I've finished my review of the show, and even though it should wait for its actual publication...I'll post it here for you all to read. Here goes:
Irving Plaza, New York City, NY January 19, 2003
The long-awaited day had arrived. And it was bitter cold.
JayKeeley, DarkOne, and some friends of ours all made the trip into Manhattan for our first-ever Opeth show, and the fact they were headlining on this 13-show tour made our excitement all the more palpable. Of course, the fact that the show was opposite my Oakland Raiders in the AFC Championship game proved to be difficult for me to swallow, but as it would turn out, I wound up not caring in the least. After sucking down a good number of Irelands finest and some chicken wings while watching the earlier football game, JayKeeley arrived and we began our walk to the venue. When we got there, Irving Plaza was submitting concert-goers to the customary metal detection and patdown, and getting in looked like a serious pain in the arse. The line was nearly 1 ½ city blocks long, so we opted for more beer around the corner instead of near zero-degree temperatures.
By approximately 8 PM, we finally made our way into the venue, and had apparently just missed Tapping The Vein, so apologies if youre reading this live review to find out about them (I somehow doubt you are). Making our way to the bar, we ran into old and new friends alike, everyone in unison about how damned excited we were for this show. Before we knew it, the famous (infamous) Nick Holmes and Paradise Lost took the stage. Not really knowing what to expect I only have Draconian Times after all I will admit to being a bit disappointed by just how poppy they are. Starting strong with a recognizable tune off the aforementioned Draconian Times, my head was nodding and I was getting into the show a bit. But after about 6 consecutive Depeche Mode-tinged pop metal songs, myself and many others felt it was time for them to wrap up. I wont lie, I was considerably intoxicated at this point, but I felt that Paradise Lost just didnt have it anymore and theyre certainly not my cup of tea. They would be far more appealing on Siousxie & The Banshees next tour, not supporting Opeths first headlining North American gigs.
After what seemed like the longest intermission Ive ever sat through (all the while trying to avoid my 2 friends who thought it was great fun trying to tell me the score of the Raiders/Titans game I was taping for later viewing), 10 PM rolled around, and it was time. Time for Mikael (Akerfeldt), Peter (Lindgren), Martin (Mendez) and Martin (Lopez) to take the stage. No big, elaborate stage set-up, no pyrotechnics, no flashy stagewear, just 4 Swedes prepared to sonically assault 1,000 New Yorkers ears and minds for the next hour and forty-five minutes. And sonically assault they did. Wasting no time launching into The Leper Affinity, Akerfeldt absolutely commanded the stage, weaving magic from his guitar while Lindgren, Mendez & Lopez provided the stop-on-a-dime tightness so many have come to expect from this band. There were so many headbanging moments even in the first few moments, I wasnt sure Id be able to hold up throughout the entire show! Having already seen the first 2 nights setlists, I knew Advent was next. What I didnt know was just how well that song translated in a live environment. One of Opeths longer numbers, I was unsure how a 13+ minute song would work live. Fear not: there wasnt even 1 boring second. As I mentioned earlier, Akerfeldt and friends had the audience eating out of the palm of its hand, following every new riff, every snare smash, every lick. I mustve turned to my 2 Opeth newbie friends and screamed They are so fucking insane! at the top of my lungs about 35 times, and we were only 2 songs into the show!
By the time the now-familiar intro riff to Deliverance began, I was in headbanging heaven, air-guitaring away like a deranged maniac. The sheer emotion of Mikaels playing sent goosebumps down my back and arms, and as contrived and cliché as that sounds, it truly happened. Mikael effortlessly shifted between clean gothic-tinged singing and low growling, never missing a single beat within the songs. They were absolutely amazing, jumping right into The Drapery Falls, a new favorite of mine. This could possibly have been the best song of the night, though its safe to say I could have said that about every song (with the exception of Credence). Beginning with the comfortably slower groove and picking up the pace, the song was bliss. By the time they came back out of the lengthy grooving instrumental passage into the cleanly-voiced choral reprise, the grin on my face threatened to split my head in two. I could have gone home right then and there. As it was, we were still to be treated to 4 more songs and an encore. Godheads Lament represented their older stuff more than ably. Credence was up next, and as Ive already made note of, is just not a song Ive ever really liked. On the other hand, it gave both band and audience a much-needed breather in which I was able to sneak out to the bathroom before the band launched into a primal version of Bleak. Perhaps it was due to its following on the heels of the calm Credence; perhaps it was just more full of energy than usual. All I know is that Bleak destroyed. The 3 morons next to me who decided to get into a fight at that point evidently felt the same way, but even their idiocy couldnt wreck the rocking brilliant death metal on display at this point. I decided at this time that the Blackwater Park material, while often maligned by elitist fans, held up extremely well live, at times surpassing their older brothers in terms of both power and polish.
