Album Review: Opeth - Sorceress

Is the inspiration finally running out?

While some fans expressed dissatisfaction with Opeth's prog direction, a change of course was perhaps necessary given how completely they'd mastered the art of epic metal. But where top cuts from their last two prog-orientated albums felt like an adventure, much of Sorceress sounds insular, comfortable and safe. Chrysalis is a rare highlight as for seven minutes the band seems to wake up to themselves, but elsewhere Sorceress is a mismatch of overly floral, quiet passages and hard-boiled, hook-free intense sections. It's their first false step in an otherwise exceptional career.