Opeth and Porcupine Tree
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Opeth and Porcupine Tree |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Abyss' Review (7/17/03, Irving Plaza, NYC):
God It's Mellow In This Damn Nation!
Porcupine Tree
photos by HelHave you heard Porcupine Tree? Dude, you gotta listen to Porcupine Tree! You don't know Porcupine Tree? You'd love them... I can't begin to count how many times I've heard this in the last six months. Unfortunately for me, I had this image of them so built up in my head that I seemed destined to end the night in disappointment. So I entered the show, determined to go in with an open mind. I mean, I like the softer Opeth stuff (though not as much as everyone else seems to) and there's a little crossover between the two, so how bad could they be.
OpethBefore the band started I noticed subtle hints of how bad it could be. First off, it was pretty easy to pick out the Porcupine Tree fans. In short they look like Rush or Dream Theater fans. Most seem to have a penchant for hair that is longer on top that it is in the back or sides, possibly to make themselves look taller, and they seem to communicate with each other through a series of signals referred to as 'air drums'.
Porcupine TreePorcupine Tree themselves were, overall, a disappointment to me. I realize that a live setting isn't always the best way to acquaint yourself with a band, but it wasn't their sound which really lost me. It wasn't really the style of their music either; it was more my overall reaction to the band. You see, every once in awhile, they'd play a song I kind of liked, the problem is these songs only took up about 20% of the set. Most of the others were just plain sucked, and the few that didn't outright suck were just boring. I guess my biggest problem with Porcupine Tree is that they were progressive music that wasn't really that progressive. While I was happy that they didn't engage in the musical masturbation that Dream Theater does, they weren't really doing anything that hasn't been done by countless jam bands. I'm not trying to say that the band should be avoided like the plague, I'm just saying I don't get what all the buzz is about. Nothing to see here.
Opeth were the real reason I went to this show, and it came quite apparent that the band wouldn't really be playing any of their heavier material this night, which I personally consider a mistake. And while before the show started I kind of resigned myself to disappointment due to this fact, I found that Opeth remained as entertaining as ever. I have a (slightly) better appreciation for Damnation after seeing the 'softer' side of the band in a live setting, although I still think the band shines brightest in their heaviest parts. Fact is, Opeth are just too talented to really screw up. So much of their heavy material utilizes acoustic passages and soft melodies that any fan that truly dislikes their recent material, probably likes this band for all the wrong reasons.
OpethUnfortunately, this show was extremely late for some reason, Opeth not taking the stage until after eleven, so I was unable to see the end of the show. Sorry, but it was a school (alright, I'm old, WORK) night. I don't understand why they couldn't have started the show an hour earlier, because I noticed I wasn't the only one leaving early. Regardless, I had an outstanding time at the show and learned a bit about Porcupine Tree, so I can chalk it up to a learning experience as well. One word review: Solid.
Death's Review (7/30/03, House of Blues; Sunset Strip, Hollywood, CA):
OpethI'm not sure who was supposed to be this tour's headliner, and I'm not sure I could really tell you who should be. I'm much more familiar with Opeth - I'm a huge fan and have seen them live several times. Porcupine Tree I am only just discovering, mostly because of vocalist/guitarist Steven Wilson's production of the recent Opeth albums. Then again, Porcupine Tree is on Atlantic/Lava, a major label, and are a bit mellower overall, a touch more mainstream than Opeth, the death metal band. Still, tonight wasn't about Deliverance, it was about the mellower, lighter, dreamier acoustic companion album, Damnation. So we all knew that the distinction between these two bands was bound to be diminished. Anyway, the show was billed as co-headliners, and I'm told that the two bands took turns regarding who would play last. This night it would be Opeth that would close the show.
Porcupine TreeWe got there on time for a change; mostly because they didn't open the doors until after 9:00 p.m., about when we arrived. I got a beer and watched all of Porcupine Tree, from beginning to end. Yes, there are aspects of the band that sound like they are trying to be Pink Floyd; but I also hear Tool, Rush, Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, King's X, The Beatles, Primus and Phish. Sometimes the songs drag on and get a little boring too. But live, it seems to all come together. Simply stated, Porcupine Tree are great musicians who play with emotion, flexibility and intensity while maintaining a sense a humour and yet still having something interesting to say. They are depressing and uplifiting all at the same time. I liked "Gravity Eyelids" and new song "Futile" the best. Wilson told us that the song would be the closest we would get to death metal that evening. He really wasn't kidding. The closing number, "Trains," was interrupted by Wilson breaking a string. Did that stop Porcupine Tree? Nope. They just started the song over and continued on their way.
OpethThe set change took forever. We stood around for what seemed like forever. At least they were jamming the awesome Animals album by Pink Floyd over the PA. This totally saved the night, as I got into listening to the lyrics and singing along with one of the best albums of all time while I was waiting, and it was pretty cool. I hadn't listened to it all the way through in years. This night I did, and I decided that these were some of my favorite lyrics of all time. I'll bet the bands on the bill this night are into it too.
