Saints Row PSP Apparently Confirmed By… Swedish Metal Band

@Gray665: Lol I think his name suggests otherwise. Politely disagree with his views of course.

@Kenny: O like many others here have said,

Yes they do.

and at first i didn't understand the growling either. I grew up on Maiden, Helloween and Priest, but after sometime in the 90s it jsut became another musical styling(mainly thanks to Mike Patton).

I wonder what people's take on Black Metal's screeching is, lol. Which I couldnt stand at first. Try one of Emperor's first couple albums to those that don't know. Guess older Cradle of Filth could work too.

I am SHOCKED to see so many people love the Opeth. I seriously thought all the comments were going to be how the band sucked.

Opeth is my #1. Definitely need some Opeth tracks for Rock Band.

@Kenny:

I saw them Live at a festival, and they really didn't strike me as such.

WoozyB

@John_Norad: Awesome!

GrandAeon

Pretty good band, a little pretentious but quality listening. For those who have a problem with death metal vocalists, telling you to get over it is meaningless so instead I'll say... get over yourself!

AlucardsQuest

You shouldn't eat devil's horns for breakfast Brian, they just bounce right back.

I actually knew they were into games...when they played in St. Louis Akerfeldt was rambling on after a song and randomly said "HURT ME MORE...you know...Metal Gear Solid"

I squealed like a little girl.

My favorite band! These guys rock live. Their musicianship is top notch. It's all about the instrumentals. The growling just adds another level to the sound.

pcgecko85

@Kenny: \m/

Opeth is amazing, and so is 'The Lotus Eater'

@Jaems: i hear ya. personally i love all of their stuff one and the same. the growl stuff isnt for everyone. its all good.

@KamuZ: yessir. we need to start a petition for Opeth RB or GH soon.

Nordic Vikings + Metal = kick ass

haha I guess it doesn't like the greater than less than signs... anyway I love Opeth, I love Saints Row and I love PSP. 100% win. It would be nice for Opeth to be on Rock Band or Guitar Hero though.

@AngerII: Hopefully Harmonix is reading Kotaku, and sees our comments.

I'd pay money to play Opeth on RB.

Hell yeah! I

I've been getting my gaming news from Metal bands since the 90's baby.

Never thought I'd see the day Opeth is featured on Kotaku. Very brutal!

\m/

@milford: " and if they do use them, they usually do it coupled with deep lyrics that express sadness, loss, desperation or anger. "

...Have you heard The Grand Conjuration?! It is litteraly a song about summoning the devil. If that's not tough, and scary, I don't know what is.

And now I'm going to go and listen to that song :D

@Kenny:

Correction - Opeth WOULD rule if every song wasn't 12 and afucking half minutes long.

However, Toki Wartooth is modelled after Mikael Akerfeldt, so I'll give them credit.

Anyone seen them live? Fucking hysterical. "Vee are Opeth, and vee are from sveeden."

guy in crowd: WHERE'S THE SWEDISH MILK MAID?!

@OkayOctane:
like they said there it adds depth to the music. Sure it may not work for everyone else but the music fits. Imo, heavy vocals like that serve a purpose in heavy dark music. It's like another instrument and i respect the bands that are able to do it so well like Cannibal Corpse or Nile. Ill admit when i heard my first death metal song i thought it was absolutely horrible but over time as i looked into more music i started to respect and appreciate it alot more and is now one of my favorite genres of music.

and with that said, Opeth indeed kicks major ass :D

Rasveer Singh

@John_Norad: Saints Row tried to destroy the metal?

@zanzibarlegend: For me, the best Opeth albums have been the ones where Mikael growls the least (Damnation/Deliverance).

Sorry, but growls + blastbeats just don't do it for me.

@milford: well put my friend. i tried to explain it myself :)

@OkayOctane:the growling just adds depth. and to be quite honest at least you can understand what the fuck he is saying, unlike MANY bands that attempt to do the same.

that said, the growling is not for all. but its a piece of the art that is Opeth. you have to understand the whole painting in a piece in order to connect to it. Opeth are masters of taking you on a journey with their music, much like an artists does with a blank canvas.

I knew this! Another band - local in New Orleans - also has a track in the game. I work with the bassist. He told me one of their songs was being put into a game, he just didn't know which one. And then two weeks ago he told, "They're putting it in a PSP game...some game called Saint's Row?"

Sweet. Nice to see it partially confirmed!

My god, it's Dethklok.

OPETH = TEH AHZUM!

And people whining about the death metal vocals. It's just something that adds to the overall "epicness" that is death metal.

It's just like asking why they talk so fast in rap, or why does pop music make you grow a vag? It's just what makes the genre unique. Although I don't really consider Opeth death metal.

@OkayOctane:
Mikael Ã…kerfeldt has stated that he never wanted Opeth to be pigeonholed into any metal genre. Listening to the Watershed album shows just how serious he is about taking them in new directions. Check out the songs "Burden" and "Coil" to see just what other stylings Ã…kerfeldt is willing to adopt.

masterisosceles

Progressive metal rules \m/_

@John_Norad: +1 man

@coalhalo: Haha, Cookie Monster vocals.

