The Roundhouse Tapes

Time to feature another Double Live album from one of my favorite bands and one that got me into more diverse metal. Opeth is a band, I'd say you either love or hate. And that's true if you've ever seen them Live. Some people can't handle the witty banter in between songs from frontman Mikael Akerfeldt. In either case Opeth is an odd mix of Progressive Death Metal, although the last few years have really been focused on the Progressive aspect.

'The Roundhouse Tapes' marks the first official Live album for the band. Unless you want to count '03's 'Lamentations: Live At Shepherd's Bush Empire', which was more of a Live DVD, although there is an unofficial CD floating around out there. Recorded Live at the Camden Roadhouse in London on November 8, 2006, this double Live album captures a song from almost every Opeth album up to that point. The omission being no track from 'Deliverance'. 9 tracks make up an hour an a half of music. Hey no one ever said Opeth did short songs, or any Prog band for that matter. This album would mark the departure of longtime Guitarist Peter Lindgren and the debut of Drummer Martin Axenrot. Opeth would follow up the release of 'The Roundhouse Tapes' with another Live album in '10, before properly releasing another studio album. Like it or not this album is a prime slice of Opeth and captures the band wonderfully in an ideal venue.

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