Opeth in Towson, MD

[Zeta7]

First off Devin Townsend Band is awesome. Second off... who the FUCK had the idea to put Dark Tranquility on this tour? I was afraid the singer was going to jump off the stage and try to have homosexual relations with me. That band, is the worst, gayest shit I've ever heard in my life. Somehow the audience loved it. It's not original... there's absolutely NO difference in ANY of the songs. The vocals ALWAYS sound the same, and the singer is ALWAYS equally as homosexual. Oh, and Opeth was great.

Mikael is a funny prick... but who would expect any less from "the Oracle Of Metal". Good set list (not telling). Good chatter between songs (which they're known for). The guys actually let a couple up on stage so that the dude could propose to his girlfriend who was apparently caught by total suprise. Mikael mentioned that Opeth are also matchmakers as well as "heavy metal gods" and asked for another couple.

One last rant. What in the fuck was up with the neo-nazi mosh pit. Since when do jock pricks with shaved heads and quicksilver shirts come to Opeth shows just to mosh.

Ok, I'm done now.

 

[Maggot9]

youre gay

 

[tynkkr]

I wish I was seeing Devin instead of fucking Devil Driver.

 

[Lietuvis]

What in the fuck was up with the neo-nazi mosh pit. Since when do jock pricks with shaved heads and quicksilver shirts come to Opeth shows just to mosh.

I'm sorry, but I don't have the slightest idea of what you mean.

Maybe the "neo-nazis" were DT fans...

 

[alienuth]

i'd have to disagree on the devin townsend band being awesome. didnt like them at all. and dark tranquillity is awesome. end of story. i too hated the assholes in the pit. i was all up front and having a good time, except for the fact that i couldnt breathe and came so close to passing out, i decided to get the hell outta there before i actually did. but opeth was fucktastic.

 

[Grind Bastard]

First off Devin Townsend Band is awesome. Second off... who the FUCK had the idea to put Dark Tranquility on this tour? I was afraid the singer was going to jump off the stage and try to have homosexual relations with me. That band, is the worst, gayest shit I've ever heard in my life. Somehow the audience loved it. It's not original... there's absolutely NO difference in ANY of the songs. The vocals ALWAYS sound the same, and the singer is ALWAYS equally as homosexual. Oh, and Opeth was great.

Mikael is a funny prick... but who would expect any less from "the Oracle Of Metal". Good set list (not telling). Good chatter between songs (which they're known for). The guys actually let a couple up on stage so that the dude could propose to his girlfriend who was apparently caught by total suprise. Mikael mentioned that Opeth are also matchmakers as well as "heavy metal gods" and asked for another couple.

One last rant. What in the fuck was up with the neo-nazi mosh pit. Since when do jock pricks with shaved heads and quicksilver shirts come to Opeth shows just to mosh.

Ok, I'm done now.

Are you sure?! Please fuck forever off!!! Dark Tranquillity was fucking great!!! Keep you mouth shut about things you don't understand. I think your the one who is gay!!

 

[Zeta7]

I'm not gay... if you like Dark Tranquility, then you don't shit about music in the slightest. Jesus, the band even seems to think they suck. The only two people in the band that seemed to care were the bassist who spent more time posing in front of the audience than playing and the singer who was dancing around on stage like a woman screaming the same time the whole way throughout the set (aside from a 2 second part in a song where he sang 1 line).

It's bands like that that give metal a bad name. And it's bands like that that make me fucking HATE the genre of metal. Watch Headbanger's Ball sometime (which I'm sure you do intently)... EVERY FUCKING MODERN METAL BAND SOUNDS LIKE THAT!!!

There's no fucking depth. WOW... THE GUY CAN PLAY A HALF ASSED SOLO. HE MUST BE METAL ROYALTY. Plus, it's hard to respect a band that cannot even headbang.

Now, I will say this.... in ALL fairness. The band does have potential, but they just need to tone down the fucking keyboards and have some variation to the vocals. Then again I guess it's all good when you're playing to a bunch of stoneheaded grunts.

