the best metal songs from the decade.
Mike C gave it a9:
Not the groups best by a long shot. The first 4 songs are absolutly killer, the next 3 could have been shortened by about minutes. And what's with every song having a gimmicky ending? Burden? Heir Apparent?! anyways, it's Opeth, the greatest, most creative and beautiful heavy metal band around now, and this is a great album with some great flaws that keep it from really being essential like Still Life, Ghost Reveries and Morningrise. Hessian Peel is a masterpeice, no question about that.
David gave it a4:
Further proof Akerfeldt & Co. are incapable of interesting, fresh music. At least Ghost Reveries had some great songs. This one barely has any good ones; boring prog-lite at its worst.
Kraxx gave it a7:
Good & solid, but not awesome like Ghost Reveries was. This is more a subtle shift. Perhaps the personnel changes made things a little uneven. Hopefully it suggests a more creative and coherent shift next time.
Alex D gave it a10:
Simply breathtaking, an album that starts up like Deliverance does, enging up like Damnation / Blackwater Park, but with more memorable riffs. Definitely a must get for Opeth fans!
Jack O. gave it a10:
Almost as good as Blackwater Park, Watershed is a great album! Opeth has never lost that amazing song-writing talent that they possess.
