Opinions are wide and varied when it comes to live albums - people love them, people hate them, people couldn't care less. They also beg several questions: What is the band's agenda? What kind of quality will the recordings bear? Will there be anything compelling about the content within? And of course, will it be worth shelling out the cash to buy an album that will almost certainly contain songs that any fan of the band already has on studio releases? When such questions come to bear, inevitably you're facing a case by case scenario. So, in the case of OPETH, knowing what we know about the band already, is it really worth buying a two-disc live album? The answer would have to be a resounding, "Damn skippy!"

After all, this is OPETH. That name carries a lot of weight and is preceded by considerable prestige, and prestige is a hard earned trait. Few have earned theirs as well as OPETH. First of all, in their almost 18-year career, have they ever released a live album before? No; therefore, it's safe to assume the band's "agenda" is not to overcapitalize on music that already exists - if that was their agenda there'd be several more live albums and greatest hits out there already. So we're left with the acceptable conclusion that after eight phenomenal releases, they've earned the right to kick out some live material. Then there's the fact that, knowing the solemn dedication with which this band approaches their music, the fans are going to get something special, further justifying the purchase of "The Roundhouse Tapes". It has to be said that nothing can compare to a live OPETH experience - not even a well produced and highly varied release such as this - so don't expect the full effect one would receive when standing mere yards from the band while they're performing. However, this is the next best thing, and you'll damn sure get the idea. Plus, if you take into account the way OPETH always mixes up their set list for a given tour, you never know what you'll be treated to. And in planning the release of a double live disc, it would seem they went to even further lengths to satisfy.

And so it happens that even long time OPETH concert goers have probably never heard some of these songs live before. Cases in point: "Under The Weeping Moon" from the "Orchid" album, an album almost never represented in a live setting. Same thing goes for "The Night And The Silent Water" from "Morningrise". Both are songs that were pulled from the distant past, dusted and painstakingly polished, strictly for the sake of giving the fans a little something extra. Then there's the fact that in preparing the set for this release, the band had the presence of mind to represent every album in their career, with the sole exception of "Deliverance" (and considering how long the average OPETH song runs, that's a rather impressive feat). And though this concert occurred at the peak of the "Ghost Reveries" tour, only one song from that album surfaces herein - another sure sign the band is not merely capitalizing on a given moment.

Last but most certainly not least, one must wonder how well such complex compositions as OPETH craft can be translated into a live setting. The answer, as anyone who has seen them live can attest to, lies within one word: Flawlessly. They practice hard and they play harder, and it shows in every vocal and musical transition, every solo, and every subtle nuance. There's a reason OPETH have reached the level they have reached with their music, and a reason that they will continue to rise and prosper: They remain humble, they remain grateful, and they remain determined to evolve and refine their music. And as long as they continue to do so, anything bearing the name OPETH will always imply quality and worth.