DVD/DTS Poll Opeth - Damnation (Steven Wilson 5.1 Mix) [DTS 96/24 DVD]
- Thread starter Bob Romano
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Well,I Really like this set,both the music and the mixes.Gave it 9.:music
My thoughts pasted from the other "Deliverance" and "Damnation" threads:
I'm giving this disc a vote of '9', breaking down my vote this way:
Content: 3/3 (Some really beautiful and fantastic songs on this album)
Surround Mix: 3/3 (A nice discrete mix that fits the album very well)
Fidelity: 3/3 (Gone are the distortions present in the original stereo master and instead we are presented with a clean and dynamic sound. Love it!)
High-Res disc: 0/1 ('Nuff said)
It's too bad that both albums are sold together as I would recommend picking up "Damnation" in a heartbeat were it available on its own in surround.
However, if you really want that disc bad enough (and can even stomach your way through a little bit of metal too) pick up this set.
Ge Someone
1K Club - QQ Shooting Star
I loved this album before, and this surround version is even better.
I had never heard this album before; the first Opeth album I bought was "Heritage". I think the songs are well written and performed, and the mix by SW is superb. I give it a 9, mostly because the packaging is really cheap. Both dvds had scuff marks, but they played without any problems. I waited until the US release, so I paid less than others did, I suppose.
Friggin gorgeous. I you like Heritage and Pale Communion, this is a must.
This is where that style began! Wonderful mix.
Very important elements in the rears, but nothing gimmicky.
The packaging sucketh muchly, but don't let that stop you.
This is where that style began! Wonderful mix.
Very important elements in the rears, but nothing gimmicky.
The packaging sucketh muchly, but don't let that stop you.
An easy 10 from me. Damnation is one of my favorite albums. Top 10 for sure. I had feared that the mix would never see the light of day, so I was super excited to hear about this release. Since the mix was done by SW so long ago, I was worried that maybe it wouldn't stand up well against his newer mixes, or perhaps it would be ruined by poor mastering. But that is not the case. The mix is excellent, and there is good dynamic range.
The packaging doesn't bother me. I certainly have worse in my collection. The disks inside the hard cover are nearly impossible to remove. Unfortunately, it is the DVDs that are held in there. But, the first thing I did once they were removed is switch them with the CDs. Once I ripped the CDs to my file server, I'll never take them out of the package again. The DVDs come out of the inside slots pretty easily.
Don't hesitate to pick up this package, even if you don't like the heavier Deliverance album. It is worth the price for Damnation alone.
The packaging doesn't bother me. I certainly have worse in my collection. The disks inside the hard cover are nearly impossible to remove. Unfortunately, it is the DVDs that are held in there. But, the first thing I did once they were removed is switch them with the CDs. Once I ripped the CDs to my file server, I'll never take them out of the package again. The DVDs come out of the inside slots pretty easily.
Don't hesitate to pick up this package, even if you don't like the heavier Deliverance album. It is worth the price for Damnation alone.
Very nice 5.1 mix what more can I say which has not be said already.
wheeler98
400 Club - QQ All-Star
My first copy of this set was flubbered...Deliverance worked but Damnation wouldn't load. I tried to get a refund out of Amazon but their customer service is virtually non-existent. I wound up buying the set again....and I'm really glad I did. I can understand why these 2 titles came out together. They really do complement each other. I gave the set a 9...
A weak 10 from the Bag Man. Package doth sucketh muchly, as previously stated. Still, in every other way this is a knock-out.
Beautiful, mellow prog-rock(?) album from start to finish with tasty guitars throughout and no growling vocals; this recording sounds very "clean" with excellent fidelity and dynamics. The surround mix is your average Steven Wilson mix, which is to say it's discrete, tasteful, and completely enjoyable. This is a great kick-back and relax album... a 10 if you're in the mood for a nap (but I'm giving it a 9!)
I love the songs and the mix. A big 10 for me.