I just heard them, too, and that has got to be rough on the chords. That guy can't be able to do that for long periods of time. My throat hurts just listening to him. I'm experienced in voice work, and that gravelly tone is hard to do for too long and leaves your throat killing you.

@OkayOctane: The cookie monster stuff is only one dimension of what Opeth does. Listen to any one of their albums all the way through and you'll see what I mean.

And that picture of the band is quite dated, 2 of them aren't even in the band anymore.

Tetelestia

@bonghammer: Really, I think Ghost Reveries is probably their best album after Blackwater Park. I dunno, I dig the move more toward classic prog rock and away from the pure death metal of the earlier stuff. That said, Demon of the Fall > pretty much everything.

Gray665

@OkayOctane: I used to feel the same way about death metal until I started listening to Opeth, right around the time they released Blackwater Park. They actually got me interested in other death metal bands like Gojira and Meshuggah.

Dragon_Warrior

@Combichristoffersen: I am convinced you like no music at all. I don't think I have ever seen you say anything positive about any artist mentioned on Kotaku...ever.

Gray665

Opeth is amazing. Easily the best prog-metal band out there right now. Shit, they might be the best band period (them and Mastodon).

Gray665

@Jaems: I bought my first Opeth album 13 years ago, and their music was already considered to belong to the progressive death metal genre back then.

milford

@OkayOctane: I think the main reason why so many people dislike the whole cookie monster vocals/growling thing is that it seems like a cheap attempt at sounding "tough" and "scary".


There are of course plenty of bands out there that use death vocals for that exact purpose, and it's no coincidence that their fanbases tend to mostly consists of angsty teenagers who buy even their underwear at Hot Topic.


Opeth is (IMHO of course) one of the few bands who use growling to good effect. They don't use them in every song (one of their album features no growling at all), and if they do use them, they usually do it coupled with deep lyrics that express sadness, loss, desperation or anger.


It may take some time to get into it, but you won't be able to fully appreciate Opeth until you do, so it's worth it ;)

milford

@dreamfall: They have little prog influence IMO, and they weren't considered prog until Steven Wilson from Porcupine Tree started producing their albums.

@OkayOctane: Damnation is a clean-vocal album from them. Pretty good too.

EDIT: Gah. Ninja'd by the grey text...

(nevermind... embedding the Airheads video was "disabled by request" :( )

Ceph

@Kenny: Agreed, top 5 metal bands without a doubt.

hfm

They don't like playing video games? HERESY!

@OkayOctane:

The "Death-Grunt" aka "cookie monster vocals" first appeared during the 80's as a backlash to high pitched vocal styles asscoiated with many metal bands of the time, making many to wonder if they were in fact eunuchs.

coalhalo

@OkayOctane:It's to enhance agressiveness. Not all metal bands do this I hope you know, Opeth are more of a niche band; as they are death metal, which is a subgenre of metal that most people don't listen to due to the subject matter, the brutal music and the growling/screaming. Most people would call it noise, but I love death metal.

@OkayOctane: If you're not into the demon voice, then at least give their album, Damnation, a listen. The music quality is phenomenal and Mikael Ã…kerfeldt just sings like normal.

@OkayOctane:

I get the feeling that Opeth is one of those "love em or hate em" bands. I'm able to love the soft parts just as much as the heavy parts with crazy growling vocals. It all depends on your tastes and how open-minded one can be to music. I can't really explain why growling came to be but it's a staple for death metal bands (Opeth I like to call a "Progressive Death Metal band."). Plus, if you compare the lyrics of the parts with soft vocals and the ones with growling, you can see the difference.

NukaCola

@Kenny: definitely one of the best prog metal bands out there. blackwater park was on of the best albums ever created.

dreamfall

I thought that qas Opeth. I like a couple of their songs.

@Kenny:

Ditto brother ...

Insane

PRO TIP: Swedish metal band are a newssource you can trust and headbang to.

Their sense of press-ethics is as big as their hair is long.

@Kenny:

I'm more of a Children of Bodom fan.

@Brian: \m/

Wrayfield

I am totally down for some SR mayhem on my PSP. It's the perfect pick up and play action game, imo.

Can't wait for this.

@Kenny: I didn't know who Opeth were, so I looked them up, and there's one thing ruins listening to bands like Opeth for me. It's the whole girtty demon voice shit they do. The chorus/quieter parts are sung nicely and the guy has a good voice then he starts doing the scary voice again and I just can't listen anymore.

Question: Why do many bands like Opeth do that? Is is purely a convention of the genre the music falls under? Or is there some greater meaning to it?

...I sound so lame right now.

