It has been said that no matter what flavor of heavy metal you prefer or what band you're most attached to, there is a Swedish group out there that does it better.
For fans of progressive metal, Stockholm's Opeth is the reigning king of post-Rush prog. Fleet-fingered guitarist/composer/vocalist Mikael Akerfeldt and his intrepid band of accomplished metal men will be stopping at Fort Lauderdale's Culture Room on Thursday as part of a tour supporting the band's critically lauded 2011 release, Heritage.
The album has been received by many as an ideal evolution for the band into a realm of metal that relies less on aggression and more on the impact of Akerfeldt's lush arrangements. But it has enough chug and crunch to satiate the animal in even the most intellectual of metal fans.
Make sure you pay the babysitter and/or save your current position on whatever RPG you're currently entrenched in, because Opeth has brought along fellow Swedish progsters Katatonia to open the ceremonies and provide a dual-barrel blast of metal mastery for North American fans.
Opeth. North American Heritage Tour. With Katatonia. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 2, at Culture Room, 3045 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale. Tickets cost $29.50. Call 954-564-1074, or visit cultureroom.net.
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