Lamentations is the first Opeth DVD production made by the band to date. After being well established in the music business for a good decade, the band decided to release a live DVD of their show at the Shepherd's Bush Empire.
I saw Opeth in concert on the 24th of March (2004), where I had actually received the DVD as a gift about a week prior to the concert. On a new pact with myself two weeks prior to the concert to deprive myself of Opeth on CD or DVD till I saw them "in the flesh", I decided to put the DVD on hold and wait.
One really positive aspect of the DVD is that it is very up close and personal with the band, which is what I really wanted. I had just seen them live and had a great time at the show, but what I was missing was that last link with the band, which was to actually meet and talk to them. However, the production of the DVD, the way it is filmed gives you a feeling like you are at the show watching them yourself, swaying with the crowd and cheering on for them. I suppose that sounds like a DVD cliché, that it "puts you there", but thankfully this DVD really made me feel like I was reliving my experience from the concert of their Australia tour.
The setlist is quite pleasing for the "new" Opeth fan. As usual, there are no songs off their very early material such as "Orchid" or "Morningrise" "My Arms, Your Hearse" or "Still Life", which are all arguably home to some of their best and cherished material amongst their long time fans.
I am not savvy with the politics behind making DVD movies, though I suppose if a band does choose their own setlist, I think there could have been more for their older fans by honouring them with some of the early material. However, that aside, the setlist on this DVD is truly entertaining, though not without its faults.
For one, the DVD is divided into a clear cut 50/50 structure of "heavy" and "light" songs, which essentially means its virtually all "Damnation" tracks for the first half, and virtually all "Deliverance" for the second half, with a few Blackwater Park tracks thrown in for good measure.
The only problem I have with that is the fact that the "Damnation" tracks are literally played one after the other, just like on the album, so the whole surprise aspect of "what is next?" is eliminated, and I think it's a distasteful way to present a show because the songs sound predictable and thus the experience is made redundant.
In terms of sound, we have the infamous Dolby 5.1 channel, which delivers some truly cool moments in the concert, particularly at the end of
"Closure", a song from "Damnation" (I won't say what that surprise is, but it was certainly pleasing for a fan like me).
The band honestly never cease to amaze me with how well they can play their material live. As any fan will no doubt recall, there is plenty of studio effects and nifty tricks occurring through the production of their albums, though the band seem to get past these issues in their concerts, with the exception of
"The Drapery Falls", which is just too sublime as a studio version to be replicated live. I was hoping for a high-quality performance of that song, though I was left at a bit of a loss with my expectations so high.
However, with that said, the beauty of the band is that their not afraid to show their rough edges, which is why the quiet/hard set works, because you can see the whole group getting intimate with the crowd and sounding "in the flesh" while they interact with the audience, which is what we pay to see when we go to watch our heroes play on stage - we crave that band/audience engagement which to our dismay is not always delivered.
Furthermore, there is an hour long documentary covering the recording process of "Deliverance" and "Damnation" which is a treat to see, especially if you are interested in glimpses of the band member's personalities off stage and out of the spotlight.
One aspect in this section of the DVD I noticed is the persona of each individual as similar yet different to each other, where Peter Lindgren is always appearing well groomed and conveniently seated in antique furniture in front of a bookcase of literature, while other band members seem to be more nonchalant about how they appear; Martin Lopez sits around snare drums and other instruments. So in that respect, we get an idea of the roles of the band-members and how they are portrayed, which is a cool experience for people wanting to learn more of the band members outside of stage performances and magazine interviews where the portrayal is sometimes tainted or biased.
There are one-to-one interviews with each member of the band where we see the different slants of how the albums were compiled, and the trials and tribulations behind what became two very successful albums (and believe me, there were real problems!) We also find out nitty gritty details such as how the songs are written, the processes involved, who gets what solo spot - generally speaking, the work involved in making two albums at one time.
In summation, the DVD is very entertaining and worthwhile to watch. To recap, the negatives as I saw them were the setlist structure as virtually a duplicate of the "Damnation" song order and the lack of diversity between older and recent material.
On the positive side end, you are looking at a lengthy presentation of the band "on and off" screen, with true atmosphere and colour during the entire set of their show, which elicits that feeling of really being in the audience watching, absorbing and feeling.
The documentary allows us to gain great insight into the normal, everyday appearance and attitude of the band, conveying the process of how Opeth write and record an album (or two).
I would recommend this DVD to Opeth fans who are long time followers or even recent admirers. If you are a fan then after watching the show or the documentary, in one way or another you will take something away from it and learn a little bit more about these guys.
On the other hand, if you have never heard of Opeth, the music is very enjoyable though the show itself is no fireworks display. The stage is not strewn with great guitar tricks and eye-popping solos; it is simply a stage adaptation of their album music, though the energy the band gives off is what sells the performance. If you are unfamiliar with the music, perhaps go and sample the two recent albums they have released and upon doing so, decide whether the DVD is for you.
In the end, the DVD brings to life the music that is on the albums. However the real charm and magic is seeing the guys in front of you and watching them "performing" their music, giving all they have to the crowd and showing the audience that the music is "for them".
Rating: 8/10Written by
Yoni Monday, April 12, 2004
