One of the greatest Progressive Metal bands of all time, Opeth is touring North America, and on Feb 7th, the stop was at the Fillmore in Philadelphia. It is not very common to witness great European bands perform in US cities, and fans did not want to miss the opportunity - It was a sold-out show. The Swedish legends were accompanied by another influential Prog-Metal band from Sweden - Katatonia.
The night started with Katatonia at 7:30, and the floor was already packed. The environment was smoky and dark, with the bands name in the back screen with a big Deer from their latest album art. The longest member of the band, Jonas Renkse, was formidable as the vocalist. Alongside him, Niklas Sandin on the Bass, Daniel Moilanen on drums, Nico Elgstrand and Sebastian Svalland on guitars, put up a great show with songs like “Old Heart Falls”, “July”, and also songs from their latest album “Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State”.
Finally, the stage was all set for Opeth to come. When Mikael Åkerfeldt came, the crowd was ecstatic to witness him. Along with him, Martín Méndez on the Bass, Fredrik Åkesson on the guitar, Joakim Svalberg on the keyboard, and Waltteri Väyrynen took their position, and without further ado, they kicked off the show with the first track from the latest album. Song after song, the crowd witnessed their mastery of the craft and why they are the true legends of the genre. When they did covers of Napalm Death Songs it was a total surprise for the fans. The set list consisted of songs like “Deliverance”, “The Grand Conjuration”, and “The Drapery Falls”. Also, I have to mention the witty banters from Mikael between the songs, which I am sure the fans absolutely enjoyed. The band is touring throughout the end of February, and we highly suggest to catch them live. The tour is called “The Last Will and Testament North American Tour”, but we certainly hope it is not their last tour as per the name. Finally, a big shoutout to the management, publicist, and the venue for the successful execution of the show.
Opeth
Katatonia
