Opeth, High on Fire, Baroness

Opeth @ The Marquee Theater, Tempe, AZ
W/ Special Guests High on Fire & Baroness
Nachtmystium - Absent?
October 9th, 2008

It's always good to see one of your favorite bands? Right? That was my attitude going into this show...


Baroness opened up the show. They got on stage right on time, and proceeded into a thirty five or forty minute set of pure amplified, distorted heavyiness. No breaks, no explaining their songs, or even announcing what they were playing. They just flowed from one to the next. It definitely wasn't everybody's thing, but they put on an awesome performance. 8/10 (above average)

My friend pointed out that one member of the band looks alot like the Geico caveman from a distance. "Metal, so easy a cave man can do it".



Another friend exchanged the shirt he was wearing for a Baroness T-shirt and Vinyl LP of their newest record. Coolest most random merch guy ever!



I've seen High on Fire once before, on Gigantour. I wasn't impressed. Their performance Thursday night did little to sway my opinion. They over drove their equipment, had little dynamics in their sound or songs, and generally failed to leave the audience with anything postitive. I left for the lobby of the venue before they could rant in regards to a certain head of state. 5/10 (failing)



The real reason I had come for the show was, of course, the headliner. Opeth has never failed to impress me. They band has had a pretty significant line up change, and has released an album, that although I very much enjoy, is also significantly different from their previous works. I was a little nervous to see how they changes would translate live. However, Åkerfeldt, and the rest of the band delivered.

They ripped into a blistering set. Their heaviest of the four times that I've seen them! The Grand Conjuration, The Lotus Eater and Deliverance were just three of the stand out tracks.

My goal was to get into the pit and get knocked about. I made all of two laps around before I was laid out horizontal and came crashing to the floor. It was great. I also had plenty of fun headbanging throughout the outro for Deliverance. Serious whiplash!

All in all, it was an amazing performance. They could have stayed longer, and that's the only fault I could find. Though some might argue that the new members have reinvented Opeth, I would say they have reinvigorated it!

9.5/10 [Excellent]



- Robbie

I wanted to go to that show Thursday night in Austin, but unfortunately I have to work.

The only band I wanted to see was High On Fire...I saw them on a headlining date back in the spring and they were INCREDIBLE. They are an acquired taste, I can definitely understand why some people can't stand them.

I know you mentioned they overdrive their equipment, but that's actually on purpose. The entire idea behind that band is the control of out-of-control volume, Pike plays feedback like a separate instrument (like an avant-garde take on metalized Jimi Hendrix). Sometimes you control that beast, sometimes it controls you...but it's the struggle that makes them exciting. If you're open to it Matt Pike can bulldoze mountains with his guitar...and they are one of those few bands that can almost literally "curve my spine".

Big fan of Baroness. Really good band.

Eyesore wrote:

Big fan of Baroness. Really good band.

Yeah, they are in my "need to check out pile", I've liked the few clips I've heard.

I tried listening to some Opeth clips...but the "cookie monster vocals" threw me off.

detuned wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

Big fan of Baroness. Really good band.

Yeah, they are in my "need to check out pile", I've liked the few clips I've heard.

I tried listening to some Opeth clips...but the "cookie monster vocals" threw me off.

I picked up Blackwater Park when it came out, but just couldn't get into it. I traded it off. They're a band I think I could really dig, though. I probably didn't give them much of a chance.

opeth - one of my favourite five bands ever. i would love to see them live one day

@ detuned:

I'm only familiar with seeing them live, I haven't listened to any of their studio material. Their performance at Gigantour was significantly better, I'll give them that! They might have just been having a bad night, and it didn't seem to be my thing.

And I was commenting on the overdrive in regards to a technical standpoint. I didn't have earplugs, and they were pushing 125db to 130db RMS EASY, with minimal peaks and maximum clipping. Literally, gunshot loud. My hearing is safe for literally 30 seconds at that point. I'm walking.

No worries though, I know plenty of others there that enjoyed them.

@ eyesore:

I'm a big fan of Baroness now! If you have any recommendations, let me know!

Blackwater Park is a masterpiece, as is Ghost Reveries. Yes, the Death vocals are prominent, but Åkerfeldt also has some of the best clean vocals in HM. And it's amazing that he can switch so easily between them!

Their album Damnation is also fantastic if you you want to hear the slower, more mellow, less Deathy side of Opeth. It's companion, Deliverance, however, is the exact opposite!

@ thegooch:

If you get the chance to see the GO!!!

- Robbie

I'm seein em in a few days!

Chairman_Smith wrote:

I'm seein em in a few days!

In Ft Lauderdale or Orlando?

theincredibledrechsel wrote:

@ detuned:

I'm only familiar with seeing them live, I haven't listened to any of their studio material. Their performance at Gigantour was significantly better, I'll give them that! They might have just been having a bad night, and it didn't seem to be my thing.

And I was commenting on the overdrive in regards to a technical standpoint. I didn't have earplugs, and they were pushing 125db to 130db RMS EASY, with minimal peaks and maximum clipping. Literally, gunshot loud. My hearing is safe for literally 30 seconds at that point. I'm walking.

No worries though, I know plenty of others there that enjoyed them.

@ eyesore:

I'm a big fan of Baroness now! If you have any recommendations, let me know!

Blackwater Park is a masterpiece, as is Ghost Reveries. Yes, the Death vocals are prominent, but Åkerfeldt also has some of the best clean vocals in HM. And it's amazing that he can switch so easily between them!

Their album Damnation is also fantastic if you you want to hear the slower, more mellow, less Deathy side of Opeth. It's companion, Deliverance, however, is the exact opposite!

@ thegooch:

If you get the chance to see the GO!!!

- Robbie

yeah i will take any chance i can get. only problem is the november uk tour comes nowhere near my university which is merry.

spectrefate wrote:

Chairman_Smith wrote:

I'm seein em in a few days!

In Ft Lauderdale or Orlando?

Orlando

Just got back from this show, it was amazing!

Baroness was awesome, I was impressed enough I got one of their CDs.

High On Fire was not allowed to play because of Disney. Opeth's frontman made a comment about it "High On Fire coulden't be here tonight... because of their name, isn't that retarted?"

Members from Opeth and Baroness wore High On Fire shirts.

Opeth was great, amazing show!

Chairman_Smith wrote:

High On Fire was not allowed to play because of Disney. Opeth's frontman made a comment about it "High On Fire coulden't be here tonight... because of their name, isn't that retarted?"

That is the DUMBEST thing I have ever heard in my life.