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Opeth - The Roundhouse Tapes review




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Reviewer:
9.0

410 users:
9
Band: Opeth
Album: The Roundhouse Tapes
Release date: October 2007


Disc I
01. When
02. Ghost Of Perdition
03. Under The Weeping Moon
04. Bleak
05. Face Of Melinda
06. The Night And The Silent Water

Disc II
01. Windowpane
02. Blackwater Park
03. Demon Of The Fall

Recorded live on November 9th, 2006 at the Camden Roadhouse (London), "The Roundhouse Tapes" is the first official live album of the genius band from Sweden, Opeth. After seven amazing and acclaimed albums, it was a good moment to release a real live recording and Opeth chose one of the best venues of London to record it and asked to the famous British label Peaceville (one of their first partners) to produce it. The result is a beautiful release and for sure all the people who love this amazing combo will have to buy this double CD as soon as possible. We're in front of a great live my friends!

You'll not be disappointed by "The Roundhouse Tapes", especially if you have seen Opeth live during their last tour. This double CD is a perfect description of the performances on stage of the Swedish combo. As always in a really peaceful atmosphere and with his really deep voice, Mikael Åkerfeldt talks to the audience and presents his music between each songs, that's something that I will ever remember (I saw the band in Paris last year), only some few bands (and band members) have this kind of charisma on stage. These guys don't have to scream or anything to "live", they just have to be here to produce a mystical aura in the whole venue. The funny thing is that we can even percept this charisma on this recording which is only composed of hits (well all the Opeth's albums are full of hits anyway). During more than one hour and thirty minutes Opeth played nine songs (that's not a lot but you all know that Opeth's trademark means songs of height minutes minimum). One more time it was perfectly done and all the songs sound like on the CDs. The voice of Åkerfeldt was pure like crystal and the four other guys were excellent this night too.

There is nothing to say against this release actually, despite maybe that we cannot hear a lot the audience sometime but all in all the sound is really good and as I said just above it's easy to feel what Opeth live is through this double album. Some of you will say that some songs are missing, that the track-list could be better, that's possibly right but we cannot have everything and my only complain (and that's not something which comes from the album) is that Opeth should play a bit more. Without being bad, one hour and thirty minutes, that's a bit short for a band with such standing which should easily pass the two hours of music for their shows. Anyway in the end I can only recommend "The Roundhouse Tapes", because this is not a live album to promote one album only, this is just a perfect live experience which was missing in the discography of the combo.

Great, now we have a real live album of Opeth and that's great news! Nothing to say against this release, even its cover is classy so if, like me, you're a fan of this amazing band from Sweden, you'll not have to wait anymore to buy this classy recording. "The Roundhouse Tapes" is a great live album which describes perfectly the musical universe of the masters of Dark (Death) Progressive Metal.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 10
Songwriting: 10
Originality: -
Production: 8

Written by Jeff | 05.11.2007




Comments

Comments: 19   Visited by: 126 users
05.11.2007 - 18:05
O p e t h
Account deleted
Of the part that maybe somebody said that the track list could be better i agreed, but a band that played live songs the same everytime is a bit boring. Personally i think is better that choose these songs because we have the chance to listen live songs that we'll never listen till now.
I didn buy the cd yet because in my country hasn't arrived yet.
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06.11.2007 - 03:12
Rating: 10
Nacur

Perfect Live album.....
...And we still wait for the Epic, the legendary...
.....Black Rose Immortal!!!!!

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06.11.2007 - 14:47
Rhapsodyhabs
Account deleted
Omg opeth rulez, and this album is so good
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06.11.2007 - 15:38
Deadsoulman

Gotta listen to this one, the first cd has the exact setlist they played here last December. And that was an amazing show.
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06.11.2007 - 15:44
Spirit in Black
Account deleted
it is amazing!!!!!
very good album!!!!!!
opeth FTW!!!!!!!!!
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06.11.2007 - 16:50
BloodTears
ANA-thema
I listened to just bits of it. I want the real deal.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29

Like you could kiss my ass.


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06.11.2007 - 18:02
subprime jim
Account deleted
I have not actually purchased this yet as it is not availible yet in the US - but I have listened to the streaming version. I have been a HUGE Opeth fan for many years and as I listened to this, although it is a very good performance, I couldn't help but think there was a certain element missing. I finally figured out that what I wasn't hearing was Martin Lopez. This performance made me realize how much of an impact he had on their sound. I think Axe is good - hes just not Martain. I really hope that Axe can show a more "musical" side on the new studio album.
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06.11.2007 - 20:15
Rating: 9
Spyroid
Rosetta Stoned
Well, I feel like I have to buy this now.
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06.11.2007 - 21:05
Metal Maiden
Megadead
I'm sure this album rocks, after all, it's Opeth...then again, i'm really not into live's, so i guess i'll be waiting for their next album to come out...
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07.11.2007 - 02:40
Doc G.
Full Grown Hoser
Hmmm, I heard the samples from this and I wasnt impressed, I didnt hear anything bad but nothing outstanding either, I find the tracklist pretty bad aswell. Also its hard for me to follow reviews for Opeth albums because it seems they can do no wrong in alot of peoples eyes, Damnation was a exceedingly boring album yet everyone worships it. All in all I think if there was a better tracklist id consider buying this album.
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"I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck."
- George Carlin
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07.11.2007 - 06:22
WarriorOfMetal

"...Silent Water" not "...Stillwater"
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07.11.2007 - 20:57
Shelobina
Account deleted
omg omg theres Bleak!
gotta have this!!!!
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09.11.2007 - 17:47
Abattoir

I see from the review that it has to be great album, so I'll try to buy it as soon as possible...why not
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27.11.2007 - 07:10
Harmonic
Account deleted
I bought Roundhouse Tapes the other day. Admittedly I was skeptical about the purchase - although I like Opeth, I wouldn't call myself a fan - but after one listen through I'm hooked. Very enjoyable and highly recommended. (Good live albums have something extra that you'll never find in a studio album. Those of you who aren't bothering with RT because it's not a studio release... all I can say is you really owe it to yourself to expand your musical horizons.)
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07.02.2008 - 23:13
Rhapsodyhabs
Account deleted
The first Opeth live album, and to be honest, I am not disappointed. This is a masterpiece, and one of the best live album ever. I still think Blind Guardian's live DVD and live album are the best ever though :p
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08.02.2008 - 19:57
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
I prefer a DVD... so I'll wait...
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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03.04.2008 - 09:43
Rating: 9
Spyroid
Rosetta Stoned
I have bought it now... wow...
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26.04.2008 - 14:26
Stuart
MiseryKing
I was at this gig, and although it sounds really good on disc, the show was actualy not as enjoyable as other times I've seen them. The lighting was absolutely terrible. The whole band were covered in virtual daylight for the majority of the show, this legendary venue, did not suite a metal band at all. It was too big and, well, just too round. The cieling was very very very high up and it just kinda destroyed the whole vibe. But on disc it comes across as a very well played show. we'll wait for the dvd to come out (or so i heard).
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19.09.2008 - 00:31
Insects Of Death
Account deleted
it is amazing! i listened to it at my buds house
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