Like the first 2 shows on the tour, Mikael announced the next song, the new A Fair Judgement off Deliverance would be their last. I wont say I was upset, because at this point, I was completely wasted, ha ha. Figuratively and literally. After completely owning the stage, they were done, just like that. It was hellishly cool to hear and witness 1,000 metalheads pumping their fists in the air and chanting O-peth! O-peth! O-peth! for the next 5 minutes, urging on the inevitable encore. The boys didnt keep us waiting too long, and came back with horns held high. Mikael stepped to the mic and in his trademark low, low voice said: Lets see some fucking crowd surfing on this one, eh? Which could only mean one thing Demon! Demon of the fall! Demon! Demon of the fall! The place erupted into one giant swirling pit, hair a-flying, arms and legs a-flailing. Mikaels growl never sounded better. Mendez kept whipping his hair around windmill style, a la Jason Newsted circa 1989, and Lopez battered the skins like a maniac. America, meet Opeth. And they were done, and so was I. I have to say, they completely blew me away, enough for me to automatically vault them into the top 5 concerts Ive ever seen! I also have to say that anyone who seriously considers themselves a metalhead and slags Opeth is only doing so simply because theyre rebelling against the band just for being so worshipped. If you ask me, the worship is deserved. All hail Opeth.
10 hellacious headbangs.
Reviewer(s): markgugs
Irving Plaza, New York City, NY January 19, 2003
The long-awaited day had arrived. And it was bitter cold.
JayKeeley, DarkOne, and some friends of ours all made the trip into Manhattan for our first-ever Opeth show, and the fact they were headlining on this 13-show tour made our excitement all the more palpable. Of course, the fact that the show was opposite my Oakland Raiders in the AFC Championship game proved to be difficult for me to swallow, but as it would turn out, I wound up not caring in the least. After sucking down a good number of Irelands finest and some chicken wings while watching the earlier football game, JayKeeley arrived and we began our walk to the venue. When we got there, Irving Plaza was submitting concert-goers to the customary metal detection and patdown, and getting in looked like a serious pain in the arse. The line was nearly 1 ½ city blocks long, so we opted for more beer around the corner instead of near zero-degree temperatures.
By approximately 8 PM, we finally made our way into the venue, and had apparently just missed Tapping The Vein, so apologies if youre reading this live review to find out about them (I somehow doubt you are). Making our way to the bar, we ran into old and new friends alike, everyone in unison about how damned excited we were for this show. Before we knew it, the famous (infamous) Nick Holmes and Paradise Lost took the stage. Not really knowing what to expect I only have Draconian Times after all I will admit to being a bit disappointed by just how poppy they are. Starting strong with a recognizable tune off the aforementioned Draconian Times, my head was nodding and I was getting into the show a bit. But after about 6 consecutive Depeche Mode-tinged pop metal songs, myself and many others felt it was time for them to wrap up. I wont lie, I was considerably intoxicated at this point, but I felt that Paradise Lost just didnt have it anymore and theyre certainly not my cup of tea. They would be far more appealing on Siousxie & The Banshees next tour, not supporting Opeths first headlining North American gigs.
