Swedish prog-metal legends Opeth had The Palais Theatre captivated Friday night with a setlist filled with fan favourites and frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt’s charming crowd banter.
It’s been six years since Opeth have played an Australian venue, much to our dismay. But on Friday night, on a cool breezy evening at Melbourne’s Palais Theatre, the Swedish prog legends quickly made up for it.
Kicking the night off was Brisbane’s own Caligula’s Horse, who have quickly become the most consistent and trusted Aussie prog group around. Singer Jim Grey would address the crowd calmly and cheekily, showing complete confidence going up against the prog nerd crowd. In between songs, the singer would marvel at the prestigious venues they’ve been able to play opening for Opeth, and would be the first to drop the classic Aussie c-bomb to celebrate the moment.
The Brisbane rockers would play a tight and concise set filled with lengthy 10-minute songs spread across their entire discography.
Grey would demonstrate his immense range, effortlessly switching between his soaring vibrato and sensitive high register. Drummer Josh Griffin, guitarist Sam Vallen and bassist Dale Prinsse were also a marvel to watch, putting on an absolute masterclass of musicianship.
But of course, fans came roaring in as the main act was set to take the stage.
Opeth would walk out onto the stage as a haunting folk hymn blared through the speakers. As the poem would finish, the band would immediately dive into their new track ‘§1’, from their 2024 album The Last Will And Testament. With no rest, the band would also launch into classics, ‘Master’s Apprentices’ and ‘The Leper Affinity’.
Only after the trio of songs would frontman Mikhael Åkerfeldt address the crowd in his usual cheeky and sarcastic fashion. Fans from the crowd would yell out in Swedish to the singer, with one fan running up to the stage to ask for a pick, which Åkerfeldt would happily hand over.
The theme of pocking fun at the snobbery of prog metal fans would continue throughout the night as Åkerfeldt would jest about playing newer material, declaring with dry wit, “In 65 years, this might be considered a good song”, before launching into the track ‘The Devil’s Orchard’ from 2013’s polarised album Heritage. Despite the self-deprecation, fans roared with cheers and laughs as the Swedish prog legends ripped through the track.
From then on, the night was filled with fan-favourite tracks, including ‘The Grand Conjuration’, ‘Ghost of Perdition’, and would finish with the epic closer ‘Deliverance’.
The two-hour set would breeze by thanks to the band’s masterful playing and Åkerfeldt’s effortless charisma as a frontman.
As a fan who’s waited years to hear one of the most evil growls in metal, Åkerfeldt would deliver, switching between spine-chilling harsh vocals to his rich and resonant cleans in tracks like ‘To Rid The Disease’ and ‘§7’.
This would also be the first Australian tour to feature new drummer Waltteri Väyrynen, who would tear through tracks both new and old. Väyrynen was one of the highlights of The Last Will And Testament, and watching the Swedish drummer effortlessly perform the end of ‘Deliverance’ was worth the price of admission alone.
Another highlight of the night featured keyboard wizard Joakim Svalberg going ham on the bongos during ‘The Grand Conjuration’ during the tension-building parts of the track.
Of course, guitarist Fredrik Åkesson and bass player Martín Méndez were also at the top of their form, having their chances to shine throughout the night.
If there were any Opeth sceptics at the start of the night, by the end of the two-hour show, they would be full-blown converts. With a night filled with solid tunes, excellent musicianship and self-deprecating humour, you couldn’t have asked for a better night with Opeth.
Check out the full gallery below, with photos by Ben Gunzberg.
Opeth @ Palais Theatre, Melbourne Gallery
RELATED
MORE IN News
