I last saw both of these bands roughly 20 years ago. Grand Magus were part of a three band bill with Cathedral and Electric Wizard, and they were probably the best band that night. I saw Opeth at roughly the same time and, to be honest, they bored me a bit. However, both bands have been on different trajectories since then. Grand Magus are probably no bigger than they were then and have moved away from the doomy trad metal sound to a more classic metal sound. Opeth on the other hand have got much bigger and have gone much more progressive.
Grand Magus open with the Judas Priest-like 'I, The Jury', a driving piece of classic metal. JB's vocals are a little quiet but his voice still sounds strong, like a more soulful Rob Halford (minus the screams). 'Skybound' features some powerful riffing, reminiscent of Jag Panzer. Their brand of metal sits at the more muscular and less ridiculous end of power metal. The epic 'Ravens Guide Our Way' has lots of Iron Maiden touches, from the 'Wrathchild' style opening to the Steve Harris-esque bass flourishes to the 'Rime Of The Ancient Mariner' middle section. 'Untamed' has a nice, mid-paced, anthemic chorus. However, I would prefer more of the lightning fast, razor sharp, Priest or Accept style riffing that opens the song. 'Like The Oar Strikes The Water' is excellent. The final track 'Hammer Of The North' gets a good response from the crowd with it's 'woah oh' singalong which continues for a few minutes after they've finished their set. It definitely seems like Grand Magus have gained a few fans tonight.
Opeth open with '§1'. It's wildly progressive and heavy with numerous twists and turns. It's very exciting, and Mikael Åkerfeldt's deathly vocals seem effortless. 'The Leper Affinity' is pretty crushing, whilst the gentle mid-section provides some lovely light relief before the punishingly heavy finale. They definitely seem a lot more dynamic than the last time I saw them. 'The Last Will And Testament' material like '§7' combines the latter day progressive elements with the earlier heavier sounds and this translates very well live. Lead guitarist Fredrik Åkesson is excellent throughout. Without the heavier dynamics, the gentler prog rock of 'Häxprocess' is probably more challenging but there's still magic sprinkled within, particularly in Mikael's Knopfler-esque guitar solo. This is partly why they're so beloved, they're challenging but not impenetrable. 'In My Time Of Need' is magical. 'The Night And The Silent Water' doesn't fare as well, as the folk infused guitar lines sound like the theme tune for 'The Riddlers', as most folky metal tended to in the '90s (see also, Skyclad). The ending is pretty dramatic though. 'Ghost Of Perdition' is suffocatingly heavy yet grandiose in its ambition. Mikael humours the crowd who are asking for various songs by playing odd snippets, mainly to demonstrate how he's in the wrong tuning for them. The elegant and classy prog rock of 'A Story Never Told' closes the regular set. Fredrik's solo during this is fantastic. The ominous, lurching doom of 'Sorceress' is spectacular. 'Deliverance' is described by Mikael as 'our 'Paranoid' but fourteen minutes long and really complicated'. It is dynamic and labyrinthine, and is the perfect way to end the show. The staccato climax, in particular, is fucking astounding.
Opeth ****
Grand Magus ****
No comments:
Post a Comment