It is obvious that Opeth is all about doing things their own way, after all, that is why each of their albums have their own uniqueness. As an Opeth fan, you
must adapt at least partially if you want to find true love in everything they write.
But sometimes the band just writes stuff that doesn't work out for you (luckily, the majority of their material is the exact opposite), in my case such songs as "Harvest" and "Atonement" that I find repetitive and boring.
When it comes to performing live though, it would be nice if the band took a good look at their back catalogue and tried to find out how to make an
even better setlist for the fans to go nuts about.
And, I think, that the majority of Opeth-fans rather want an extra classic or two, than too many of the ballads. I also happen to think that
Blackwater Park is overrated by the band because of its sales, but what do I know, perhaps I am the only one not falling for this album. I have tried, and tried. It took some time to get into
Still Life and
My Arms, Your Hearse too, but at least with those albums, I knew there was something good waiting to come out.
BWP is just.. hollow.
Of course, the band must strike a balance with new fans, people who maybe got into Opeth with "Deliverance", or "Damnation", or "Ghost Reveries"... but then play some of the awesome tracks of these albums, not the not-so-awesome.
Don't know how else to explain this, I am not much of a whiner really but Opeth means a lot to me, has been my fave band since
My Arms, they are so awesome and they should really have four hour setlists
Slightly off-topic, if I could pick 1 hour 30 minutes for Opeth's setlist, this would be it, in this order. Yes it is of course a hard choice, and so it must be for mikael and his apostles. An alternative would be to exchange a 'Still Life' track to include a 'Morningrise' song ("Advent"). But you know, as a fan of 'Still Life'.. anyway.
(Intro)
The Baying of the Hounds
April Ethereal
Serenity Painted Death
The Apostle in Triumph
Credence
Ghost of Perdition
The Moor
(Encore)
Ending Credits/Demon of the Fall
I would have jizzed for ninety minutes straight during this set, so maybe better it remains a fantasy.
Next time I see Opeth live, I will enjoy the show as always, only muttering slightly at the misunderstood quality of Blackwater Park (which didn't get in one track here). I notice both 'Morningrise' and 'Deliverance' deserve a spot in the setlist, but it only goes to show how hard it must be for Opeth to pick a good setlist, and why picking two ballads in a row isn't necessarily awesome.
