Nevermore/Opeth/Angel Dust - Concert review - 5/3

General Zod

Ruler of Australia
May 1, 2001
14,195
36
48
New Jersey
www.facebook.com
For those of you who are interested, here is my take on the Nevermore/Opeth/Angel Dust show that took place last night at Klub Krome, in South Amboy, New Jersey.

Angel Dust – Set List

Let me Live
Come Into Resistance
Cross of Hatred
Sill I’m Bleeding
Bleed
Follow Me

Angel Dust received a warmer response from the crowd than I had anticipated, given that all the other bands on the bill, including God Forbid, are heavier than they are. They were very energetic, and did all that they could to maximize the crowd’s reaction. I was especially impressed with their lead guitar player, who came across much better live than he does on disc. All in all, I would say they put on a solid show, but not one that would necessarily inspire me to make sure that I see them, the next time they come around.

Side Note – Angel Dust spent the rest of the evening walking around, and chatting with all of the fans. This is a very cool move, and one which more bands should employ.

Opeth – Set List

The Drapery Falls
White Cluster
Forest of October
Demon of the Fall
Advent

Let me preface my review of Opeth by saying, that while I respect Opeth as musicians, and love all of the acoustic stuff that they do on their discs, I don’t much care for the “cookie monster” style of vocals that Michael employs. Given how gifted this band is, I think it’s beneath them, and I hope that they eventually grow beyond it (although I do realize, that their real fans would shudder at such a thought). That being said, Opeth sounded excellent. They played with amazing precision, to the delight of all the die-hard Opeth fans that had come to see them. Personally, I was a little disappointed at the lack of stage presence that Opeth exhibited. They never moved from the spots that they took when they walked onto the stage. Additionally, they chose not to make use of acoustic guitars, and instead, played all of the acoustic interludes on their electric guitars.

Nevermore – Set List

Narcosynthesis
The River Dragon Has Come
Sound of Silence
Evolution 169
The Heart Collector
Believe in Nothing
Inside Four Walls
We Disintegrate
Engines of Hate
Dead Heart in a Dead World
Beyond Within
The Death of Passion
The Seven Tongues of God
Next in Line

OK. Let’s start off with what we know to be factual; Nevermore is the best band on the planet.

Unfortunately, Nevermore didn’t take the stage until after midnight. This was less than brilliant planning by the club owner, given that the show took place on a Thursday night. Many of the Opeth fans had split by this time, leaving Nevermore to play in front of approximately 65% of the crowd that Opeth and Angel Dust enjoyed (approximately 300 people attended the show).

Nevermore opened up with Narcosynthesis. As Jeff began his solo, his equipment completely cut out. He actually left the stage to deal with this problem, as the band played out the remainder of the song. Warrel was noticeably disturbed at this, and rightfully so. When Jeff returned to the stage, he said, “Screw it, let’s just kick ass.” And “kick ass” they did.

Warrel, with the exception of choosing not to sing the last verse of The Heart Collector, was on, and sounded great. Jeff was very good, though I have seen him play better. The rest of the band, as always, was excellent, especially Van Williams, who is the best drummer in the genre.

Side Note – these guys should seriously consider making Curan Murphy a permanent member of the band. He has amazing stage presence, is an excellent player, and is a really cool guy (I had the chance to speak to him when they played CBGB’s in December).

If I had one complaint, it would be the lack of Dreaming Neon Black material (I am dying to hear them perform the title track live). However, I understand that they are on tour to promote the new disc.

Warrel introduced “Believe in Nothing” as their MTV video song. He half asked the crowd if we were OK with the fact that he had written a song, that while excellent, clearly panders to an audience that Nevermore has never really sought to please.

In spite of the time, the size of the audience, and the crappy sound system, Nevermore put on an awesome show. It is a total f__king shame that a band that is as talented as Nevermore has to perform under these circumstances.

GZ
 
I was at the same gig at Krome in South Amboy. I'll give you my synopsis of the show.

First off, Diecast and God Forbid SUCKED. I don't know why they're on a tour with such talents as Angeldust, Opeth, and Nevermore.

