Opeth/Mastodon/Ghost show review!

[Valtiel]

I know a bunch of you guys have seen this tour as it rolled through, just wanted to post my impressions!

 

Sadly I missed Ghost which I wouldn't have cared about if it hadn't been for the rave reviews they got here. The friends I was going with told me that doors opened at 8:00pm.....which was wrong. Ghost went on right at 8:00 and apparently played an extremely tight 30 minute set and were out of there.

 

Mastodon slayed. I really like how Troy has come into being the frontman of the band, his vocals were huge and he went nuts running around the stage every chance he got. Brent sounded much more even keeled both in terms of his playing and his vocals than I have seen in past videos, no stage energy though but that wasn't a big deal. It's pretty incredible some of the stuff Brann can not only pull off live but often time while singing, dude is a complete beast.

 

Opeth was........eh. I've been a big fan for a long time but I feel its gotten a bit tired. Mikael is so pitch perfect with his vocals these days that its almost boring, especially since he doesn't really push himself much at all on the new record. The tones were massive though which was awesome, but I got this distinct feeling (this could just be me) that Mikael was well aware of the general "quit playing this meandering new {censored} and play classics!" vibe that the crowd was giving off and just didn't care. This tension piqued when he started playing the intro to The Drapery Falls which is an AWESOME tune off of Blackwater Park and then stopped after a bar and told some lame story about where he stole that riff from only to move on to one of the most boring songs off the new disc. {censored} YOU MIKAEL, that honestly felt like a dick move since BWP is pretty much their most universally cherished album and they didn't play a single song off of it. The new keyboard player is great, excellent backing vocals as well. Overall though the vibe was kinda lousy, lots of people yelling at the band to play some heavy stuff, my favorite of which was a guy behind me yelling "STOP DISAPPOINTING US!"

[sleewell]

Yeah he told a story about some guy the night before flipping them off for their entire set until the last two songs.

 

 

Mastadon was incredible though, they are so {censored}ing good.

[crisis]

Both times Ive seen Opeth I loved them but I do get a bit annoyed with bands who once having found some new direction ware only interested in playing those songs. A bit self indulgent. The reality for top line bands especially here in {censored}ty little Adelaide in Oz is that we don't get to see them hardly at all and when they play here people want to hear their faves they have been hanging out for 5 or so years to hear. Not sure if its the same there though.

[futurism]

wow, someone else from Adelaide

I have seen them a few times in Adelaide, I think the show at the University was the best

[shredhead7]

I saw the tour a month ago...Ghost sounds just like they do on disc, so if you're a fan of that, you would have liked them. I'm curious if they play to a track, because there were harmony vocals, and I didn't see who else was singing. It doesn't take away from anything, just wondering.

 

I'm not a fan of Opeth or Mastodon, but both bands played very tight and did what they do. Your review of Opeth is pretty much the consensus from all of the people that I was with that are fans. In a Guitar World interview Mikael said that bands that rely on their hits aren't trying; that he will always play his newest stuff. If his older fans don't get the new direction, than they don't get the band (more or less). I imagine Opeth will soon be the 2000's version of Queensryche. A band that was once ahead of their time and then changed their sound and now suck.

[JimAnsell]

it was bound to happen. akerfeldt finally let his ego out of the bag.

he realized how awesome he is.

{censored}. well, at least opeth gave us, what? 6 really amazing records?

thats pretty much how it is with all great bands right?

5 or 6 universally lusted after records, and then 4 or 5 or 10 clunkers/ok records.

[KCTigerChief]

it was bound to happen. akerfeldt finally let his ego out of the bag. he realized how awesome he is. {censored}. well, at least opeth gave us, what? 6 really amazing records? thats pretty much how it is with all great bands right? 5 or 6 universally lusted after records, and then 4 or 5 or 10 clunkers/ok records.

 

This is pretty much how I feel. I mean, I'm a huge Pink Floyd fan...and I think their clunker/ok records were actually their FIRST several albums. Pretty much everything after and including The Wall and Dark Side are top tier to me. But you're right, there's always some records that fall short, even from the mega bands

[sleewell]

how about all the full stacks mastadon rolled out?

