Opeth and Mastodon Laval Concert Review

Sheila

Concerts

3 minute read

Playing the first show of their 2022 North American Tour, co-headliners, Opeth, and Mastodon were more that ready to rock out with the Montreal/Laval crowd at Place Bell.

Mastodon

As the lights went down, it was time for Mastodon to take the stage. Pain With an Anchor, the title track from their latest album, Hushed and Grim, kicked things off. Hushed and Grim marks the bands 8th studio album which was released last October. Almost half of their set list included new music; The Crux, Teardrinker, Pushing the Tides, More Than I Could Chew, and Gigantium were just a few of the fresh tracks that got the crowd rocking.

Obviously, the music is a huge part of their performance, but it was easy to shift focus onto the screens behind the band. Trippy, psychedelic images combined with lasers just added so much to the overall experience.

While their newer songs were definitely welcomed, fans also got to hear some of their favourite hits including: Mother Puncher, The Czar, Megalodon, Crystal Skull, and Black Tongue.

During their set, there wasn’t really any chit chat between songs; it was all about the music. However, at the end of their set, drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor took the time to have a chat with the crowd thanking them for coming out, while also singing the praises of their fellow tour mates. He also said that he's excited to watch them alongside the crowd in the future adding, "I'm a young man in my 40's, I belong in the pit!".

If you haven’t already given it a listen, be sure to check our the band’s latest album Hushed and Grim. For more info, and the latest news from the band, check out their sites below.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE // TWITTER // FACEBOOK // INSTAGRAM

OPETH

After a bit of a break, it was time for Opeth to take the stage. While Mastodon devoted about half of their set to newer material, Opeth veered more towards a fan favourite set list. Livets trädgård & Svekets prins (Garden of earthly delights / Dignity) got things going followed by Ghost of Perdition, and Cusp of Eternity. Before playing Devil’s Orchard, frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt, let the crowd know that he recently celebrated a birthday, to which the crowd responded with a sing along of Happy Birthday (which kind of faded out before the end… but it’s the thought that counts, right?)

Just like Mastodon, Opeth also took advantage of the huge screens projecting visuals that just added to the emotion of the songs.

Seeing as they were playing in Canada, Mikael also brought up the topic of hockey. Being from Sweden, he took a jab at the crowd saying that they were the superior hockey nation which was obviously met with loud boos, but all seemed to have been forgiven when he added that he doesn’t really give a shit about hockey.

During their performance of In My Time of Need, the crowd more than made up for their lacklustre rendition of Happy Birthday taking over the vocals towards the end of the song.

As the night drew to a close, Sorceress was played followed by Deliverance. Overall it was a fantastic set by the band; the keys could have been slightly louder, and Mikael's growls were a bit strained at time, but seeing as it was the first show after a few months, it certainly didn't take anything away from the show.