The people manning the mixing boards at the straight-edge club Krome must have been smoking SOMETHING that night, because you could barely hear ANY of the vocals for ANY of the bands with the exception of Nevermore. This made the show kind of suck, because all of the dynamics of Mike's voice were gone. The only time you could hear him was when he stuck the mic practically in his mouth. Angeldust, which had one hell of a vocalist, had the same problem. They came all the way from Germany, and they put on a good show, with some crazy guitar playing (all of which their guitarist made sure he played right in front of my face, as I was standing right in front of him in the front row).

I don't know if the sound sucked because I was in the front row, or if it was because the sound just generally sucked.

I'll skip God Forbid and Diecast - they couldn't even get the crowd going. The only thing God Forbid did to try to get the crowd going was say "Fuck" a lot. The only purpose they really served I guess was getting the "local scene" into a gig with some larger bands, which was really stupid, because the crowd who came there was there to see Opeth and Nevermore, not sub-par death metal acts.

In turn, Opeth had to play a shorter set (albeit it was the fastest hour long set I've ever witnessed in my life). They really didn't have a stage prescence, but I don't really think they need one. The look on Mikael Åkerfeldt's face as he played the more somber parts in "Forest of October" was very moving - he is truly a musical genius - his guitar playing seamless, as if the guitar is a part of his body. It's a shame that the person manning the mixing board wouldn't turn the mids down in his vocals and raise them up a bit - something that I think they would have benefitted from. Mikael's "death screams" were something to be seen, not heard - very unfortunate - yet again, due to the bad sound at this venue. They played a very diverse set with songs off of all their albums, which was very cool. After the set, Mikael and Peter shook hands with me, and being a diehard Opeth fan, I nearly died.

Nevermore kicked ass. I went out to get a drink (no alcohol at this straightedge club - just cokes, water, and "power drinks")and got to witness them in their full glory from a few steps back - by the time they got on stage - which I will also confirm wasn't until after midnight - they slammed full force into Narcosynthesis, strobes flashing creating a very cool sight. Nevermore... was Nevermore (very very good). They also had the best sound of the night. The vocal problems mysteriously vanished when they took stage - but again, I don't know if this is because I was in the back of the venue this time instead of right up in front of the guys. The sound was still sub par however, with lots of buzzing and popping. Krome - buy some new cabling! Dammit! And get a person who knows what they're doing behind the mixing board.

Just one more bitch about this venue - by the time Diecast and God Forbid got off stage, I had a really severe migraine (I get bad migraines) I had a bottle of excedrin and some water to take them with (not the entire bottle mind you), and the club owners wouldn't let me in with the Excedrin bottle, OR the little bottle of water - so I had to go put them back in the car, with my head pounding through Angedust's and Opeth's set.

All in all, the night was fun. But once again I will reiterate that God Forbid and Diecast have no place on this tour. The crowd that's attracted to this show isn't there to see a sub-par death metal band. They're there to see real talent. I give this show an 7/10, ;)

PS. I also took lots of snap shots - and the guys from Angeldust posed for me - I think they came over to where I was standing because they knew I was taking pictures and they made some "Metal" faces for me. Very cool! I'll post the pictures of Diecast (blah), God Forbid (ugh), Angeldust (Cool!), Opeth (Awesome), and Nevermore (Awesome) as soon as they get developed. I hope they come out good!

 
Tommy-G-

While I would agree with your assessment, that Diecast and God Forbid shouldn't be on this tour, I would add that neither should anyone else. Three bands is plenty. I am going to this same show again on Saturday at L'Amours, and they have six bands in all. It's just too damn long. Especially when it's on a weeknight. I will be curious to see if I am any more impressed with Opeth, in what I would assume should be a superior setting.

GZ
 
Dude, this band rocks all other bands. There vocals come along with the style. If u allready dont know they can sing damn good pluss use the death metal vocals as well. It would be hard as hell to bring those acoustic guitars with pluss the time consumption with the other bands, whick I dont know why they booked such a large bill for a great band. U probbaly liked the others better didnt u. Well Opeth reighns supreme as the kings of Black Metal.

Yor Momma
 
Dude, this band rocks all other bands. There vocals come along with the style. If u allready dont know they can sing damn good pluss use the death metal vocals as well. It would be hard as hell to bring those acoustic guitars with pluss the time consumption with the other bands, whick I dont know why they booked such a large bill for a great band. U probbaly liked the others better didnt u. Well Opeth reighns supreme as the kings of Black Metal.