 

the fender stack was baller, a few oranges & marshalls never hurts either.

 

their guitars were freakin sweet too.

[vbshredder]

 

Both times Ive seen Opeth I loved them but I do get a bit annoyed with bands who once having found some new direction ware only interested in playing those songs. A bit self indulgent. The reality for top line bands especially here in {censored}ty little Adelaide in Oz is that we don't get to see them hardly at all and when they play here people want to hear their faves they have been hanging out for 5 or so years to hear. Not sure if its the same there though.

 

 

Agreed, I'm going to the DC show on Wed and not looking forward to 80% heritage. I get it, they don't wanna be a friggin tribute band but at some point i think you have to give the people what they want. Really enjoy Ghost's stuff, Mastadon i like some stuff, but I haven't really gotten deep into their catalog. Should be a fun show though. Now time to give Heritage a few more listens...

[rushtallica]

Opeth was........eh. I've been a big fan for a long time but I feel its gotten a bit tired. Mikael is so pitch perfect with his vocals these days that its almost boring, especially since he doesn't really push himself much at all on the new record. The tones were massive though which was awesome, but I got this distinct feeling (this could just be me) that Mikael was well aware of the general "quit playing this meandering new {censored} and play classics!" vibe that the crowd was giving off and just didn't care. This tension piqued when he started playing the intro to The Drapery Falls which is an AWESOME tune off of Blackwater Park and then stopped after a bar and told some lame story about where he stole that riff from only to move on to one of the most boring songs off the new disc. {censored} YOU MIKAEL, that honestly felt like a dick move since BWP is pretty much their most universally cherished album and they didn't play a single song off of it. The new keyboard player is great, excellent backing vocals as well. Overall though the vibe was kinda lousy, lots of people yelling at the band to play some heavy stuff, my favorite of which was a guy behind me yelling "STOP DISAPPOINTING US!"

 

Yeah, I think a band has to be aware of what their fans prefer. If they do something new and get enough new fans along with enough old fans to dig it, that's one thing, but if the majority of fans/audience are clamoring for something else, the band should do at least something to give the fans what they want and then try to figure out what direction they want to go when back to the drawing board of writing their next disc. I'm sure it's not a food feeling for a band to have a majority of disliking a new direction they must've put themselves heavily into, but it has to be taken into consideration.

 

It's cool to hear Mastodon put on a great show, though.

[GibsonVMan]

This is pretty much how I feel. I mean, I'm a huge Pink Floyd fan...and I think their clunker/ok records were actually their FIRST several albums. Pretty much everything after and including The Wall and Dark Side are top tier to me. But you're right, there's always some records that fall short, even from the mega bands

 

In a twist of irony...Animals is my favorite Floyd album. The lead guitar on that one speaks to me.

[Harvest]

Saw this tour on Friday as well here. Also missed Ghost... and I got there shortly after 8 and Opeth went on 5 minutes after I got there so they must've started really early which kinda pissed me off. Oh well.

 

As said before, Opeth played 80% Heritage stuff. I don't mind really... I'd prefer if they mixed it up a bit more but to be fair I know if I was touring 200+ shows a year I'd be sick of playing the old stuff too.

 

Burden, Windowpane, Demon of the Fall, Grand Conjuration and Porcelain Heart were the non-Heritage tunes.

 

Mastodon were good too but talk about a huge difference from Mikael's onstage banter... they just walked on, played song after song with minimal breaks to change guitars, get a quick drink of water, and mumbled thanks at the end and that was it

 

I need to get a little more into their back catalogue, I'm only really familiar with Crack the Skye and Hunter...

[t-rey]

So are Mastodon and Opeth trading off headlining?

 

I honestly can't get into Ghost and have no interest in seeing Opeth, but I am considering hitting up the Myrtle Beach show on Friday to see Mastodon.

[sleewell]

So are Mastodon and Opeth trading off headlining? I honestly can't get into Ghost and have no interest in seeing Opeth, but I am considering hitting up the Myrtle Beach show on Friday to see Mastodon.

