The official Opeth thread v. In Cauda Venenum

[?]

I saw Opeth in Helsinki last month and wrote a review

[utopiarun]

Opeth posted yesterday on Twitter about a few shows being cancelled due to Mikael's acute laryngitis. Sorry if you had tix to those shows. I hope he's ok for NY this weekend! Sorry I don't know how to link images.
 

[King Postwhore]

I was supposed to see Opeth last night but they postponed last minute.  Mikael had laryngitis.

[Buddyhunter1]

I was supposed to see Opeth last night but they postponed last minute.  Mikael had laryngitis.

Same. Opted not to get a refund yet, hopefully they re-schedule soon. Maybe even get a venue switch to somewhere better than the Palladium.

[King Postwhore]

The Paladium renovated and the place is 1000 x better. I was shocked to see it done.

[Ben_Jamin]

I remembered and finally bought Garden of The Titans. It's a good live release with a great setlist as well. I wanted to go to this so bad, but had other obligations. The weather being nippy and windy, plus the lighting, made for a great atmosphere/vibe for them.

[mike099]

Eating at Jimmy Johns before the Opeth concert at the Ryman Auditorium.  Did not look at the set list, but heard it is a good set. 

[fadetoblackdude7]

Eating at Jimmy Johns before the Opeth concert at the Ryman Auditorium.  Did not look at the set list, but heard it is a good set.

It is. Although they have made a couple changes since the NA leg started.

[mike099]

As expected in the Ryman, the sound was awesome.  I was 3 rows back from the stage.
Graveyard opened and I enjoyed the set and the crowd reacted well to them. They were stoner/jam.

Opeth was really good, although it did bog down a bit for me and a few of the songs were not my favorites, but you can’t please everyone.

As stated in the post above, the set was changed some.  I really wanted to hear a song from Still Life, but got a song from the last album, which rocked.

[Rattlehead]

I saw them in NYC on their second night at the Apollo. It was a great show and Mikael sounded surprisingly good considering how he was getting over laryngitis.

I didn't care for the opening act Graveyard, they seemed to be a talented group but it just felt like their songs mostly blended together and the set really dragged for me.

I wasn't expecting Mikael to do the new songs in Swedish, but it was definitely cool. They played some of the best songs on the new album and the setlist overall was great. I just found it puzzling that they played the same exact setlist on both nights NYC. I would have been slightly disappointed if I had attended both shows, but as always it was a treat to see them again. 

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Opeth - Hope Leaves

Hmm somethings diffrent  Pretty cool though!

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Can I just take the moment to highlight the last couple of seconds of Ghost of Perdition, such a great ending riff! 

[fadetoblackdude7]

Can I just take the moment to highlight the last couple of seconds of Ghost of Perdition, such a great ending riff! 

That whole song (and album for that matter) is just absolutely perfect IMO. To me, it's the defining Opeth song.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Can I just take the moment to highlight the last couple of seconds of Ghost of Perdition, such a great ending riff! 

That whole song (and album for that matter) is just absolutely perfect IMO. To me, it's the defining Opeth song.

Yea I pretty much agree on that.

[Buddyhunter1]

Ghost Reveries hasn't aged as well as some of their other albums for me; I think it'd just barely crack my top five of theirs. That said, it's the perfect entry point for someone who's first getting into the band. Sits right in the middle between their death metal / progressive rock elements without tipping too far in either direction.

[fadetoblackdude7]

Ghost Reveries hasn't aged as well as some of their other albums for me; I think it'd just barely crack my top five of theirs. That said, it's the perfect entry point for someone who's first getting into the band. Sits right in the middle between their death metal / progressive rock elements without tipping too far in either direction.

That’s one of the many reasons why it’s my favorite album

[Zydar]

It's my favourite album too.

[NoseofNicko]

+2

[Volante99]

Hot take:

Heritage is still the best “post-growl” Opeth album and better than half of their growl albums, and might be in the top 10 prog albums of the decade.

Also, the production on that album is incredible. Listening to the album on some Tannoy Red studio monitors sounds like the band is playing in my room. The drum sounds are orgasmic.

[Buddyhunter1]

Heritage is still the best “post-growl” Opeth album

Yes!

and might be in the top 10 prog albums of the decade

aaand you lost me. Unless your definition of "prog" is really narrow.

[Volante99]

Heritage is still the best “post-growl” Opeth album

Yes!

and might be in the top 10 prog albums of the decade

aaand you lost me. Unless your definition of "prog" is really narrow.

