Opeth
The Devil's Orchard: Live at Rock Hard Festival 2009

THE REVIEW

While waiting for "Heritage" to see the light of day, just a matter of weeks, Opeth delight us with a release that combines tradition and innovation. What makes this union possible is very simple: "The Devil's Orchard" (published exclusively by Rock Hard DE) is nothing but the performance of the Swedes at the Rock Hard Festival '09, enriched by the title track, the band's latest single, which has the honor and the burden of opening the record.

In recent months, "Heritage" has been a hot and debated topic within the metal community: among a myriad of rumors and hearsay, the only certainty was the total difference of this one from what had been heard so far: vintage sounds and entirely clean vocals. The thought immediately runs to the well-known "Damnation": nothing could be more wrong.

"The Devil's Orchard" is a song of unequivocal power, thanks not so much to the renewed sound, with flurries of organ and formidable basslines, but to a groove that is unprecedented in Opeth's history, not even in the experimental Watershed. In its six and a half minutes, it is impossible not to catch the famous touch of Mikael Åkerfeldt who, this time, has really brought out the famous seventies influences that characterize his progressive songwriting, especially in terms of sound.

As for the concert held at the Amphitheater Gelsenkirchen in 2009, not much to say: a concise setlist (five tracks for an hour of performance), aimed at showcasing the internationally successful albums (Heir Apparent, Ghost of Perdition, The Leper Affinity, Hessian Peel, and Deliverance were the songs selected for the occasion). As one might expect, the performance of the Swedes, except for a couple of imperceptible mistakes, is top-notch: the pillars Mendez and Axenrot are solid and cohesive; skilled and elegant Per Wiberg, who adds effective embellishments to the songs; phenomenal Fredrik Åkesson and, of course, Åkerfeldt immense, lethal both on guitar and behind the microphone: after a first angrier and more concise half-hour, an animalistic and passionate dimension takes over that can only confirm him as one of the best, even as an entertainer (Wie geht's? My name is Michael Hübsch!). Little post-production can only make the experience even more enjoyable.

In conclusion: on the one hand, a single that will leave both longtime fans and newcomers bewildered, both positively and negatively, and on the other, a convincing and enjoyable performance that will surely be appreciated by those already accustomed to the dynamics of the band and, why not, even by those who know little or nothing about this extraordinary Swedish group.

Waiting for Heritage... 8/10.