Yesterday I sat through 3 hours of an Opeth concert and got this nice souvenir on the way out. I actually hovered by the T-shirt stand for a few minutes trying to answer the eternal question: T-shirt or CD? They had some pretty nice T's, sorta gothic and dark designs with the elaborate Opeth logo, but in the end the music usually wins out. Not to mention I didn't take any Opeth albums with me when I moved to Brussels and I was itching to write about them. All CD's on sale were either autographed by the band members or vandalized by a kid with a permanent marker. I'd like to think the former is true. I chose their latest "Pale Communion" as it has the reputation of their proggiest, most melodic outing - to the disappointment of their metalhead fans. IMO this description is better suited to their Steven Wilson-curated "Damnation" album. "Pale Communion" is more like Dream Theater i.e. heavy metal with progressive rock influences. But it's (thankfully, for me) free of Åkerfeldt's death metal growls that plagued their earlier albums. There were enough of them in the concert to satisfy old fans, as it was of retrospective nature: The first 80something minutes consisted of the onstage recreation of their "Ghost Reveries" album, marking its 10th anniversary. It's a highly rated record that I hadn't heard before. Judging from yesterday's concert it must be a dark, brutally atmospheric affair characterized by Opeth's trademark gentle/aggressive duality: beautiful introspective moments alternating with death metal attack. The musicianship throughout the first part of the concert was excellent and Åkerfeldt's ability to sing in two contrasting styles was most impressive. But it didn't convince me to buy the record; I own "Blackwater Park" and that's enough of that particular Opeth facet for me. The second, equally long, part of the concert was a greatest hits selection to commemorate the band's 25th anniversary. During this part, the band seemed less concentrated and looser, with lots of between-song banter and tantalising snippets of songs abandoned after a few seconds. It featured both melodic and heavy music and at least a couple of songs from "Pale Communion".
Opener "Eternal Rains Will Come" was one of them, hard to miss with its complicated drum patterns and imposing organ. The vocal harmonies here are as different from their previous demonic growls as possible. "Cusp of Eternity" was the album's lead single, a straight-ahead hard rocker with Åkerfeldt's best-ever vocals reminding of Led Zeppelin, an Eastern melody a la "Gates Of Babylon" and an old school metal guitar solo. If I'm not mistaken it's very uncharacteristic for Opeth, but very well executed. 11-minute "Moon Above, Sun Below" is a prog metal epic which goes through many changes including some grandiose heavy riffing and a acoustic section of delicate beauty. Speaking of delicate, "Elysian Woes" is a majestic ballad that will puzzle old fans with its melancholic Olde-English folk sound. "Goblin" is an even more unexpected move, an electronic jazz-fusion instrumental with Joakim Svalberg's Hammond to the fore. "River" is yet another surprise, with its country-tinged first half dominated by acoustic guitars and CSN&Y harmonies. After the 4-minute mark it turns into a hard rock jam with guitar/organ duels reminiscent of the heroic days of Deep Purple. "Voice of Treason" is a complex heavy prog composition underscored by dramatic organ and strings. "Faith in Others" also has strings, but of a mellower variety. Together with piano and guitar they build a very melancholic mood in line with lyrics like "The dream of our youth is up ahead/Life has become a burden/Move in circles of suppressed despair/Waiting for the sun..." Then it veers towards grandiose Muse territory for a while and returns to the swooning strings, closing the album in cinematic splendor. Now, I sympathize with fans of Opeth's previous direction: They were, indeed, unique at that light/shadow-angel/demon combination. But it seems they've outgrown their Death Metal origins and are better for it. I'm looking forward to their next move...
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| Opeth live at the Ancienne Belgique, Brussels 15/10/2015: More candlesticks than the average Orthodox church |
**** for Eternal Rains Will Come, Cusp of Eternity, Elysian Woes, River, Faith in Others
*** for Moon Above, Sun Below, Goblin, Voice of Treason
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