 

yes. i saw the show a couple weeks ago. opeth was until the last two songs, mastadon owned. i would have been pissed to pay the 30 bucks and see mastadon get the short time slot and then have opeth drag on like that. i like the new opeth when i am chilling at home but standing there for an hour until they got to the old stuff was not as sweet as the awesome tunes mastadon threw down from beginning to end.

[Harvest]

Yeah they're trading off... not sure on the schedule. It might be listed somewhere.

[Phrophus]

I saw Opeth on the Watershed tour, and it was honestly pretty much as you described it despite them playing a couple of tracks from just about every album. They played forever, but it was all so perfect that it just felt kinda boring. It didn't help that Baroness opened for them and blew the doors off that place.

[t-rey]

Right on, thanks mangs

 

Edit - Looks like Mastodon has the set times marked on some of the shows. Says 10:20-11:30 in Myrtle, so I guess they are headlining.

[Valtiel]

Burden, Windowpane, Demon of the Fall, Grand Conjuration and Porcelain Heart were the non-Heritage tunes. Mastodon were good too but talk about a huge difference from Mikael's onstage banter... they just walked on, played song after song with minimal breaks to change guitars, get a quick drink of water, and mumbled thanks at the end and that was it

 

I not a fan of Opeth picking songs like Porcelain Heart and The Grand Conjuration (which are practically the same song) as their heavy songs. TGC is four minutes worth of good material stretched to over 10 minutes, it still baffles me that the song is that long.

[Matt Gnarly]

Saw these guys last night, such a great show. Ghost absolutely killed it, definitely the highlight of the show. Mastodon was pretty solid, but not quite as good as last time I saw them and I would've liked to hear some older material. I've never really listened to Opeth but I really liked the non growly songs. Also I hate strobe lights and lasers blasting my eyes.

[Harvest]

 

I not a fan of Opeth picking songs like Porcelain Heart and The Grand Conjuration (which are practically the same song) as their heavy songs. TGC is four minutes worth of good material stretched to over 10 minutes, it still baffles me that the song is that long.

 

 

Yeah those are my least favorite songs on their respective albums... switch those to Lotus Eater and Reverie/Harlequin Forest, respectively, and we'd be getting closer...

[Valtiel]

Yeah those are my least favorite songs on their respective albums... switch those to Lotus Eater and Reverie/Harlequin Forest, respectively, and we'd be getting closer...

 

Reverie/Harlequin Forest IMO is one of the definitive Opeth songs, the only thing that keeps it from being my absolute favorite is the fact that once again Mikael has a hard time getting out of his own way and letting the song end, preferably either on the beautiful lead harmony/acoustic part or the riff that immediately follows with the "It's all false pretension" lyric. Instead it meanders for another three and a half minutes with forced sounding throwbacks to Still Life and Deliverance. Do I sound enough like a bitter former fanboy yet?

[Abouttreefitty]

Went to the Los Angeles show two weeks back. Left after Ghost played, so I can't comment on Mastadon or Opeth. Hahaha! But Ghost was amazing. So {censored}ing tight it's scary.

 

I saw Opeth years ago and they bored me to death. It didn't help that they played after Nile, who were equally boring as {censored}.

 

Someone filmed the whole Ghost set and put it online. Really great footage. I ripped it, edited it together, and made myself a bootleg dvd.

Watch these in HD.

[video=youtube;ZIF6Y2PVgRA]

[video=youtube;kXNyjVvfJbQ]

[video=youtube;XZBPvus8Jg8]

[video=youtube;8PyycpYCsj8]

[video=youtube;6X9iczdTuO8]

[video=youtube;yK2MdSbx7OU]

[Holy-diver]

I take it you dont like death metal then

[Abouttreefitty]

I take it you dont like death metal then

 

In small doses. But there's only so much cookie monster I can tolerate.

[Repner]

{censored}

 

http://gunshyassassin.com/news/opeths-mikael-akerfeldt-hospitalized-after-car-accident/

 

Glad he's okay. No guitar playing for a while though