Concert Review + Vale Of Pnath - Vale Of Pnath

So as you can probably tell, I've been pretty busy. There's going to be a lot of small updates here and there coming in the next few days. There probably won't be many reviews since structured writing in schoolwork completely turned me off to the idea. Don't worry though, I have one I'm in the middle of writing for Flourishing's AWESOME debut, so stay tuned for that.

On a sidenote Saw Jeff Mangum, Opeth, and Katatonia. I will be seeing Neon Indian, Mayhem, and a few other bands in the future. Jeff was great live, really emotional performances, although he seemed a little down as a person. Very modest and typical indie/hipster, but something about his demeanor during the show and the way he played certain fan-favorites made me think he was sick of performing or at least the emotions he associated with those songs. I'm probably looking too deeply into it, but he did a damn good job regardless.

Katatonia? Nobody cares about them anymore. Nor do I, and thus I'll spare you the boring details of their forgettable setlist.

Opeth however blew ass. I can't get over how horrible the show was, not because they did a bad job playing their material, but because of the direction they're heading and Mikael's blatant disregard for his fans. Here was the setlist:

The Devil's Orchard
I Feel the Dark
Face of Melinda
Porcelain Heart
Nepenthe
The Throat of Winter
Credence
Patterns in the Ivy
Closure (snippet)
Slither
A Fair Judgement
Hex Omega

Encore:
Folklore

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS OPETH FANS? TELL ME. I know Opeth doesn't want to be "metal" anymore, but they could at least play a few metal songs for their fans. When people started getting pissed that Opeth was ignoring their fans (right around Porcelain Heart when they made a big deal about it being their first time playing it), Mikael announced that "Opeth does what they want, regardless of fans' reactions." That's a cool attitude to have if you're producing GOOD music, but Opeth hasn't been good since 2001, and their new album Heritage, despite not being metal, is still mediocre by progressive rock standards. Mikael's constant fellatio of this man is a culprit for sure:

"Oh Mikael that's the spot!"

It's not even like I'm a big Opeth fan either. I really liked them when I was first getting into metal, and always wanted the opportunity to see them live, and now that I have, I can safely say I'm disappointed and won't be spinning any of their oft overrated albums in the near future. Granted they've been going downhill since Lindgren left his songwriting duties (and eventually the band). Maybe I'll give Heritage a scathing review or something. Who knows. From what I listened to of it, there's only a few worthwhile progressive tracks while the rest is a failed songwriting exercise on Mikael's part. Not too surprised there. It's hard to play guitar when both of your hands are firmly grasped on Steven Wilson's genitalia.

Yeah. That one's been building up for the past few weeks.

However I'm not gonna leave you without new music to try. Vale Of Pnath's The Prodigal Empire has been in constant rotation (with Soreption, Flourishing, and Baring Teeth) these past few weeks, and I'm digging that melodic tech/death sound. It's like The Faceless but a bit more listenable and less flamboyant. So without further adieu, I present it to you:

Tracklisting:

1. Legacy Of Loss
2. Mental Crucifixion
3. Brain Butcher
4. The Prodigal Empire
5. Borne Extinction
6. Poisoned By Prosperity
7. Time Of Reckoning
8. Sightless
9. Cerulean Eclipse