For this "My Arms, your Hearse" Opeth renews its staff and must suffer the cumulative departures of Johan DeFarfalla (bass) and Anders Nordin (drums). To replace them, Opeth sees the arrival behind the drums of Martin Lopez preceding that of his mate, Martin Mendez... While waiting for the effective arrival of the latter for "Still Life", the bass lines will be ensured by the henceforth more and more omnipotent Mikael Akerfeldt...
Concept album made up of 9 tracks, "My Arms, Your Hearse" begins under a driving rain and some notes of pianos... This "Prologue" continues with a "April Etheral" which is the archetype of Opeth's pieces, namely a direct introduction of an extreme aggressiveness which fades by alternating with soft melodies. These different passages follow one another throughout the track to arrive at a final apotheosis generally a hypnotic riff repeated many times... The tracks that make up the main part of this opus do not differ from this terribly efficient structure and all at the service of the band's now master thinker: the talented Mikael Akerfeldt....
This opus is composed of the unavoidable "Demon of the Fall", that the band likes to play live. A monstrous riff that we take in the face on which are grafted the sometimes black, sometimes death vocals or even hysterical screams around an eponymous chorus ... This hyper-catchy track ends on a quiet track, launching pad of the splendid "Credence", acoustic track precursor of the future "Damnation" only composed of clear vocals ...
"Karma" follows, demonstrating once again the virtuosity of each member of the band and in particular that of the newcomer Martin Lopez who shows an extraordinary energy and mastery as well during the lightning passages of double-pedal as in the calmer parts, full of feeling.
Beyond its change of personnel, this "My Arms, Your Hearse" constitutes the "soft" transition of what will be from now on Opeth... As such, this album is essential, obviously, for the fans of the band but also for the others because "My Arms, Your Hearse" is a great album of progressive death even if the Opeth's know-how will improve with the years to reach the perfection with the ultimate albums that are "Blackwater Park" and "Deliverance"...