But Swedish people agree with everything!

mastergamer1231

@Kenny: Opeth used to rule. Deliverance and Damnation were good but outside of "baying of the hounds" the next two discs were boring as all fuck. I donno, man. They used to be my favorite band, I've seen 'em live eleven times and even I can't tell you why exactly I feel this way. Doesn't sound any different but it lacks the "holy shit" factor I guess. It all sounds so...opeth-by-numbers now. Glad to see them actually making money, though, they deserve it.

bonghammer

"If you are not getting your Saints Row game news from Scandinavian metal bands, you are probably getting it from somewhere else."

This line made me crack a smile.

Flyhawk

@NexusSIX: Eats Gods for breakfast:

A level pack designed by Brute would be awesomerific.

And Opeth is possibly the most boring metal band ever.

Combichristoffersen

@zanzibarlegend: You i love them! ;D

Opeth is so much bigger than Saints Row will ever hope to be.

godmoney

@John_Norad:

I see what you did there.

Firelance

...Metal in my thug life?

I think not.

Chirish

@John_Norad: Ha ha! :D

Riggers

That's pretty funny. Opeth is an amazing band though, so it's all good!

@Kenny:

They just as cool as dethlok.

@AngerII: i got hyped too homie. :(

@Kenny: best metal band ever. my first Opeth song was Delivarence.

Nuff Said.


Fuck i thought Opeth was getting a DLC Pack for RB/GH :(

@Kenny: First thing I saw this morning was opeth on kotaku. Too bad I didn't see the title, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten my hopes up for rockband DLC. :(

if its true its great SR is the best gta clon (better is only gta) and on new psp go SR will be very nice

Francuzzz1010

I'd buy Stillwater Stories if it came out...

@John_Norad: NDA is the vanquished foe of the metal. It tried to win for why we do not know.

I heart Opeth.

They were on the radio in Saints Row 2 as well. So it's good to hear they will be in this new game. Even if I don't have a PSP to play it on.

@Jon: A drug against war level would RAWKZ!

What nice developer people they are. Hey thats not too far away either! Woo.

@Kenny: This man speaks the truth!

Oh yes, Opeth has been my favourite band for years now, seen them like 6 times now, will see them again in a few weeks @ Zwartecross!


Couldn't they get some older material in there? Like Orchid/Morningrise? Anyway, this game suddenly sounds a lot more interesting.

@Firelance:
Maybe their management signed a NDA and thought before telling them: "What're they gonna do? Blurt it out on the web?"

Megatherium

@Kenny: Amen.

What's this talk about them not liking video games though? A few years back most of them had lists of their favorite games as a part of their biography on the official website.

milford

@Kenny:
Heck ya they do

@Kenny: They do, indeed!

I hope this one is true. I was very surprised at how much i loved Saints Row.
I just hope they do a better job than with the Saints Row 2 DLC, which were just not very fun and way too short. I'm not blaming the designers, as I smell a rushed development.

@Firelance: Well they tried to make sign a NDA to the metal. But they failed and were smite to the ground.

Opeth! Amazing band!
I would buy this game just for this! haha how swallow i am.

@Kenny:
Fuck yeah. I don't care what game it is for. If there's Opeth in it, it's gonna be awesome.

phantomax

@Kenny:

Seein' them too at Prognation '09, even though I'm not really into them yet - I can't stand (Ã…kerfeldt's) growling so much. Dream Theater's the main attraction!

But anyways, to the news... I like it when "confirmations" are found on places like bands' websites and such, it's a funny way to do it (even if it's not on purpose) and of course it's advertising for the band's fans too. :O

Tzibo

:(. I luved saints row 2 so much. however i'm getting sick of games being ported down from ps3 to psp. The lack of that right analog stick just makes so many games control schemes anoying and ruins the game. They need to make some good games made for the PSP.

Always leave it to the darkest members of awesome to announce more win for a console.

Next: KMFDM announcing the Little Big Planet: Metal Sackboy Pack.

Didn't they sign a NDA?

Firelance

I saw Opeth before reading the headline and got so excited, I thought this was for Rock Band DLC

:(

Tetelestia

Opeth rules.

Saints on the PSP!? Uh-oh ima need to dust off my PSP after a few years! My DS wont be the only one getting action now he he he

Stealth_chill

@Sparkle Biscuit: Exactly!

Anything with Opeth will probably be good.

@zanzibarlegend: I was jumping like a maniac for a minute... false alarm

@OkayOctane:
Because it sounds freaking awesome.
I'll weigh in on the other side, nothing kills awesome instrumentation like a whiny voice (not talking about opeth, i like both of his singing styles).

nothing rules more than hearing some awesome heavy shit and what sounds like cookie-monster having an orgasm. \m/

@ShadowOdin isn't american: Damn hippies need a haircut, pronto

@dajman311:
When I saw them 2 months ago, he did his "we are from Stockholm, Sweden" thing... then proceeded to let us all know that Sweden and Switzerland were commonly confused for one another.

"Switzerland has chocolate, watches, and bank accounts. In Sweden, we have... porn."

The whole place erupted.

@Firelance: We ALL did *throws up devil horns*.

Dresan