A few days before Opeth and Katatonia’s show at the 15th annual New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, my wife informed me that we were going to check out Opeth’s acoustic set in honor of Record Store Day. The Newbury Comics store was packed with Opeth fans, clutching copies of Heritage and holding up phones, making videos destined for YouTube. It was truly awesome to see and hear them play through handful of classic songs, including a haunting version of “Demon of the Fall,” which they re-worked for this recent tour. The band stayed long enough for everyone to stop by for an autograph and handshake.
Later that day, Opeth took the stage as the headliner at day 2 of the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. One of the things I love about seeing Opeth is that you never really know what they are going to play. The first Heritage tour was a cool mix of new stuff and acoustic songs, and the sets have become progressively more blended as Opeth perfects the art of weaving together songs from their deep catalogue.
With its distinctive opening riff and spacey prog feel, “The Devil's Orchard” is a great starting point. The audience still has no idea what to expect from these masters of genre bending. The pit at the Palladium came to life with “Ghost of Perdition” and “White Cluster,” both exemplifying Opeth's technical wizardry. Singer/guitarist, Mikael Akerfeldt’s growl is as devilish as ever, making the moments of clarity in clean vocal shine through. Pulling back on the sonic reigns, Opeth explored their more delicate sounds with Hope leaves and Atonement, before treating the fans to “Deliverance,” “Hessian Peel,” and “Haxprocess.”
There comes a point in every Opeth, as they break for lengthy guitar tuning breaks, when fans shout the names of songs they want to hear. The venerable favorite is a cry for one Opeth’s heaviest, “Demon of the Fall.” At this show, Opeth would give the fans what they demanded, but on their own terms. With haunting harmonies and adept interplay between each of the instrumental voices, the band brought their acoustic rendition of this song to the fans. Similar to the set performed earlier that day, but with richer tones, new life was given to this crowd favorite. With notes and vocals exposed in the acoustic setting, Opeth brilliantly executes one of their best live tracks.
“Demon of the Fall” would set up a spectacular one-two punch as Opeth closed out their career-spanning set (eight out of ten albums represented) with “Reverie/Harlequin Forest” and “Blackwater Park.” And while even Akerfeldt questioned the choice of Opeth to headline the Metal and Hardcore Festival, the Swedish quintet proved that they can perform delicate melodies alongside face-melting death metal (often in the same song) with unrivaled skill and intensity.
Video: Demon of the Fall (Acoustic)
Setlist (from setlist.fm)
Acoustic Set at Newbury Comics, Leominster, MA
1. Credence
2. Hope Leaves
3. Atonement
4. Häxprocess
5. Demon of the Fall
New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, Worcester, MA
1. The Devil's Orchard
2. Ghost of Perdition
3. White Cluster
4. Hope Leaves
5. Atonement
6. Deliverance
7. Hessian Peel
8. Häxprocess
9. Demon of the Fall
11. Reverie/Harlequin Forest
10. Blackwater Park
