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Opeth has been an unfaltering headstone in the death metal world for quite some time now, and while they have written some of the most (in my opinion) brutal songs to date, they have always retained their originality and softer side. The original trademark of the band was not Mikael’s deep growls, or Lopez’s often jazz inspired beats, but their seamless incorporation of acoustic segments into death metal tracks. To my knowledge, this had not been done at all, and definitely not as effectively, prior to Opeth. The fresh combination of soothing acoustic sections and extremely heavy death metal segments while initially surprising, is somehow not all that unexpected. The music itself carefully builds the tension that eventually explodes and fades into an afterglow of gentle acoustics. This ingenuity rubs off very well on live shows, because not only can you laugh at those obviously not well acquainted with the material (you know who I’m talking about, the guy up front who head-bangs hard right into and through the beginning of one of the acoustic segments) but because energy is the basis of a metal concert. The manner in which Opeth creates, releases, and rebuilds this electricity, is what makes one of their live shows so enthralling. The DVD effectively captures this, the band’s technicality, and the emotion that runs throughout the music, particularly the tracks from Damnation.
The first section of the DVD to talk about is the actual concert. This particular performance had a pretty good set list, although I really would have liked to have seen Demon of the Fall or really ANY song from My Arms Your Hearse. Regardless, my real complaint with the set list was the order in which they were played. While I can understand the idea of playing the entire Damnation album first and then playing death metal tracks for the second half of the performance, I would have liked a little more variety. I think it would have worked better had they mixed it up a little more, but overall it worked out all right. After all, that’s what the skip chapter button is for right? Oh the wonders of technology! The bands performance is nearly flawless as usual, and the recording quality is excellent. The clean vox ring through smooth and clear, and the death metal growls are as brutal as they’ve ever been. The Damnation tracks are the live embodiment of everything the album was all about. It’s quiet but strong, emotional, and both relaxing and invigorating at the same time. I also must say that while this DVD does still capture my attention each time I watch it, it’s exactly the same as the three times I’ve seen Opeth live. They’re live show doesn’t change a whole lot from one show to another.
The documentary section of the DVD is a definite plus as well. While it gets a little dull here and there, it will keep your attention for the most part. There is a LOT of content as well, encompassing the band’s troubles with the production of Deliverance and Damnation, the members’ relationships with one another, the song writing and recording process, and their history as musicians and as a band. The one-on-one interview-like sections interesting and it never really gets bogged down on a certain subject, although Mikael does complain about the process of recording Deliverance a little exorbitantly. I was really pleased with the sections that discussed their song writing processes, as it gives the viewer a better look into what goes into an Opeth song. Overall this DVD is worth the buy, and you’ll want to watch it beginning to end at least a few times before you resort to skipping around and watching just your favorite songs.
| Tracklist |
| Concert: |
| 1. Windowpane |
| 2. In My Time Of Need |
| 3. Death Whispered A Lullaby |
| 4. Closure |
| 5. Hope Leaves |
| 6. To Rid The Disease |
| 7. Ending Credits |
| 8. Harvest |
| 9. Weakness |
| 10. Master's Apprentices |
| 11. The Drapery Falls |
| 12. Deliverance |
| 13. The Leper Affinity |
| 14. A Fair Judgement |
| Documentary: The making of "Deliverance" and "Damnation" |
: 120.00
| Buy other Opeth albums |
