LIVE REVIEW: Opeth @ The Roundhouse, London
It would be tough to argue against the notion that OPETH are one of the most significant metal bands of the 21st century. Endlessly varied yet instantly recognisable, the brainchild of Mikael Åkerfeldt have amassed a rich catalogue and displayed mastery of progressive and extreme music in all its forms. 2024’s The Last Will And Testament was its best new addition in a decade, and as part of their Europe and UK touring cycle to promote it, OPETH made a sold-out stop to iconic London venue The Roundhouse.
Support comes in a diametrically-opposed fashion, in the face of traditional metal merchants GRAND MAGUS. The Swedish three-piece hit the filling-up Roundhouse with a doom-tinged brand of classic heavy metal, featuring uncomplicated riffs, catchy hooks and rip-roaring guitar solos. Frontman and lead guitarist Janne ‘JB’ Christoffersson is visually striking on stage, looking like a jacked younger version of Rob Halford, but his somewhat awkward stage banter between songs fails to connect. Still, the progressively-minded crowd responds positively to the rock n’ roll stylings of the Stockholm trio, capped off with a stunning audience singalong for set closer Hammer Of The North. More of an amuse bouche than an appetizer, GRAND MAGUS whet our appetite for the altogether more indulgent main course that’s to follow.
Rating: 6/10
The dimmed stage and the five silhouettes on it are suddenly illuminated by the ‘frame’ of disjointed screens that surrounds them, projecting artwork from The Last Will and Testament, as its opener §1 echoes through the North London venue. The shiver-inducing melodies and a growling Mikael Åkerfeldt are here to announce OPETH in all their glory. A double of fan-favourite epics Master’s Apprentices and The Leper Affinity follows to cement this impression, serving more head-ripping riffs in two songs than most bands write in an entire career.
These modern metal classics sound extra vibrant and exciting, and a big part of this is the inclusion of new drummer Waltteri Väyrynen (ex-PARADISE LOST). The thirty-year-old has injected new lifeblood into the quintet through his playing style that is aggressive, yet marked by dynamism and subtlety. His first recorded work sees him come up with some stunningly challenging drum parts – and Åkerfeldt himself jokes about the stupidly complex jobs they’ve given themselves while introducing §7 – but the band sounds like a well-oiled machine.
While the return of the death metal stylings are the topic of the day for OPETH, the Swedes don’t neglect to give a nod to their softer side. Deep cut Häxprocess gives us a reminiscence of the cult 70s folk-prog concerts that this historic venue has seen, whereas ballad In My Time Of Need sees the crowd relieve Åkerfeldt of singing duties during the choruses. The frontman is on familiar good form tonight, cracking dry jokes and exuding an aura of complete confidence. His high watermark comes after a peak in the set itself – the jubilant reception to Ghost Of Perdition makes him exclaim “haven’t we been fucking great tonight?”. Yes, Mikael, you bloody have.
The odd thing about an OPETH concert is that it can only ever scratch the surface. Two hours of playing only encompass ten songs and entirely gloss over some of their most beloved albums, yet main set closer A Story Never Told once again cements the great reception of the new material. The encore is time to land the plane home safely. Sorceress crushes with its bulldozing main motif, while Deliverance – a song steadily becoming their equivalent of Free Bird – finally brings us to progressive death nirvana.
Simultaneously virtuosic and direct, with a live show that makes your jaw drop at its technical brilliance while maintaining a lightness of touch, OPETH remain a live force to be reckoned with.
Rating: 10/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in London from Karolina Janikunaite here:
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