What the hell are you talking about? Not only does your spelling, suck, but you have no idea what we're talking about do you? And Opeth are definitely NOT black metal.
 
Yor Momma-

I didn't say that Opeth doesn't "rock". And, I understand that the vocal style that they use is on par for the genre. I simply think that Opeth is BETTER than the genre, and that Michael shouldn't waste his time, and his immense talents, "growling" into a microphone.

As for Opeth not making use of acoustical guitars because it would have consumed too much time, I disagree. I have seen bands seamlessly transition between electric and acoustic, and back to electric. Opeth chose not to, and that is their prerogative. However, it is my prerogative to be disappointed in that choice.

Did I like the other bands better? I liked Nevermore better. I think Nevermore writes better songs, and puts on a ten times better show, in regards to stage presence. However, I respect that this is an Opeth forum, and that my opinion will be in the minority.

GZ
 
Originally posted by General Zod

I didn't say that Opeth doesn't "rock". And, I understand that the vocal style that they use is on par for the genre. I simply think that Opeth is BETTER than the genre, and that Michael shouldn't waste his time, and his immense talents, "growling" into a microphone.
GZ

Zod, I don't think you "get" the death voice at all. I've never thought that Mikael was wasting his talent by doing it, that IS his talent. I get the feeling that you have no idea how much skill/talent goes into that voice. I would kill to be able to sound like that! If you don't like it then that's cool, but to suggest that Mikael is wasting his talent is ridiculous and I just had to note that.

cheerio,

Satori
 
Originally posted by Tommy-G
Just one more bitch about this venue - by the time Diecast and God Forbid got off stage, I had a really severe migraine (I get bad migraines) I had a bottle of excedrin and some water to take them with (not the entire bottle mind you), and the club owners wouldn't let me in with the Excedrin bottle, OR the little bottle of water - so I had to go put them back in the car, with my head pounding through Angedust's and Opeth's set.


Hey G, sorry to hear about your migraines. I thought I'd let you know about a herb that cured my grandmother of migraines after she suffered for 30 years and destroyed her liver with pain killers. The herb is called Fever Few. Weird name, I know. You have to take it preventively, it won't stop a migraine once it has begun (or so I've been told). You can find it at most health stores or even walmart if you're really hard up. As with everything, the cheaper the price the lower quality the product.

Satori
 
Satori-

We can simply agree to disagree. I think I do "get" the death voice; I am simply not all that fond of it. Although, I guess you could argue that if I don't like it, than I don't get it.

Some of the bands, that I would consider death (and opinions on what is and what isn't death obviously vary), have vocals that I enjoy. At the Gates, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, Shadow's Fall, and Soilwork, to name a few. Now granted, most of those bands use more of a scream style, rather than a growl style (with the exception of DT). None the less, "extreme" vocals are something that can get into. However, I don't believe that the other singers, in the bands that I mentioned, can pull off singing in a "clean" vocal style. Mikael, on the other hand, can.

I knew when I said that he is wasting his talent, that I would find myself in the minority here, and I honestly didn't mean to offend any die-hard Opeth fans when I said it. None the less, I am betting that Mikael will drift away from the "cookie monster" style of singing. Much in the way that Amorphis has done. If you listen to their last three CDs, you can clearly here him relying on that vocal style less and less.

GZ
 
Originally posted by General Zod
Satori-

We can simply agree to disagree. I think I do "get" the death voice; I am simply not all that fond of it. Although, I guess you could argue that if I don't like it, than I don't get it.

Some of the bands, that I would consider death (and opinions on what is and what isn't death obviously vary), have vocals that I enjoy. At the Gates, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, Shadow's Fall, and Soilwork, to name a few. Now granted, most of those bands use more of a scream style, rather than a growl style (with the exception of DT). None the less, "extreme" vocals are something that can get into. However, I don't believe that the other singers, in the bands that I mentioned, can pull off singing in a "clean" vocal style. Mikael, on the other hand, can.

GZ


While I am hesitant to engage myself in something that has the elements to transform into a flame war, I thought I'd add my two cents.

