More tour lust today gave way to me listening to a lot of the bands I won't be seeing in the coming months.  So after a long day of that, how about some Opeth?  Also, remember how I promised a review of the black metal documentary, ‘Until The Light Takes Us’?  Well, I have failed thus far at making good on that, so you can expect to see it sometime later this week.  For now, enjoy the track “Heir Apparent” from Opeth while I open some windows in this hot-ass place and watch a movie in the office all by myself.

 

In keeping with Metal Call-Out’s undying commitment to bring you news of upcoming tours--even the ones we do not have the privilege of attending--we introduce the Opeth 20th Anniversary Tour.  Much like the Immortal tour we recently spoke of, this tour has very limited stops across North America and Europe.  It’s hard to believe some of these bands have been doing their thing for 20+ years, still touring and releasing great records.  At each of the tour's six stops, the band will be playing over two hours of music in two sets, one featuring ‘Blackwater Park’ in its entirety and the other with miscellaneous songs spanning their entire discography.  You can see the dates and locations of this very special and very limited tour after the jump.

Opeth has all but given into being just a progressive band and in their wake, some fans are left scratching their heads.  Their recent contribution to the ‘God of War’ soundtrack--one where most bands involved are releasing some of their heavier material (see Trivium)--was lacking... to say the least.

So when the dust gets swept off and artists and fans have gone their ways, where will Opeth lay?  And who will fill the void they left?  In my humble opinion I believe most people who are fans of Opeth (especially the die-hards) will follow that band to the grave, even if it is with less intensity as before.  I think fans looking for early Opeth-ish metal material can find it in Gwynbleidd, a New York band that stormed onto the scene in 2009 with the release of their debut album 'Nostalgia'.  Gwynbleidd has been compared to Opeth up and down.  Truth be told, the reason for this is because.....they really do sound like Opeth.  That is not such a bad thing, especially right now with some fans feeling alienated from them and searching for something new. 

So, If you like Opeth, give Gwynbleidd a try.  To say they sound ‘exactly like Opeth’ or that they are ‘rip-offs’ would be a grave injustice to both of the extremely talented groups of musicians.  Similar as they may be, both have their merits. 

For all you video game fans out there you know that God of War III comes out on March 16 2010. And we at Metal Call-Out are very excited for it. But let’s get down to why this has anything to do with metal. The soundtrack to God of War will be released by Roadrunner records. This is going to feature bands like Killswitch Engage, Trivium, Dream Theater, Opeth, Taking Dawn and Mutiny Within. Find out the details after the jump.

Gwynbleidd From: NY, USA   Discography: “Nostalgia” (2009)   Gwynbleidd has a really annoying name to type out and plays a mix of progressive death and black metal, with obvious folk influences. Signed to The End Records, Gwynbleidd is:   Michal- guitar/clean vox Maciej- guitar/growling vox Jakub-bass Adam drums   There has been quite a bit of media attention for Gwynbleidd, namely because “they sound so much like Opeth” or ‘they sound European” or whatever. While I cannot deny the similarity with Opeth, Gwynbleidd betters the group’s formula with more metal than prog. Not to mention, and I hate to say this, but Gwynbleidd’s ‘metal’ is somehow much more convincing than any I have heard from Opeth since “Blackwater Park”. Their ‘prog’ is fresh and diverse, not overbearing and without doubt is not the main attraction. So don’t get too hung up on the similarities or you might miss out on what a truly talented band, and great album have to offer. For fans of… well you know.

Links: www.myspace.com/gwynbleidd 

Ayreon From: The Netherlands   Discography: “The Final Experiment” (1995), “Actual Fantasy” (1996), “Into the Electric Castle” (1998), “Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer” (2000), “Universal Migrator Part 2: Flight of the Migrator” (2000), “The Human Equation” (2004), “01011001” (2008)   Ayreon is a project by composer and musician Arjen Anthony Lucassen and can most easily be described as a series of rock operas based on a sci-fi concept Arjen created. Ayreon has had a long string of guest appearances including :   Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad) Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth)   Ayreon is a powerhouse of talent and creativity. If you are a fan of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Svatage, or Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar you will dig this. 

Links: www.ayreon.com

Swedish progressive metallers Opeth have updated their tour schedule with the following tour dates: 

9/27 KB Hallen Copenhagen 
9/29 Arena Berlin, Berlin 
9/30 Luczniczka Hall Bydgoszcz 
10/2 Sporthalle Hamburg 
10/3 Philipshalle Dusseldorf 

(MORE Tour Dates)