Another first for your intrepid reviewer, this time the ABC in Glasgow to check out Opeth and Paradide Lost. I caught Paradise Lost last time round at the G2 venue in the same city, but this was to be an entirely different experience. The size of the stage, the size of the crowd in attendance and basically a much more 'metal' atmosphere' . The first thing noticeable about this particular gig was the age of the majority of the audience. You could smell the adolescent hormones from half way down the street, as 14 year old males seemed to be in the majority. Indeed those who hogged the barrier seemed intent on talking their way through Paradise Lost's set....How rude!!!!

Not to be put off the PL boys kicked off with 'Isolate' from their Symbol Of Life album. A personal fav and a song that seemed to get some of the younger fans onside from the off. Considering this was a support slot PL used their allotted time wisely, cramming in some twelve songs. Highlights were the excellent 'Erased' again from the Symbol Of Life opus as well as 'As I Die', 'Embers Fire' & 'Just Say Words'

By the end of the set PL had most definitely won over want was predominantly an Opeth audience, with vocalist Nick Holmes working the crowd hard to elicit a well deserved warm reception.  A damn good set and I, for one, can’t wait for another headline tour from these guys.

Moving on to Opeth, a band largely unknown to this reviewer, not having heard, much less owned one of their albums.Prior to the gig severa friends had told me I’d enjoy this and would not be disappointed, so I'm pleased to say I wasn’t.  Musically the constant touring has turned Opeth into a well oiled machine, at ease both with their instruments, themselves and the audience. The guitar solos seemed flawless and the drumming of Martin Axenrot set the tempo for the rows of banging heads squashed up against the barriors. Vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt certainly pushes his vocal chords to the absolute limits, one minute melodic and clean, allowing every lyric to be heard and then the next thrashing away and screaming as if his life depended upon it. I sort of found myself lost a little waht with all of the time, tempo and mood changes, but who cares as long as you can scream along and go with the flow. Highlights from Opeth were 'Ghost of Peredition' and the magnificent  'The Grand Conjuration' culled from 2005's 'Ghost Reverie's opus along with 'Windowpane' from its predecessor 'Lamentations'.

All in all for a band I wasn't familiar with Opeth won this scribe over. With a new album on the horizon it may be some time before we see Opeth back on these shores, but 'til then this was more than good enough to satisfy.

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