Saturday 12th June
Opeth - Rock Stage (4/5)
First of all, I’m a big Opeth fan so I’m not sure about my objectivity here. I have also seen them live a couple of times before and they are an amazing live act. Although, this is a festival and I was a little worried that their progressive kind of death metal meets Pink Floyd wouldn’t really cut it at a place were a lot of people (like me) like to drink beer more and get rocked.
Well, just one half of the opening number proved that I didn’t have to worry at all. The thing is, despite playing looooooong songs, these guys never ever gets boring. Not just a little. Not for a second. And when their set ended, you went “Is this it?”. I wanted more. A lot more. Another thing, on stage, the guys don’t do much. A little headbanging here and there, but that’s it. Still doesn’t get boring. In Mikael Åkerfeldt they have a great singer, who both growls and does his clean voice singing with the same intensity, and he’s a funny bloke as well.
None of the usual death metal stage raps. The guy jokes through the whole concert and smiles all the while and a second later, the most evil growls comes out of his throat. New guy Fredrik Åkesson (Arch Enemy, Talisman, Southpaw) is just brilliant and easily one of Sweden’s finest guitarplayers. World class. The same goes to bass player Martin Mendez and drummer Martin Axenrot. What a fucking rhythm section - Mendez' flying fingers are just jawdropping.
Great band, great songs, great gig. There you go.
Check out Opeth :
http://www.opeth.com
Review : Jon Wilmenius
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