This is the front runner for best live show of 2009. I used to listen to Opeth's Orchid all the damn time. I sampled a few of their albums since then, but not with any great affection. Looking at the band's website now, it shocks me that Orchid came out all the way back in 1994 (damn, I'm old), and they've released 10 albums since then. What a fool I've been not to pay closer attention.
What made this show so amazing? First and foremost, front man Mikael Akerfeldt is hilarious in a dead-pan Swedish sort of way. If you've ever watched Metalocalypse, think of Skwisgaar Skwigelf with a Bob Newhart or Johnathan Katz dead-pan sense of humor. There's no way to recapture the brilliance in print - the delivery was at least 50% of the amazingness - but banter ranged from discussions about Chewbacca to volunteering to get things shot into his ass.
Oh, and the music. Sound, stage presence, unbelievably tight and competent musicianship by every member were simply overwhelming. I haven't been to a show in ages where I got chills from how fantastically every element was pulled together. Akerfeldt is the only original member of Opeth left, but he has surrounded himself with some of the finest musicians in metal toady, and boy do they know how to get a crowd to lap it all up. Consider me one of the begging drones, for I was completely transfixed. Considering I only recognized about 3 tunes, I'm definitely going to go get the back catalog. If that's what a live show is intended to do, then mission accomplished.
With this post, I'm starting a new rating system: Value:Cost ratio. This show cost $30 (included was Enslaved, as the opener). I would easily pay $50 to see Opeth do it again. Therefore, my rating is:
$50:$30 = 167% = A++
No comments:
Post a Comment