Yesterday was night two of Opeth‘s sold-out run at the Sydney Opera House. The crowd was attentive, devoted and full of fans who’ve been riding this band’s evolution album by album, era by era. It felt like a truly special opportunity to absorb the weight of that history in a venue literally designed to make every detail feel sacred.
This wasn’t a pit-focused gig at all. Instead, the show unfolded in the grand Concert Hall, with the audience seated, which instantly altered the course of the night. It simply can’t be understated: being able to take in a live metal show without being hypervigilant of the thrashing movement around you changes everything. People weren’t filming either, they were really really watching, intently and entirely present.
There’s excitement in seeing a band known for intensity choose stillness and control instead of chaos. Opeth are capable of overwhelming volume and complexity, but here they leaned into grandeur. Naturally, it all felt very cinematic – the crescendos felt theatrical, and Opeth’s softer passages felt fragile in a way that might get lost if you caught the same set in a traditional venue.
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