Credits:OpethDescription:Havingtakentheiroppressiveblackmetalsymphoniestotheirfuriouszenithwiththeirthirdeffort,MyArms,YourHearse,Sweden'sOpethbegandeconstructingtheirsoundon1999'sbrilliantStillLife.Alogicalnextstepintheirevolution,thealbumfindsthebandre-examiningtheirunlikelyfusionofprogressiverockandblackmetaltohighlighttheformerwhilestayingintouchwiththelatter.Theresultisaformidablesplicingofharsh,oftenjaggedguitarriffswithgracefulmelodies,andtheincreasinguseofMikaelAkerfeldt's"clean"vocals(alternatedwithhisever-presentdeathgrowl).ThistacticonlyservestospotlightthequalityofAkerfeldt'slyrics(ararityinextrememetalcircles)and,inthetraditionofpriorefforts,StillLifeisafull-fledgedconceptalbum,which,withoutgoingintounnecessarydetails,centersaroundataleofunrequitedloveforacharactercalledMelinda(adiscreetreferencetoMercyfulFate'searly-'80sclassicMelissa,perhaps?).Alsonewtothemixareawealthofmoredynamic,almostgroove-orientedriffs(se