I’ve seen Opeth twice, and these two times were very different. The first time was in 2008 in Paris during their tour with Cynic. To this day this remains officially the most boring gig I have ever been to. Opeth in particular had only a few songs (I had to check - 8 songs including the encore in total) with huge pauses and technical issues in between. The sound was very far from being perfect. But the next time was at Inferno Festival here in Norway in 2019, and this (along with Hypocrisy on the same fest) was the gig with the best sound I have ever experienced with a band of such size. Back in 2019 they have just released a brilliant Sorceress, and today they tour in support of The Last Will and Testament. A new album and a new drummer.

Last year, the openers Grand Magus delivered a stellar performance at Brutal Assault, so I came in with some expectations. They hit the stage just ahead of the announced time, with their massive yellow logo lighting up the screen behind them. From the get-go, it felt like the perfect beer-fueled metal party—a dry, gritty sound with plenty of delicious Rickenbacker in the mix, fun banter between songs, and, of course, the mandatory sunglasses and beer.

The combination of all this even had Janne "JB" Christoffersson bending low to squint at the setlist, probably wondering “What the hell are we playing next”?

For 45 minutes, we got it all—searing solos, raw, dirty guitar tones (and a change from Flying V to a white Strat), and solid lead vocals. The bassist’s backing vocals have strayed (very) off-key now and then, but it only added to the rough-around-the-edges charm of the set.

Opeth… Well, what to even start with? Correct, §1 it is. I have heard it 10+, probably, 20+  times on recording, and still it is so prog and unconventional live - a completely different feeling seeing this complex thing being not spinned, but actually played to you. “The last wiiiil-ll and tes-tam-meeee-nt of faaa-theer”, - aaaah, absolute shivers!  The stage setup was on another level, complete with screens. The first scene felt like we were in a room of the deceased, and each subsequent song came with a completely different background and color palette.

Then, the growls. Hands down the best growl in progressive rock. Just kidding—hands down the best growls, period. It’s almost annoying how effortless it all looks. Master’s Apprentices, The Leper Affinity, and Mikael Åkerfeldt seamlessly switching guitars mid-song. A long intro leads into §7, followed by Häxprocess. Absolute mastery.

Mikael never misses a chance to troll Norway at every gig. At Inferno 2019, he famously said, “We are called Opeth, and we are from the capital of Scandinavia—Stockholm, Sweden,” hissing the "s" sounds with exaggerated flair to make it even more trollish.

And this time? “Hei, Stavanger.” Not every band could pull that off, but Sentrum burst out laughing—Opeth is very, very loved here.

But let’s return to §1 for a moment—it’s such intricate, unconventional prog that it’s incredible to see a venue of this size sold out with fans of all ages. Right now, Opeth is the hottest prog and doom metal band on Earth.
The sound. Sexiest PRS guitars with piezo guitar pickups sound just wonderful. As an intro to In My Time of Need Mikael plays these 4 epic notes from Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V). In My Time of Need saw a different keyboard solo, - audience sings the main verses.

Opeth are constantly tuning and switching guitars, but this time, it all seamlessly fits into the flow. The breaks between songs were timed perfectly.

My favorite lead guitarist, Fredrik Åkesson, was nothing short of magical—his tone was rich and full, with a bit more presence in the mix. The effects were magnificent, complemented by the tube warmth of Synergy amps. Soldano? It’s close—go check it out.

With such a vast catalog, Opeth inevitably leaves out some classics, but that doesn’t take away from the experience. The setlist was gorgeous—long, though just 12 songs. This is prog, after all.
I’ve seen Opeth three times, and I’m already looking forward to the fourth.