Opeth
The Roundhouse Tapes
Peaceville


Opeth are, in every sense, finely honed and perfect. Unfortunately, this fact works against them in the live setting, where the very effortlessness and their near-mechanical precision has the band coming across as a little dry, even a little dull. Additionally, the tendency to delve deeply into their increasingly rampant prog rock influences can leave as many minds a-wandering as jaws agape.

Nevertheless, they are a, if not the, dominant force in the extreme metal market today (and I use the e-word lightly) and this stranglehold over the hearts and minds of a zillion disaffected metalheads and prog connoisseurs is only strengthened by their shrewd economic conduct.

But enough chin scratching and grumpy mumbling. Here's 'The Roundhouse Tapes', recorded in London during the band's 'Ghost Reveries' tour. An hour and a half of top notch musicianship, enthusiastic cheering and six supremely fellated Swedish egos.

The tracklist is a good one - it would be difficult to compile a bad set of Opeth songs given the strength and consistency of their back catalogue (though if any album had to be overlooked, I'm pleased it was 'Deliverance'). But although the old belters will have just about any listener weak at the knees, this album proves itself an all but unnecessary addition to the fan's CD collection.

That's unless you need cold hard proof of just how well these guys can play or you've never caught them live before. Some live albums (few and far between) send chills down the listener's spine, as if you're really there every time, but for me that's not the case here. And there's certainly nothing new or exciting in Mikael Akerfeldt's (Vocals/Guitars) tired old mid-set comedy routines. Yes, I get it, and I got it the first and second times, too.

Aye, if there's a real plus, it's probably hearing, as with 'Ghost Reveries', what a difference the addition of keyboard player Per Wiberg has made to the band, giving this recording a fullness of sound to rival any studio album. But in the grand scheme of things, that's more the kind of thing you'd casually remark upon while waiting at the bus stop rather than rave about in your Myspace blog.

Mike Cross