LAMENTATIONS: LIVE AT SHEPHERD'S BUSH

Opeth's first official DVD, Lamentations, documents a London performance in 2003, at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, as well as a behind the scenes, in-studio "making of" Deliverance and Damnation, featuring interviews with each musician concerning the experience. For Opeth fans, this is mostly interesting and satisfying viewing, particularly for those who think highly of the last three albums, as all of the material on show here is taken from those releases. The concert finds the band in fantastic form, and will be of note for anyone who has yet to experience Opeth in the live arena. The show is split in two sections, with the first featuring the band's mellower approach, including the Damnation album in its entirety, as well as "Harvest" from Blackwater Park. The second section features the standard, heavier Opeth material, all pulled from Deliverance and Blackwater Park. The performance is captured gloriously, with fulfilling camera angels and sound. The major issue here is the absence of material from the first four albums, excluded here because of label politics. This means that during the "mellow" set, there is no "Benighted" or "Credence", and during the "heavy" set there is no "Demon Of The Fall" or "Forest Of October". In other words, their best music is not represented here, as Blackwater Park and Deliverance are devoid of the imagination, adventurousness and atmosphere that made the first four works essential. The in-studio footage is of interest mainly for a glimpse inside an Opeth recording session, and the interviews are generally informative enough to keep the skip button unattended through the viewing. This DVD is of high quality and attraction for Opeth admirers, but fans who have been following this act from the start will no doubt find disappointment in the lack of Peaceville-era material.