 

[Zeta7]

You're right, I don't understand it at all. I don't understand how a band like that can be so popular. But hey, when you're spoonfed "what metal is" in your younger years, then those harmonized lead riffs are absolutely wonderful. Whatever happened to artists making their own ART. Why does everyone have to confine themselves to ONE genre in which EVERYONE does the same shit.

I don't like metal that's not heavy. I'm a guitar player (have been for 10 years) and watching people wank their guitars on stage for every second of a song is not entertaining.

Opeth is the shit because they do everything in moderation. They understand that there's a time and a place for things.

 

[Lina]

I'm not gay... if you like Dark Tranquility, then you don't shit about music in the slightest. Jesus, the band even seems to think they suck. The only two people in the band that seemed to care were the bassist who spent more time posing in front of the audience than playing and the singer who was dancing around on stage like a woman screaming the same time the whole way throughout the set (aside from a 2 second part in a song where he sang 1 line).

It's bands like that that give metal a bad name. And it's bands like that that make me fucking HATE the genre of metal. Watch Headbanger's Ball sometime (which I'm sure you do intently)... EVERY FUCKING MODERN METAL BAND SOUNDS LIKE THAT!!!

There's no fucking depth. WOW... THE GUY CAN PLAY A HALF ASSED SOLO. HE MUST BE METAL ROYALTY. Plus, it's hard to respect a band that cannot even headbang.

Now, I will say this.... in ALL fairness. The band does have potential, but they just need to tone down the fucking keyboards and have some variation to the vocals. Then again I guess it's all good when you're playing to a bunch of stoneheaded grunts.

Did you get into metal just last week?

 

[alienuth]

i think hes confused. thought devin townsend band was dark tranquillity and vice versa.

 

[Lietuvis]

I will admit that Dark Tranquility's newer material is not very impressive or original, but their older material is incredible. You cannot just say that a band's entire catalogue is bad after hearing 10 songs at a gig.

I took a friend to see the Opeth/Nevermore/Fireball Ministry show in Montreal, and I though that all of the performances were good, Opeth's being brilliant. However, the sound quality for Nevermore/Fireball Ministry was shit, and my friend did not enjoy one bit of the concert until Opeth began their set.

You may have had a similar experience with Dark Tranquility.

 

[marin1133]

i think hes confused. thought devin townsend band was dark tranquillity and vice versa.

but yea, I like Dark Tranquility... granted I havent heard any of their recent stuff, so maybe it sucks. But still, I heard good things about their newest cd. But theyve been around a long time, its a little absurd to say that they are like all of those other modern metal bands.

 

[Lina]

The funniest part is that Niklas Sundin listens to stuff like Kent.

 

[Lokasenna]

Zeta7, please kill yourself.
Wtf dude - like Lina said, did you get into Metal last week or what?

 

[Zeta7]

Well, they did play an older song, and it sounded a FUCKLOAD better. Like I said, they have potential, but they're squandering it doing the same bullshit. The singer needs to work on his delivery though.

And look... I don't want to start making personal enemies on here. I don't want this to get personal. It was my opinion, and I'm an outspoken person. So my apologies for pissing people off, and for getting myself caught up in the argument.

I always give people a chance, it's just that judging from the fact that all the songs they played sounded the same, what would lead me to believe that their other songs dont? They all have the same changes. And my god, does the man have to try THAT hard to be metal and "scream" every song title? I think it's equally effective when Mikael just murmers "this song is called Baying Of The Hounds, hope you enjoy".

When a band is INTENSE, I can understand it. But there's no intensity to Dark Tranquility that I heard. But like I said earlier, there were a few points where they started doing something that made me go "hey now... maybe they can redeem themselves". They had that long instrumental break at the end of that one song (not the last song I don't believe) and it was awesome. I dunno. I guess I just cant appreciate it. I like bands that are original and have dynamic.

