OPETH
“Lamentations”
Album review by Vicky Milne
9/10

 

So in 1990, in Stockholm, Sweden, whilst the country’s death metal scene was blossoming, five guys got together and decided to create some mind bending soundscapes, out of which Opeth was born. Whilst the revolving door of band members seems to have stopped spinning for a while now, the Progressive Metal stalwarts have successfully carved themselves a 26 year career and an impressive discography. Their live album ‘Lamentations’, is the subject of this review, and is only available on vinyl which is unusual in the CD age.

The intro to this album is the haunting engine start to this 2 hours 5 minutes journey through the sights and sounds of progressive metal. The first 9 tracks that the band run through showcase the lighter side of the band as they are, all but one, from the Damnation album. The full on progressive style. The recording of this set is fantastic, and the band play perfectly, you easily forget it’s a live album until Mikael pipes up and speaks to the crowd. The occasional ‘my god this is superb’ type scream did make me chuckle too. I know a few fans were disappointed at the lack of older songs from the band, but I believe that’s down to some silly red tape.

After a full on hour and the likes of ‘Death Whispered a Lullaby’ and ‘To Rid the Disease’, it was time for a little break, an interlude in the midst of the epic and eccentric sounds pouring off of the stage, with ‘Harvest’ rounding off Opeth’s first and brilliant set.

Obviously, there is no such break for the LP listener as the music is straight back with the the guys ripping straight into their second, much heavier set with ‘Weakness’ and ‘Master’s Apprentice’. Proving that you can mix progressive metal with death metal in such a seamless fashion. At the end of ‘Drapery Fall’s’, Mikael speaks and prepares the audience for the onslaught that is to follow with “possibly the heaviest song Opeth ever recorded” and encouraging a mosh pit within the crowd as they then break into ‘Deliverance’, and then ‘The Lepper Affiinity’. Announcing their last song of the show, followed by the obvious boos and jeers from the crowd not wanting it to end, the band allow Per to lead them into ‘A Fair Judgement’, thus rounding up this epic 2 hour set of proggy goodness.

It’s a pretty marvellously put together LP as you really can imagine yourself being in front of these chaps blasting out their genre warping tunage. I myself enjoyed seeing them live at Bloodstock ’15. Prog music is sometimes the type of music that doesn’t always translate well to stage, but Opeth have got it nailed. Bravo.

TRACK LIST:
1. Intro
2. Windowpane
3. In My Time of Need
4. Death Whispered a Lullaby
5. Closure
6. Hope Leaves
7. To Rid the Disease
8. Ending Credits
9. Harvest
10. Weakness
11. Master’s Apprentices
12. The Drapery Falls
13. Deliverance
14. The Lepper Affinity
15. A Fair Judgement

CHECK THEM OUT:

http://www.opeth.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Opeth/?fref=ts

LINEUP:

Vocals/guitar: Mikael Åkerfeldt

Bass: Martin Mendez

Keyboard: Per Wiberg – guest keyboardist, Damnation tour

Guitar: Frerik Åkesson

Drums: Martin Axenrot

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