I gave it a “10”. Being a ‘clean vocals only’ fan of Opeth, this is probably my favorite work of theirs. You can really hear Steven Wilson’s influence, particularly in the guitar tones (the main guitar part in “In My Time Of Need” sounds almost exactly like the ending of “Routine” from Hand Cannot Erase) and use of Crimsonesque mellotron throughout. I don’t disagree with the point someone made upthread that the songs sound a bit same-y, but at just over 40 minutes it doesn’t really overstay its welcome.
Unfortunately, it’s probably the hardest of their 5.1 titles to track down nowadays. After patiently watching discogs for over a year, a pretty-abused copy of the Deliverance & Damnation Remixed set finally came up a few days ago at a price I could stomach.
The 5.1 mix is astoundingly good, even by Wilson’s standards. This would definitely make my top-ten or perhaps even top-five list of his surround mixes to date. Being both quite dry-sounding and layered, it’s more-or-less a perfect fit for the format. Every instrument sounds so clear and direct, but the drums in particular really shine. I actually said ‘wow’ out loud to an empty room when the rhythm section entered at the beginning of “Windowpane”.
Both acoustic and electric rhythm guitars are typically mixed partially or entirely to the rear speakers, with the mellotron often appearing in the ‘phantom’ rear center directly behind the listener’s head. Harmonies and double-tracked vocals are split wide in the back corners as well. The guitar solos appear centered in either front or rear, depending on the song. There’s a particularly cool bit midway through “Closure” where everything cuts to black except an acoustic guitar in the left rear speaker and Akerfeldt’s voice in the right rear speaker.
In typical SW fashion, Akerfeldt’s voice is almost-completely isolated in the center speaker. I’m also pleased to report that the vocals seemed well-integrated and balanced level-wise throughout, I didn’t feel the need to boost the center speaker 2-3 dB as is sometimes the case with Wilson’s 5.1 mixes.
It's interesting to see that this was a Sony/Music For Nations release, the same label that Porcupine Tree’s upcoming Closure/Continuation will be issued under. I wonder if there’s a chance that this 5.1 mix could be reissued in “Dolby Audio” form on Apple Music, or if Wilson would be interested in revisiting the album in Atmos?
Unfortunately, it’s probably the hardest of their 5.1 titles to track down nowadays. After patiently watching discogs for over a year, a pretty-abused copy of the Deliverance & Damnation Remixed set finally came up a few days ago at a price I could stomach.
The 5.1 mix is astoundingly good, even by Wilson’s standards. This would definitely make my top-ten or perhaps even top-five list of his surround mixes to date. Being both quite dry-sounding and layered, it’s more-or-less a perfect fit for the format. Every instrument sounds so clear and direct, but the drums in particular really shine. I actually said ‘wow’ out loud to an empty room when the rhythm section entered at the beginning of “Windowpane”.
Both acoustic and electric rhythm guitars are typically mixed partially or entirely to the rear speakers, with the mellotron often appearing in the ‘phantom’ rear center directly behind the listener’s head. Harmonies and double-tracked vocals are split wide in the back corners as well. The guitar solos appear centered in either front or rear, depending on the song. There’s a particularly cool bit midway through “Closure” where everything cuts to black except an acoustic guitar in the left rear speaker and Akerfeldt’s voice in the right rear speaker.
In typical SW fashion, Akerfeldt’s voice is almost-completely isolated in the center speaker. I’m also pleased to report that the vocals seemed well-integrated and balanced level-wise throughout, I didn’t feel the need to boost the center speaker 2-3 dB as is sometimes the case with Wilson’s 5.1 mixes.
It's interesting to see that this was a Sony/Music For Nations release, the same label that Porcupine Tree’s upcoming Closure/Continuation will be issued under. I wonder if there’s a chance that this 5.1 mix could be reissued in “Dolby Audio” form on Apple Music, or if Wilson would be interested in revisiting the album in Atmos?
The56Kid
2K Club - QQ Super Nova
Fantastic and spot-on review, Jonathan! I haven’t listened to this in a while but I’ve always loved it. It’s a revelatory SW surround mix of Akerfeldt’s most beautiful music. What’s not to like? A ‘10’ for me also.
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