Concert Review Opeth June 25, 2003 By: Alex J. Malmsteen When a major name in metal comes down to Australia it is always a big event. Usually you meet the same concertgoers and everyone gets together in the spirit of the metal brotherhood. April 13th marked such a day, with Opeth playing their brand of metal in downtown Sydney. I arrived at the venue about an hour before the doors opened. Flesh Mechanic started the night. I hadn't heard of them before, and unfortunately they didn't leave a lasting impression. I wasn't too fond of their style, which seemed very aggressive with no catchy songs and all sounding utterly similar. I was however impressed with the drummer; very technical and fast drumming. Next up, Alchemist. One truly awesome Aussie band, blending a variety of elements, from thrash to death to atmospheric melodic passages. The sound could have been better, as the guitars kept overlapping the keyboards. The lights dimmed, and a chanting of Opeth was everywhere to be heard amidst a sea of horn signs. The red curtains unfolded, stage smoke seeped through and there they were standing tall above us, the mighty Opeth. They blasted in with 'Blackwater Park's' "The Leper Affinity". The mosh was insane and remained in this rumbling state throughout the show. Rows upon rows of hair in every direction... what a mop fest!. The band played extremely well. Mike's clean to guttural vocal switch was such a natural transition, and the clean vocals were sung identically to the ones on the studio albums, except for the effects used on the studio versions (thus the clean vocals were closer to older Opeth albums such as 'Orchid' or 'Morningrise'). One of the major highlights was "The Drapery Falls" because everyone joined in to sing along. From their latest album 'Deliverance', the band offered the title track and "A Fair Judgement". While Deliverance drew extreme moshing and headbanging, "A Fair Judgement" was emotional, and had everyone hanging on Mike's vocals. Speaking of emotional songs, the night didn't get more sentimental than with "Credence" from 'My Arms, Your Hearse'. It was the only tranquil moment of the show, a chance for the crowd to breathe and for the band to resuscitate from the long hard hitting tunes. The night climaxed with "Demon of the Fall" after the band had teased us that they were not going to play anymore songs and walking off the stage. As soon as that happened, everyone started chanting Opeth once again, stomping their feet and clapping as hard as they could... it literally sounded like a military camp. After our cries for more, the band returned. What was asked of us however was to go "insane ... I mean really insane". Forget the album version, this was as Mike said INSANE, fast furious thrashy guitars and guttural vocals punishing the crowd in a frenzied madness. Funny moments during the show: Everyone wanted to hear "Master's Apprentice" with that infectious Morbid Angel riff, so every time Opeth would finish playing a song the crowd kept chanting it. Right before "Godhead's Lament," Mike walked up to the mic and said "Sorry guys we're not taking any requests tonight, it's a long set so we have to rehearse for it otherwise we get confused," which got a pretty big laugh in the audience. Immense talent and musicianship displayed. We were reassured several times that another tour would follow, covering the 'Damnation' album combined with more old school Opeth. When Opeth comes to your town go get your ass kicked! Opeth's Setlist (in approximate order): The Leper Affinity Advent Deliverance Bleak Godhead's Lament Credence The Drapery Falls A Fair Judgement Demon of the Fall Approx. playtime: 2 hours. (Thanks to the official Opeth site for the above picture.) Back to The Gathering of Souls Get Information on the Premium Package