I first saw Opeth at the 2005 Sounds of the Underground concert. A friend of mine who went with me was really impressed with them and bought "Deliverance". I didn't think much of it at the time, but the more I listened to the album, the more interested I got; and now, they're one of my favorite bands ever.
For me that concert was a nice band sampler at a time when I was just beginning to learn about the variety of metal out there, though it seems kind of freakish that Opeth appeared in the concert, otherwise completely composed of U.S. bands.
I also discovered Clutch there, which has become another of my favorite bands - though to nowhere near the degree of Opeth. Those two were pretty much the only bands worth hearing at that show.
saw Orchid in a store back in 95, took a listen and the first minute of 'In Mist She Was Standing' was enough to convince me.
Hm. The first minute of In the Mist would
not have sold me on Opeth. To me it sounds like some strange bastardization of Viking metal that goes nowhere, and nothing like the rest of their discography.
It's probably fortunate that I heard Deliverance first, as the rest of their stuff isn't too accessible. I especially had trouble getting into "Orchid" and "Morningrise" when I first heard them, but naturally they grew on me, like all the other albums. Opeth definitely has that 'fine wine' quality to them.