Opeth and Mastodon (w/ Khemmis) Level Edmonton’s Expo Centre [Photos]

Progressive powerhouses, and more recently referred to as a dynamic touring duo, Sweden’s Opeth and Georgia’s Mastodon made their return to Edmonton on Thursday night, gracing the Edmonton Expo Centre with their heavy melodies.

Kicking off the night with Khemmis, the Colorado metallers warmed up the crowd sufficiently as the precursor to what was about to take place; presenting a healthy dose of doom to those gathered on the floor below.

Mastodon took to the stage aggressively. Kicking off their set with “Pain With an Anchor” and immediately hammering into “Crystal Skull” and “The Megalodon” soon after, resulting in heavy headbanging from the front row. Showcasing a colourful light show complete with lasers and strobes, Mastodon crushed their 14-song co-headlining set consisting of a nice mix of old and new material, including crowd pleasers like “Black Tongue” and “Mother Puncher,” and finishing strong with “Blood And Thunder,” leaving Edmonton chanting for more. Needless to say, Mastodon’s return was warmly received by their fans in YEG on Thursday night, after seven years since their last tour visit.

Shouts and hollers erupted from the crowd when Opeth stepped on stage. As Mikael Akerfeldt strummed his first notes of “Hjärtat vet vad handen gör,” the audience was completely enthralled. Only to be even more invested in the set when the familiar melodies of “Ghost Of Perdition” oozed from the monitors. Opeth, much like Mastodon, played a set consisting of old and new material with tunes such as “Sorceress” and “The Drapery Falls,” their set was rounded off nicely with Mikael’s classic dry-humour jokes during tuning breaks between songs.

The night seemed to fly by as each tune came screaming from the stage, with the night coming to an end with their classic closer “Deliverance.” It may have been a hot minute since Opeth last graced a stage in Edmonton, but one thing is for certain: Despite only playing a set consisting of eight songs, Opeth never disappoints.