Firstly, I'll say that I believe Mike has _the best_ harsh vocals, period. The harsh vocals are one of the DEFINING characteristics of Opeth, so it is hard for me to imagine that someone who claims Opeth should drop them really understands Opeth at all. Opeth is entirely BASED on a "multi-personality" musical persona. Just as the beautiful guitar work is one side, the heavy and vicious guitar and blistering leads are anoter. The vocals compliment this duality - Mikes "pretty" clean vocals, in contrast with the harsh vocals. It works together, and it ultimately forms what IS Opeth.

Almost everyone I know was skeptical of harsh vocals upon first few listens (and for some, many more listens..) but then again, those same people now not only appreciate this vocal style, they "understand" why it is used. So I'm not surprised someone else has said that you don't "understand" it.. as I've literally heard from people: "Ah, I finally understand and appreciate it now..".

Anyways, I've been following Opeth sine Orchid was released and the kind of people who discovered that release back then certainly didn't question the harsh vocals. Now that Opeth has reached such a large audience, people from different genres seem to come over and critize it... so it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Oh well, just my two cents.
 
I honestly can't imagine Opeth without the harsh "death" vocals. As previously mentioned it adds a certain amount of dynamics to their songs - a peace/violence/tranquility type thing. Mikael is such a dynamic vocalist - I respect his ability to go from one vocal styling to another with out any flaws whatsoever. He's a true blooded musical genius - in my books - and mind you, this is my own humble opinion - I hold him up there with Bach, Paganini, Beethoven.

The vocals compliment this duality - Mikes "pretty" clean vocals, in contrast with the harsh vocals. It works together, and it ultimately forms what IS Opeth.

that is very true!

PS- Satori, thanks for that advice (for the migraines)! I'll try it out.

General Zod - you mentioned Soilwork's death vocals - just a little trivial fact for you, if you didn't know already. Guess who is singing the clean parts on the last track of A Predator's Portrait? Yep that's Mikael Åkerfeldt!
 
Tommy-G...

Actually, I didn't know that was Mikael singing on the Soilwork disc. That's cool. I have that disc in my car. I'll have to check it out tomorrow. I would also agree that Mikael is a musical genius.


forlorn soul...

Well, you don't have to concern yourself with being flamed by me. It's not my style.

I get why Mikael make's use of them, as the duality in their music is quite obvious. I just don't care for his death vox.

I am not sure that I will ever completely "get" death vocals. Although, Blackwater Park has been in my plaer a lot lately, so maybe it will click for me at some point.

I wasn't so much trying to be critical of Opeth, as I admire them greatly. I was just giving my opnion, on where I think they are heading. A musician as gifted as Mikael, is going to get bored. It's just a matter of time before his music goes in a different direction.

GZ
 
Wooow.
This is a GREAT thread. It might just be that I enjoy calm, well-spoken confrontation, but ANYWAYS!

As I have before, I'll go back to Mikael's own comments to make my points (I'm paraphrasing):

Heavy vocals compliment the heavy music, soft vocals compliment the soft music.


And, I also concur with forlorn soul's "duality" quote. Mike seemed very adament in several interviews that Opeth will retain that aspect of their style indefinately.

A musician as gifted as Mikael, is going to get bored. It's just a matter of time before his music goes in a different direction.
And, it appears it's going to - just not with Opeth. I take it that most people are familiar with the side project he's going to be engaging in? He'll be working with (according to his interview with BW&BK magazine) the keyboardist from Spiritual Beggars and a guitarist named Reine Fiske. Elsewhere he referred to it as "that all quiet Opeth album that Opeth will never do".

Thoughts? Feelings? Opinions?
 
HoserHellspawn said:
And, it appears it's going to - just not with Opeth. I take it that most people are familiar with the side project he's going to be engaging in? He'll be working with (according to his interview with BW&BK magazine) the keyboardist from Spiritual Beggars and a guitarist named Reine Fiske. Elsewhere he referred to it as "that all quiet Opeth album that Opeth will never do".

Thoughts? Feelings? Opinions?
Wow, this is awesome!
 
i think he's trying to show visions of times past. simpler, more beautiful times.