It was absolutely amazing. However, I feel so sorry for Opeth that we were such a static audience yesterday. But that's the way the Belgians are, you know. We're known for it (and that's not a joke), but we dó enjoy the music very much (hence the many cheers and response after each track!), I can tell you that! And Opeth knew that apparently because they kept on encouraging the audience to go wild anyway and at the end the people were finally starting to break loose, fortunately.
Before we get started: Excuse me for not remembering the right order of tracks brought that night, but I'll try to write down everything I remember about yesterday.
About the whole show:
Extol was there to set fire on the fuse and they díd. Their set was tight, energetic and straight-forward! I hadn't heard them live, I hadn't even heard them - at all. I just saw their name on this forum a couple of times but that's it. It was a pleasant surprise to hear what they are capable of! I've never been fond of the 'hardcoresque' voice, but Extol used it in an acceptable way so I didn't bother at all, on the contrary.
Then, the moment we had been waiting for: Opeth.
After the atmospheric introduction-sounds, which has become a valuable classic in their shows, hell breaks loose with 'Deliverance'. The sound was literally blowing the audience off its socks. Opeth didn't hesitate to set fire on the place with the very first song of that evening apparently. Then a track from the new album was anounced: 'the Baying of the Hounds'! I was very curious about how Michael would manage to sing the 'And you are receptive (...) // No longer struggling (...)', because his voice is layered there on the album. I thought Per would assist him there, but he managed it alone . Then, you won't believe it, the first song for the oldschool fans: 'WHEN' from MAYH!! Ex-cel-lent choice!! With that opening riff you can't be wrong, never. Especially the part that starts on 0'55" on the album if you know what I mean. Madness. Sweating like oxen (especially Peter, the sweat was literally leaking off his arms) Opeth decided to release the speed pedal a bit. The curtains of the Damnation album revealed 'In My Time of Need'. The song gently weeped through the audience who sung along with Michael, magnificent, glad I wasn't the only one. In order to recover completely another Damnation-track, 'To Rid the Disease', was sent into the hall. This was definitly Pers moment because in the other songs his keys weren't that detectable. Plus, his keys sounded quite weird at certain moments. Anyway, on with the show: Michael asked us whether we had known one of those spandex-bands in our country. Fortunately we didn't (as far as I recall), unlike Sweden ofcourse - you know who I'm talking about. And he claimed Opeth proved that they were capable to combine death metal with 'cock rock'-ballads as such
Moreover, he showed us the very evidence: 'The Drapery Falls' entwined the audience with its psychedelic nature. Wonderful. It was time for another oldschool-surprise. A track from the Still Life album... I can't describe the feeling I had when I heard 'This is... Face of Melinda'. Absolutely fantastic you know. I think it's one of the very best songs on Still Life, together with the Moor and White Cluster. After that it was time to give the 'evil' people their 'evil' quality time. Michael introduced the song to the audience with his amusing irony, using the 'evil' triggerwords 'our', 'lord', 'satan' and 'evil'. And thus 'The Grand Conjuration' smashed our brains to the walls. Great sound, even Pers keys managed to come, well, to a detectable level. Then Michael anounced that we had reached the 'ennnd-eh'... of the evening. A violent four on four-beat would conclude the magnificent show. And what better than a twelve-minute long headbanger! The very... 'Blackwater Park' - the title track of their fifth album.
After that intense experience the band said goodbye and thanked us for coming. But we are not stupid you know. We knew Opeth had this other song, what is it called - ow right - 'Demon of the Fall'!! After loud cheering from the crowd the band decided to end 'in style' with, exactly, 'Demonnn-eh... of the Fall'. Bloody fucking mental!
This was another delightful experience in my career as an Opeth-fan. It was the fifth time I saw them; the last time was in Lille (France, where they played 'Advent' as well). Michael's close and humourous interaction with the audience is still there and that's become a very part of the show. Moreover: it's a persuasive reason to go to one of their performances after all, in case you are in doubt (which I'll never be, personally).
