THE ROUNDHOUSE TAPES

Hard to believe that this is OPETH's first live record. Maybe that's why they made it a double,while dipping into 7 of their 8 previous studio albums for material. Which is no small feat considering there are only 9 songs on this double disc set. The only album that isn't represented is "Deliverance".This was recorded in London during their "Ghost Reveries" tour which would be the last tour for lead guitarist Peter Lindgren before he would leave the band.Travis Smith creates another amazing album cover.

Things get started with "When" from the "My Arms, Your Hearse" album. You can hear the restless crowd noises as the sounds of guitar start to rise from the stage with the audience roaring their approval. A crushing 3 minutes of metal and growls is replaced by a beautiful interlude followed by clean vocals for the first time after 7 minutes.These guys really pull it off live the way they change from brutal to beauty in a flash. "Ghost Of Perdition" from "Ghost Reveries" is next with again the contrast of brutal vocals and crushing instrumental work with the mellow,melancholic passages continues. It sounds like flute 7 minutes in. "Under The Weeping Moon" is from their first record called "Orchid". Akerfeldt announces that the lyrics are really black metal nonsense. The atmosphere 3 minutes in is spine tingling and it continues for 3 1/2 minutes. A mellow section ends the song. "Bleak" from "Blackwater Park" is my second favourite song on here. I can't play this one loud enough. Akerfeldt actually sounds like Steven Wilson after 3 minutes. This is such an emotional track for me. "Face Of Melinda" from "Still Life" is my third favourite song. The first 5 1/2 minutes are quite reserved actually and then the power is turned way up with some great guitar to end it. Akerfeldt named his daughter Melinda. "The Night And Silent Water" is from "Morningrise". As Akerfeldt tells the audience a story he can't handle the crowd noise and tells them to Shut the f#*@k up in a calm slow voice, then goes on to tell them that he brought a lute to the recording studio for that album but never used it. So where you hear the guitars at the beginning of the song that is where the lute would have been played. A crushing wall of sound a minute in as Mikael spits out the lyrics. A calm 3 minutes in as contrasts continue. "Windowpane" is from "Damnation" and is my favourite tune on here. This is so melancholic yet so gorgeous. Mellotron like waves after a minute and later after 6 minutes with mournful guitar melodies in tow. "Blackwater Park" is heavy going until 3 minutes in when it becomes pastoral. A powerage comes in after 6 minutes with growly vocals. Great track. The band is then introduced by Akerfeldt while for over 5 minutes we hear them play this mellow background music which happens to be them covering "Through Pains To Heaven" by POPOL VUH from their "Nosferatu" record. Cool. OPETH end the evening with "Demon Of The Fall" from "My Arms,Your Hearse" which is very brutal sounding for the first 5 minutes before a pleasant melody arrives.

OPETH fans shouldn't even hesitate about getting this one. A solid 4 stars.