It’s not that my definition of prog is narrow, I just think it’s THAT good. Case in point, I would easily put it over any DT album of the past decade, except maybe ADToE, and that’s a big maybe.

[Mister Gold]

Can I just take the moment to highlight the last couple of seconds of Ghost of Perdition, such a great ending riff! 

I admittedly have a habit of rewinding the last few moments of GoP so I can hear that ending riff a few more times. It's on par with the ending riff of Iron Maiden's Hallowed Be Thy Name in terms of wrapping up an epic with a bang!

Can I just take the moment to highlight the last couple of seconds of Ghost of Perdition, such a great ending riff! 

That whole song (and album for that matter) is just absolutely perfect IMO. To me, it's the defining Opeth song.

Yeah. I'm not sure if it's my absolute favorite Opeth song or not, but I think it's the perfect one to show to newcomers and try to get them hooked right away.

As for Opeth's best album, I'm not sure. I have come to better appreciate and love Ghost Reveries over time, but I've always had a soft spot for My Arms Your Hearse and especially Still Life.

[425]

Heritage is still the best “post-growl” Opeth album and better than half of their growl albums, and might be in the top 10 prog albums of the decade.

I adore Heritage. In fact, my hotter take is that it is my favorite Opeth album, period, easily.

Top 10 prog albums of the decade is a really tough list to crack, though.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Can I just take the moment to highlight the last couple of seconds of Ghost of Perdition, such a great ending riff! 

I admittedly have a habit of rewinding the last few moments of GoP so I can hear that ending riff a few more times. It's on par with the ending riff of Iron Maiden's Hallowed Be Thy Name in terms of wrapping up an epic with a bang!

:highfive:

Did that too the other day, I gotta hear it a couple of times whenever I listen to it. 

[Mister Gold]

Just as an aside here, if any folks in the thread are wanting to hear a band that captures a lot of the vibes of classic metal era of Opeth, check out Wilderun. They're more folky/symphonic, but that band definitely seems to capture the vibe of the older era of Opeth without coming off as a total ripoff.

Can I just take the moment to highlight the last couple of seconds of Ghost of Perdition, such a great ending riff! 

I admittedly have a habit of rewinding the last few moments of GoP so I can hear that ending riff a few more times. It's on par with the ending riff of Iron Maiden's Hallowed Be Thy Name in terms of wrapping up an epic with a bang!

:highfive:

Did that too the other day, I gotta hear it a couple of times whenever I listen to it. 

I tend to rewind it about three to five times before moving on to other stuff. It's just too good an ending!

[goo-goo]

Was watching Criminal Minds last night (Season 1, Episode 22) and right before it ends, Opeth music comes in the background. The song was Death Whispered a Lullaby. Pretty cool hearing it in a TV series.

[Kram]

I gave this a spin today for the first time in several months and I've got to say it's held up quite well. Definitely the best post Watershed work in my opinion.  Every song is strong IMO.  I got goosebumps at the end of All Things Will Pass.  It's like that part doesn't just resolve the song but resolves the whole album - good stuff!

[DTA]

I wish I liked it. I listened a bunch  the first week it came out and have had zero desire to listen to it since then. None of these songs stick in my head or connect in any way...it's all so lifeless to me and nothing keeps my interest.

[fadetoblackdude7]

I’m a bit confused why people don’t talk about how epic Next of Kin is. The guitar work, and that outro!

[Buddyhunter1]

Next Of Kin might be my favorite on the album, yeah. Took a bit for me to warm up to it, though.

[fadetoblackdude7]

My favorite too

[Mladen]

That's one of their darkest, most sinister songs in the last ten years. Mikael's vocals are especially chilling.

[Volante99]

I wish I liked it. I listened a bunch  the first week it came out and have had zero desire to listen to it since then. None of these songs stick in my head or connect in any way...it's all so lifeless to me and nothing keeps my interest.

That’s kinda how I feel about the last three albums. Sure there’s an okay riff here, a cool solo there, but there isn’t one single song in the last three albums where I’ve ever said to myself - “Oh, man, I really want to listen to X song again”.

[Kram]

Yes, Next of Kin is one of my favorites too. There's a few good guitar solos on this album.  I really like the solo in Lovelorn Crime as well!

[RoeDent]

Intriguing that, in my experience of Opeth so far, the sound I define them by is the acoustic guitar, not the electric. That, or the guitar/organ/bass unison/octaves passages.