OPETH CONCERT REVIEW (October 1, 2008)

Amidst the usual goings on at a metal concert, an underlying anticipation even, some might say, a longing seems to take hold of the crowd gathered at the Edmonton Event Centre this past Wednesday night. The bated response of the group is well founded, Swedish progressive metal veterans, Opeth have returned to town, their latest album, Watershed, functioning as their “standard”.

The majority of people in attendance, although not familiar with the opening act, High on Fire and their work, did not hesitate to bang their heads and raise their “horns” when this aggressive three piece band took the stage. Like a medieval bellows, fuelling the fires of an ancient forge, High on Fire’s performance surprised and thrilled those whom had never heard them before and caused fervor amongst the forest of raised hands at their feet. Riding this wave of excitement, Opeth took the stage to a roar of applause, drowned out almost immediately by the sound of their first song of the evening.

For the whole of the two hour set, you get exactly what you’d expect from Opeth, progressive riffs and melodies, complimented by thunderous drumming, clean, almost whispering ballads fluidly moving into harsh guttural vocals just to remind you that they firmly still have their roots in the Swedish Death Metal scene.

Despite a technical problem with lead singer Mikael Akerfeldt’s guitar early on, (which was simply played off with impish humor, and some choice four letter words) the set went well, taking you through all the band had to offer, from their older albums with song selections like “Deliverance” all the way up to several of the newer tracks from Watershed.

Opeth’s performance, while musically spot on, was also complimented by the unique and often times humorous commentary made between songs, everything from an semi-improvised quiz game of where they played other bands guitar riffs and the audience had to guess correct before they would play their next song, to an admittance of their own personal guilty pleasures (Mikael’s is “Take On Me” by A-Ha) and an introduction of each band member along with a comparison of what foul smell they are most akin to on stage.

This humorous display sets apart Opeth from most of what we see in the Swedish Metal scene with their jests, candor, and childlike enthusiasm as they play, you cannot help but share in the celebration. Metal has always been about pushing boundaries and exploring new territory some other musical genres won’t dare explore.
As their album title suggests, Opeth continues to create “Watershed” moments in metals vast and sordid history, and if you are up for a change of pace or just want more to stuff onto your iPod, gives these Stockholm natives a try, you won’t be disappointed.