Agora Theater, Cleveland, OH - October 12th, 2024
On October 12th, the Agora Theater in Cleveland was packed to the walls with a sold out crowd. The audience was treated to an enchanting evening of music, as Swedish progressive metal band Opeth filled the stage. Deftly guided by the “ever-smiling” Mikael Åkerfeldt, the band took the audience on a journey through sound and emotions portraying their outstanding level of technicality and experience in controlling the suave sound.
As soon as the first notes of §1 from their forthcoming 14th studio album, ‘The Last Will & Testament’, are struck, one is deeply immersed in the kaleidoscopic and layered world of Opeth. Live, the band was perfection, and every member was performing at optimal level. Fredrik Åkesson's guitar pieces were simply incredible and flawlessly executed with his hand skillfully maneuvering the guitar within the chords. His solos wafted in and out of the texture, hypnotizing and exhilarating like liquid flames, while the bass of Martin Mendez added a beautiful thick groove serving as an anchor to the pieces of music.
The sequence of the performances was formed by taking into account all tracks performed, but their new progressive works were dominating the integration. The Leper Affinity opened as a sonic quilt. The performance was full of multilayered sounds that washed over the audience. For example, the dark sadness and heaviness contained in ‘Sorceress’ is in sharp contrast with ‘Face of Melinda' in all its slow somberness showing that the band can easily switch from soft moments to crushing heaviness.
Even if the majority of the attention was positioned on the newer pieces, Opeth did not forget their more heavy side. The brutal and relentless “Heir Apparent” left the audience in a state of shock, while the grandiose “Ghost of Perdition” united the audience as they head banged along with the rhythm. Such instances of sheer aggression were bereft of beauty but were sufficient to remind one of their roots in death metal.
The vocal skill showed by Akerfeldt was something else, as he moved from the growl to the clean voice without an effort as though he was singing a love sonnet. In all of those facets, he was quite striking on stage; even the few dry lines in between songs were genuine and not devoid of warmth. He went on about how much he adored Cleveland, reminding the audience of some visits to Cleveland and commenting on the city's music industry and history with satisfaction.
There was a definite buzz in the atmosphere in the hearts of the people at the Agora. The details of stage lighting of performed music were wonderfully made and visual treatment of the stage went along with the music as well. During more of the atmospheric sections, deep blues and purples enveloped the band in an other worldly feel, whereas at the heavier sections, fiery reds and oranges burst upon the audience.
There might be some diehard fans who would have wanted more less progressive death metal songs in the set but this set list was quite informative regarding the direction of their musical career. It was a mark of their capability of broadening their muscles beneath the skin of the identity they have.
The best performance though occurred in Cleveland, Ohio. I think that particular show cemented the band as one of the most progressive and entertaining heavy metal band that ever existed. Their performance was sensational, their music rang in the minds and hearts of those who were witnesses to their artistry.
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