Opeth’s return from a long break
Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt regretted the poor gig form of his band, which has elevated progressive death metal to a widely accepted form of music. Although it is true that it’s been a while since the band’s last live performance, it didn’t seem to bother the festival audience. The set included songs as Deliverance and Blackwater Park, combining extremely heavy material to softer sensitivity.An exciting element was the significant change in the line-up: Fredrik Åkesson, replacing the long-term guitarist Peter Lindgren, played his first gig with Opeth at Ilosaarirock. Differences to Opeth’s earlier performances, however, weren’t really noticeable. Nevertheless, the main stage was slightly strange venue for the Swedish group, for even with the fair amount of mainstream success, at its toughest Opeth’s music is rather brutal for the basic festivalgoer waiting for Tiktak.Text: Antti Kavonen
Translation: Hanna Laaksonen