 |
|
July 20, 2008 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
OPETH - Lamentations - Live At Shepherd's Bush Empire 2003
Music For Nations (2003) |
9.5/10 |
|
|
|
|
|
01. Windowpane
02. In My Time Of Need
03. Death Whispered A Lullaby
04. Closure
05. Hope Leaves
06. To Rid The Disease
07. Ending Credits
08. Harvest
09. Weakness
10. Master's Apprentices
11. The Drapery Falls
12. Deliverance
13. The Leper Affinity
14. A Fair Judgement
Bonus Footage
Documentary - The making of "Deliverance" and "Damnation"
|
|
Highly regarded as one of Sweden's most amazing metal outfits, OPETH have finally brought their music to the masses with this live DVD. This is an excellent video for current fans or a fantastic introduction to the band for anyone curious about the hype surrounding OPETH.
Video (9/10)
Drawing only from their latest three studio albums ("Blackwater Park", "Damnation", and "Deliverance") due to legalities, OPETH put together a near flawless show for fans old and new. Upon taking the stage, Mikael Åkerfeldt informs the audience of what they're in for: "a 2 part show, the first being mellow, and the second part speeding things up for you motherfuckers!" This news gets the fans wound up and without much more being said, the band start working their magic, setting the mood for an evening which will not soon be forgotten.
The band, consisting of Mikael Åkerfeldt (Guitars & Vocals), Peter Lindgren (Guitars), Martin Mendez (Bass), and Martin Lopez (Drums) dive right into the first half of the evening, showcasing songs exclusively from the "Damnation" album (and in the exact album order), with the exception of sandwiching "Blackwater Park"'s "Harvest" between "Ending Credits" and "Weakness". Accompanying OPETH on stage is honorary fifth member, keyboard player Per Wiberg.
Rather than spend time chatting-up the audience, the band let the music do the talking as they quickly assault the audience with song after song of intricate basslines, thunderous percussion, Mikael's trademark clean and death vocals, and riff-heavy guitars...pure metal! The band delivers every track flawlessly, each member obviously a master of their respective instrument.
This DVD places you right there with OPETH. No less than ten cameras are used to capture this event in its very intimate setting, giving that up-close & personal feel so many bands strive to achieve via the DVD concert format. There isn't a lot of quick camera-angle changes (usually annoying) or telescopic shots; the cameras are all zoomed in and the angles are fantastic. With so many cameras, it's interesting to note that you never spot another cameraman during the show.
Audio (9.5/10)
The audio track offers outstanding stereo sound and separation, as does the 5.1 Surround track which makes you feel like you're standing out in front of the stage with the rest of the rabid OPETH fans. You can distinctly and clearly hear the bass, guitars, keyboards, and those ferocious drums...this is no soundboard recording!
Extras (10/10)
In my opinion, the 1+ hour documentary about the band and the stories behind the recording of the "Deliverance" and "Damnation" albums is worth the price of the DVD alone. Also covered is band history, when each of the band members began playing their respective instruments, technical problems in the studio, and a detailed peek inside of the recording process for "Deliverance" and "Damnation". It certainly is an interesting background on the band and the many facets of recording. The viewer gets to see producer Steve Wilson (of PORCUPINE TREE) lends his ideas, vocals, and instrumentation to the band. Producer and band certainly seem to complement each other and this becomes obvious with the "behind the scenes" footage.
I would've liked to have seen some older songs included here, but I'm happy to see this today, rather than wait through legalities to see it sometime in the future, or not see it at all. The band continue to astonish everyone with their "progressive death metal" and show they can pull off the mellower songs convincingly, with much respect from their fans.
This is the benchmark live concert DVD by which I feel all others should be judged against in terms of both audio and video quality. Get it, drop it in, turn it up, and enjoy over two hours of fantastic musicianship!
|
|
|
|