Opeth came out with "Windowpane," the very song I'd had stuck in my head since seeing the fantastic new video for the tune on Headbanger's Ball a few days earlier. Watching them perform it, I was mesmerized. The band is simply fantastic, turning into the post-death metal Rush/Phish/Dead/Fates Warning for a new generation of death metal warriors who are vegetarians and wear sweaters. Dream Theater fans should like Opeth. The coolest part about them is that Six Feet Under fans should too. But as amazing as Opeth were this night, I missed the metal parts. Sure, we got treated to much of the "Damnation" record live for the first time, along with two songs from Still Life, "Face of Melinda" and "Benighted", and Morningrise's "To Bid You Farewell". But I would have liked to see a full-blown mixture of heavy and mellow material. As diverse as Opeth are, this "all mellow" set kept the band's trademarked dynamic in check, substitutating a bit more of a refined approach. As Micheal Akerfeldt confessed at the beginning of the set, Opeth are, indeed, a death metal band. So while I applaud their attempt at doing something different, appreciate the aesthetic value of the pairing of Porcupine Tree for this tour, and still can't get "Windowpane" out of my head, I also can't wait for them to come back through town with the proverbial amplifiers turned up to eleven. That's where the power of Opeth becomes truly mighty.
Hel's Review (7/30/03, House of Blues; Sunset Strip, Hollywood, CA):
Oddly enough, things went very smoothly for me on this night. Covering shows is always something of a gamble, you never know before you arrive if everything will be as it is supposed to, and more often than not, something goes wrong to complicate the night. This night, strangely, none of that happened. We arrived to see a line wrapping all the way around the building, up onto Sunset itself. This was worrisome, as it was mere minutes until 8pm and the start time for the first band.
OpethWe already had our tickets, since hard tickets were delivered to me beforehand, so I only needed to pick up my photo pass. No problem there either. The line for the window was very short and everything was just as it was supposed to be. What a great change of pace! I asked the woman at the window the quickest way to get inside, and then followed her advice, which worked beautifully. Miraculously, we were inside the venue before the first band even started.
Porcupine Tree hit the stage minutes later. Apparently, I was the only one who knew where the secret entrance to the photo pit was, even though I noticed many flashes going off, indicating the presence of other photographers, so I had the pit to myself. This was a blessing, since the venue was clearly expecting a mellow evening and had pushed the barricades all the way up against the stage and posted no security up there at all. That too was good, since the position of the barricades left little space in which to move, and having anyone else in there would have created a problem.
Porcupine TreeMy knowledge of Porcupine Tree begins and ends with In Absentia, but, I, at least, knew what to expect. It seemed that many in the audience, judging by the t-shirts and snippets of conversations that I overheard, had no idea that they were in for a mellow evening. Porcupine Tree, apparently, has gotten a lot of this so far on this tour, as they seemed unsurprised by the lackluster response they received at the outset. The audience was overall unresponsive at first, and even though a few seemed downright disgruntled, by the end of the set, they had managed to win over nearly everyone in the venue.
OpethPT put on a great set, heavy with material from In Absentia, and replete with astounding musicianship, which effectively immobilized all but the most obtuse Opeth fans. The occasional heavy riff that appears in many of their songs was enough to draw the doubters in, and their phenomenal delivery wowed everyone paying even the tiniest bit of attention. Despite their early reluctance, the audience ultimately acknowledged the brilliance of their performance, and Porcupine Tree left the stage to hearty applause.
Of course the wait for Opeth to take the stage was interminable. Set changes will always be the worst part of the live experience for me, as I despise being bored, and there are few things on earth as dull. Finally, the curtains opened, and Opeth kicked off the set with a song from Damnation. Again, they had to explain the concept behind the tour to the audience, informing them that they're focusing on lighter material on this tour. Some seemed quite disappointed, but perked up when promised older material later on. This turned out to be a couple of songs from Still Life and one from Morningrise.
Porcupine TreeDespite the absence of heavy favorites like "Demon of the Fall," the audience settled in and loved every note. The band seemed newly inspired to be playing a radically different set list, and provided a very animated performance despite the less heavy nature of the material. Ultimately, in addition to the older three songs already mentioned, I believed they played every last track on Damnation. Every note sounded fantastic and every song expertly executed. So, once again, Opeth prove they are masters at their craft. Even without the heavy material they kept the audience enthralled and everyone present walked away amazed.
All in all, it was a very enjoyable night out. Both bands played incredibly well, and the audience enjoyed it all, even though it was clearly not what many of them expected. Despite their lighter tone overall, Porcupine is a pretty metal friendly band, and I imagine they will go home after this tour with a lot more American fans than they had before. I hope great things happen for both of these bands as a result of this combined effort.
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