After numerous adventures in the city centre looking for the off-the-beaten-path bar I was supposed to meet my companions for the evening at (that’s the last time I trust Google Maps, useless piece of shit) and subsequent quaffing of alcohol, the evening’s musical entertainment began: two of Sweden’s finest prog-purveyors, in town to show off their wares.

Pain Of Salvation are rock stars, and know it; Daniel Gildenlöw clearly too sexy for his shirt as he wailed about lost lusts whilst vest-clad, the band as a whole looking like an exotic Foo Fighters. They started playing to a near-disinterested crowd but quite clearly won hearts and minds as they went. I’m still unfamiliar with the band’s back catalogue, but was told that one song, Ashes, was hardly ever played live. Easy to recognise the rocking likes of Linoleum and Tell Me You Don’t Know from Road Salt One, however, and a couple of cuts from Road Salt Two sounded just as good – a review for that particular album is forthcoming. They left the stage to deserved applause.

Opeth have lost some people with their latest album, but not I, and despite warnings from all and sundry about their current growl-less tour, I’ve still been anticipating seeing them for weeks. This is still Opeth as pure as they’ve ever been, even though they opened with The Devil’s Orchard rather than, say, The Leper Affinity – Mikael’s between-song banter about KISS as deadpan and humorous as ever. No growls didn’t mean no awesome, far from it; the band played their hearts out, whether grinding out Porcelain Hearts or Hex Omega from Watershed (undoubtedly the heaviest parts of the evening) or Slither or The Lines In My Hand from Heritage. Still Life’s Face Of Melinda was a personal peak, obviously sounding wonderful, and Patterns In The Ivy and A Fair Judgement were also highlights. I had a blast, but yes, I also have to admit that it wasn’t a perfect gig. A drum solo came far too early in the set, and was rather dull when it came. Plus, does anyone really care about the song Opeth did for God Of War? It was also clear that not everyone in the audience was as generally having as good a time as I was, and that breaking out the growls wouldn’t have hurt. Still, kudos to Opeth for doing what they want, and kudos to them for doing it so well. Fans of the band’s latest studio album will love them on this tour – others will feel rather dissatisfied.