Description
Signed by Mikael Akerfeldt, Martin Mendez and Fredrik Akesson on the 20th of October 2012 in Stockholm. The three autographs are on the backside of the cd
The Devils Orchard (Live At Rock Hard Festival 2009) is a live gem an exclusive cd album that came with the September 2011 issue of the German Metal Hammer magazine. It has an advance copy of the album version (from Heritage) of The Devil’s Ochard, which was still a week or so from the albums release. The album clocks in at about an hour, making it as long as a full-length album. While the sound of the live recording is not quite as sharp as those of Opeth’s other live albums, it’s much better than bootleg quality, as this is basically an official release, although a very limited one. The physical cd is high-quality, with a beautiful cover and a booklet that opens up to a great two-panel photo of Opeth onstage at the 2009 Rock Hard Festival. Since this was only distributed with the magazine in Germany and a couple other countries, you’ll have to look around for a copy, but it’s worth finding. Heir Apparent and Hessian Peel are typically incredible performances, and the only official versions of them live. The other tracks don’t sound exactly the same as they do on Lamentations, the Roundhouse Tapes, and/or Live at the Royal Albert Hall, but are just as fantastic. Most fans are aware that Opeth might have undergone a permanent shift in sound on the Heritage album, going for a progressive rock/metal vibe that can be heard on the Devil’s Orchard single. That means this could possibly be the last official chance to hear Mikaels death growl. If so, it’s an amazing way to finish up that facet of the band’s sound, with songs from Blackwater Park, Deliverance, Ghost Reveries, and Watershed. Opeth’s superior musicianship and songwriting skills are definitely on full display on Live at Rock Hard.
Track listing:
1. The Devils Orchard-advance version
2. Intro-live at Rock Hard Festival 29th of May 2009
3. Heir Apparent-live at Rock Hard Festival 29th of May 2009
4. Ghost Of Perdition-live at Rock Hard Festival 29th of May 2009
5. The Leper Affinity-live at Rock Hard Festival 29th of May 2009
6. Hessian Peel-live at Rock Hard Festival 29th of May 2009
7. Deliverance-live at Rock Hard Festival 29th of May 2009