Just witnessed your best live gig?..send us a review!

OPETH
Kentish Town Forum, 30 November 2005

Opeth have produced arguably some of the best metal CDs in the past decade but does that mean they are any good live?

Well from last night's showing that would be a giant no. It was one of the most boring gigs I or my companion Birger (a metal veteran) have ever attended in our years of gig going.

Musically it was perfect, almost too perfect, but aesthetically it was pants. It was so bad that some were heard to be yelling for the lead singer to shut the hell up and get on with it; and at least one "bring back Akerkocke" was heard as well.

Quite a bit was wrong with last night. The venue was unsuitable for such a band as it did not allow very good viewing anywhere up front and the sound was nothing special either. Ditto the stage show (none) and the light show...which was far better suited to Mostly Autumn than a death metal band.

The line-up was a joke as well. What numbskull put Akerkocke with a freaking symphonic metal band? Totally different crowds and genre.

Opeth may think they are still "just a death metal band" but they aren't. Their music is far more suited to a power-prog show ala (PowerProgUK) than a death metal gig at a dive in Kentish town.

The band played songs from their various different guises but it was still far more prog like than death metal. I saw many people yawning a few numbers into the gig.

I think Opeth is one of the best heavy metal bands around at the moment but to pay so much money to see such a lousy gig was a travesty. Lots of people left early and that was no surprise.

**

Review: Marty Dodge