There’s a number of things a band can do to realize that they’ve made it, you can crack the billboard top ten, you can release a platinum album, play the Hollywood Bowl, or you can succeed in a genre that historically doesn’t perform well. Opeth has well and truly made it at this point, hell they’d made it all the way back in 2001 when they released Blackwater Park, a record that has been used by countless people as a gateway into metal. At this point, playing a show at the Palladium is only a victory lap.
Like most bands who’ve been around for over twenty years, Opeth has constantly shifted and evolved their style of music. But where most bands shift to keep up with the times, Opeth has routinely wandered off into the words to carve their own path, often returning with something far better than we could have anticipated.
Their upcoming show at the Palladium is in support of one of these very albums, an ambitious study in classic metal titled In Cauda Venenum. The album is available in both english and swedish versions, making this a more colossal undertaking than even Opeth is used to, however the result was well worth the effort and lead to one of their most engaging releases ever as they once again straddle the line between true metal and accessibility.
As far as metal bands playing the Palladium you couldn’t ask for a better one. Opeth is an excellent example of a band that has managed to gain fans from the metal world and the general public alike. Their anthemic, sweeping style of metal is sure to pack the Palladium and provide a glimpse into the world of metal for those who otherwise don’t listen to the genre.
Location: The Hollywood Palladium
Address: 6215 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Photos Credit: Raymond Flotat