And no, I know who Devin Townsend is. His music reminded me (SOMEWHAT) of Primus and Buckethead.

This is my problem with metal fans and metal in general. If the band doesn't fit the set metal mold, then the band is not good. Do you think Opeth would have the following they do if they hadn't released some more typical metal stuff to begin with? I doubt it.... most metal fans wouldn't give it a chance just because it's not "METAL" enough.

I've been listening to Metal for a long time, by the way. I've been listening to MUSIC in general for a long time. I have the same problem with the genre of metal that I do with EVERY other genre. There's 3 or 4 really good artists from each, and the rest are just like... filler material.

Now, for the typical "fan" that just like's metal bands because they're metal. I'm sure alot of those bands are just great. But when you grew up with things like Pink Floyd and Steelie Dan and The Beatles... you get used to bands actually putting effort into making a song. I'm sure that even the biggest metal head (if he TRULY knows what the fuck he's talking about) would admit that metal has a stigma attached to it. Mainly because of the bands I'm talking about. But every now and again, there's a band that shines through and does their own thing. That's what music is about.

 

[froghawk]

Zeta7 is 100% right about Dark Tranquility. Devin the bipolar Canadian was awesome, but Dark Tranquility was fucking awful.

I was familiar with some of their music, and I never liked their vocalist, but once I saw what the guy was like... good god. It's like they took some douchebag singer from an '80s hair metal metal band who loves beating his chest and making stupid gestures who they made to scream in annoying monotone voice. I enjoy metal vox only if they're dynamic (ie Opeth). This guy screamed on the same pitch the whole time and acted like a douchebag. Then the bassist came out front and started mouthing along with the words, and occasionally stopped playing bass to direct the crowd. The drummer played the same thing on every song, and there was no variation... after about 3 songs in when I got over how stupid they were, I just got bored. The keyboardist was good and the guitarists were alright, but the vocalist and derivative melodeath songwriting ruined their set completely. For those of you who are getting Devildriver and DT as the openers, make sure you show up really late because they're both awful.

The one song they played from the Gallery sounded like it could have been good with a different vocalist.

 

[Zeta7]

Lets not forget the guy screaming the first two words of every song title and then putting the mic out to the audience to let them finish, and then saying "INDEEEEEEED"

EVERY

FUCKING

SONG!!!!!!

If the guy fucking SANG more often, and they toned down the keyboards, they'd sound FAR better.

 

[marin1133]

the guy used to sing more... do you know any older DT stuff?? and did they play any of it live...

 

[Lina]

Well, they did play an older song, and it sounded a FUCKLOAD better. Like I said, they have potential, but they're squandering it doing the same bullshit. The singer needs to work on his delivery though.

Just for the record, Dark Tranquillity are the pioneers of the Gothenburg sound and the only band of that genre that's still writing worthwhile, original music. Arch Enemy, Soilwork, In Flames -- all disgraceful. And to compare Dark Tranquillity to anything on Headbanger's Ball is laughable -- DT are not nu-metal in any way. If last night was your only exposure to them, you probably couldn't hear the beautiful melodies, harmonies, layering, and intelligent lyrics that separate them from the jock-metal you (and I) hate.

This is my problem with metal fans and metal in general. If the band doesn't fit the set metal mold, then the band is not good. Do you think Opeth would have the following they do if they hadn't released some more typical metal stuff to begin with? I doubt it.... most metal fans wouldn't give it a chance just because it's not "METAL" enough.

This leaves me totally confused. You're calling Opeth's older material "more typical metal"? Uh, they've only become huge since releasing more commercial, standard-compositional material like Deliverance and BWP to a degree. Hence, all the Lamb of God and Slipknot shirts in the audience last night. I assure you those folks weren't there to hear anything pre-BWP.

 

[Lina]

the guy used to sing more... do you know any older DT stuff?? and did they play any of it live...

No, nothing off Projector. One from The Gallery, one from Haven, and the rest from Damage Done and Character.