After what seemed like the longest intermission Ive ever sat through (all the while trying to avoid my 2 friends who thought it was great fun trying to tell me the score of the Raiders/Titans game I was taping for later viewing), 10 PM rolled around, and it was time. Time for Mikael (Akerfeldt), Peter (Lindgren), Martin (Mendez) and Martin (Lopez) to take the stage. No big, elaborate stage set-up, no pyrotechnics, no flashy stagewear, just 4 Swedes prepared to sonically assault 1,000 New Yorkers ears and minds for the next hour and forty-five minutes. And sonically assault they did. Wasting no time launching into The Leper Affinity, Akerfeldt absolutely commanded the stage, weaving magic from his guitar while Lindgren, Mendez & Lopez provided the stop-on-a-dime tightness so many have come to expect from this band. There were so many headbanging moments even in the first few moments, I wasnt sure Id be able to hold up throughout the entire show! Having already seen the first 2 nights setlists, I knew Advent was next. What I didnt know was just how well that song translated in a live environment. One of Opeths longer numbers, I was unsure how a 13+ minute song would work live. Fear not: there wasnt even 1 boring second. As I mentioned earlier, Akerfeldt and friends had the audience eating out of the palm of its hand, following every new riff, every snare smash, every lick. I mustve turned to my 2 Opeth newbie friends and screamed They are so fucking insane! at the top of my lungs about 35 times, and we were only 2 songs into the show!
By the time the now-familiar intro riff to Deliverance began, I was in headbanging heaven, air-guitaring away like a deranged maniac. The sheer emotion of Mikaels playing sent goosebumps down my back and arms, and as contrived and cliché as that sounds, it truly happened. Mikael effortlessly shifted between clean gothic-tinged singing and low growling, never missing a single beat within the songs. They were absolutely amazing, jumping right into The Drapery Falls, a new favorite of mine. This could possibly have been the best song of the night, though its safe to say I could have said that about every song (with the exception of Credence). Beginning with the comfortably slower groove and picking up the pace, the song was bliss. By the time they came back out of the lengthy grooving instrumental passage into the cleanly-voiced choral reprise, the grin on my face threatened to split my head in two. I could have gone home right then and there. As it was, we were still to be treated to 4 more songs and an encore. Godheads Lament represented their older stuff more than ably. Credence was up next, and as Ive already made note of, is just not a song Ive ever really liked. On the other hand, it gave both band and audience a much-needed breather in which I was able to sneak out to the bathroom before the band launched into a primal version of Bleak. Perhaps it was due to its following on the heels of the calm Credence; perhaps it was just more full of energy than usual. All I know is that Bleak destroyed. The 3 morons next to me who decided to get into a fight at that point evidently felt the same way, but even their idiocy couldnt wreck the rocking brilliant death metal on display at this point. I decided at this time that the Blackwater Park material, while often maligned by elitist fans, held up extremely well live, at times surpassing their older brothers in terms of both power and polish.
Like the first 2 shows on the tour, Mikael announced the next song, the new A Fair Judgement off Deliverance would be their last. I wont say I was upset, because at this point, I was completely wasted, ha ha. Figuratively and literally. After completely owning the stage, they were done, just like that. It was hellishly cool to hear and witness 1,000 metalheads pumping their fists in the air and chanting O-peth! O-peth! O-peth! for the next 5 minutes, urging on the inevitable encore. The boys didnt keep us waiting too long, and came back with horns held high. Mikael stepped to the mic and in his trademark low, low voice said: Lets see some fucking crowd surfing on this one, eh? Which could only mean one thing Demon! Demon of the fall! Demon! Demon of the fall! The place erupted into one giant swirling pit, hair a-flying, arms and legs a-flailing. Mikaels growl never sounded better. Mendez kept whipping his hair around windmill style, a la Jason Newsted circa 1989, and Lopez battered the skins like a maniac. America, meet Opeth. And they were done, and so was I. I have to say, they completely blew me away, enough for me to automatically vault them into the top 5 concerts Ive ever seen! I also have to say that anyone who seriously considers themselves a metalhead and slags Opeth is only doing so simply because theyre rebelling against the band just for being so worshipped. If you ask me, the worship is deserved. All hail Opeth.
10 hellacious headbangs.
Reviewer(s): markgugs