Brilliant show, brilliant playlist, brilliant atmosphere! It's what we wanted, and it's what we got it along with some excellent surprises.
Cheers!
Before we get started: Excuse me for not remembering the right order of tracks brought that night, but I'll try to write down everything I remember about yesterday.
About the whole show:
Extol was there to set fire on the fuse and they díd. Their set was tight, energetic and straight-forward! I hadn't heard them live, I hadn't even heard them - at all. I just saw their name on this forum a couple of times but that's it. It was a pleasant surprise to hear what they are capable of! I've never been fond of the 'hardcoresque' voice, but Extol used it in an acceptable way so I didn't bother at all, on the contrary.
Then, the moment we had been waiting for: Opeth.
After the atmospheric introduction-sounds, which has become a valuable classic in their shows, hell breaks loose with 'Deliverance'. The sound was literally blowing the audience off its socks. Opeth didn't hesitate to set fire on the place with the very first song of that evening apparently. Then a track from the new album was anounced: 'the Baying of the Hounds'! I was very curious about how Michael would manage to sing the 'And you are receptive (...) // No longer struggling (...)', because his voice is layered there on the album. I thought Per would assist him there, but he managed it alone . Then, you won't believe it, the first song for the oldschool fans: 'WHEN' from MAYH!! Ex-cel-lent choice!! With that opening riff you can't be wrong, never. Especially the part that starts on 0'55" on the album if you know what I mean. Madness. Sweating like oxen (especially Peter, the sweat was literally leaking off his arms) Opeth decided to release the speed pedal a bit. The curtains of the Damnation album revealed 'In My Time of Need'. The song gently weeped through the audience who sung along with Michael, magnificent, glad I wasn't the only one. In order to recover completely another Damnation-track, 'To Rid the Disease', was sent into the hall. This was definitly Pers moment because in the other songs his keys weren't that detectable. Plus, his keys sounded quite weird at certain moments. Anyway, on with the show: Michael asked us whether we had known one of those spandex-bands in our country. Fortunately we didn't (as far as I recall), unlike Sweden ofcourse - you know who I'm talking about. And he claimed Opeth proved that they were capable to combine death metal with 'cock rock'-ballads as such
Moreover, he showed us the very evidence: 'The Drapery Falls' entwined the audience with its psychedelic nature. Wonderful. It was time for another oldschool-surprise. A track from the Still Life album... I can't describe the feeling I had when I heard 'This is... Face of Melinda'. Absolutely fantastic you know. I think it's one of the very best songs on Still Life, together with the Moor and White Cluster. After that it was time to give the 'evil' people their 'evil' quality time. Michael introduced the song to the audience with his amusing irony, using the 'evil' triggerwords 'our', 'lord', 'satan' and 'evil'. And thus 'The Grand Conjuration' smashed our brains to the walls. Great sound, even Pers keys managed to come, well, to a detectable level. Then Michael anounced that we had reached the 'ennnd-eh'... of the evening. A violent four on four-beat would conclude the magnificent show. And what better than a twelve-minute long headbanger! The very... 'Blackwater Park' - the title track of their fifth album. After that intense experience the band said goodbye and thanked us for coming. But we are not stupid you know. We knew Opeth had this other song, what is it called - ow right - 'Demon of the Fall'!! After loud cheering from the crowd the band decided to end 'in style' with, exactly, 'Demonnn-eh... of the Fall'. Bloody fucking mental!
This was another delightful experience in my career as an Opeth-fan. It was the fifth time I saw them; the last time was in Lille (France, where they played 'Advent' as well). Michael's close and humourous interaction with the audience is still there and that's become a very part of the show. Moreover: it's a persuasive reason to go to one of their performances after all, in case you are in doubt (which I'll never be, personally).
Brilliant show, brilliant playlist, brilliant atmosphere! It's what we wanted, and it's what we got it along with some excellent surprises.
Cheers!
![[KOTNO]Narrot](/data/avatars/l/1/1031.jpg?1052155060){kind=avatar}
