Opeth walked so Gojira could run. Progressive death metal titans at the turn of the millennium, the Swedish band's ascension to festival headliner - this is their third time taking top billing at Bloodstock - and into venues as illustrious as Wembley Arena helped elevate extreme metal beyond its underground roots and into the kind of mainstream, crossover sphere where such bands can play events like the Olympics whilst still getting booked as Bloodstock headliners.
So an Opeth headline set based on a fan vote, drawing almost entirely on old school classics must surely be a slam dunk, right? Well, sort of.
"What's up, you limey fucks!" Opening with a magnificent one-two of The Grand Conjuration and Demon Of The Fall, Opeth storm the gates with an imperious show of progressive death metal brilliance. They might not have the pyro of Amon Amarth or the crowd-baiting choruses of Architects, but Opeth's repertoire of inventive, immersive tunes makes them every bit as headline worthy as the other bands topping the bill at Bloodstock 2024.
There's so much more to the band than mere heaviness, however. For all the bluster and thunder of their death metal roots, its the gorgeous melodies of songs like The Drapery Falls and Ghost Of Perdition where the band were able to flex their songwriting skills most impressively, while the inclusion of "clean" songs like In My Time Of Need and Sorceress show Mikael Åkerfeldt needn't roar like a vengeful god to command total attention.
"I guess you guys voted for this setlist, which is why it's all old songs," he muses. "We haven't done anything decent in... 15 years. Message received."
There's also an eagerness to hear new material. Opeth's return to extremity after 16 years has generated some serious excitement amongst fans and when Åkerfeldt brings up the subject of a new album, there are eager calls to hear new single §1. "We don't know those songs yet," he responds.
Tongue-in-cheek and dryer than a midday trek through the Sahara, Åkerfeldt's comments also highlight a love for the band's turn-of-the-millennium output that clearly dominates the set. There's no variance from what the band have been playing at their other festivals in 2024 - Wacken, Rockstadt, Tons Of Rock - but as much as we'd like the band to really dig deep and pick out some beloved live rarities, their command over each song is flawless.
The set is also a reminder of just how much Opeth galvanised the metal scene in the early 2000s, not just clawing their way to top billing at metal festivals, but pushing extreme metal to become more inventive and expansive in the decades since. While the setlist feels more limited than their massive 30th anniversary tour in 2022, Opeth remain a benchmark for how inventiveness, innovation and craft can elevate even the most extreme music to whole new dimensions - something surely always worth celebrating.
Opeth's new album The Last Will And Testament is out October 11. The band tour the UK with Grand Magus from February 25 2025.
Opeth Bloodstock Open Air Setlist August 9 2024
The Grand Conjuration
Demon Of The Fall
The Drapery Falls
In My Time Of Need
Heir Apparent
Ghost Of Perdition
Sorceress
Deliverance
