Opeth and Tribulation Bring In Halloween at The Warfield

Opeth and Tribulation
The Warfield Theater
October 31, 2024

Photos by Raymond Ahner

Opeth and Tribulation recently joined forces for a quick 16-date tour, which saw the bands traverse around the US,with many of the shows selling out. The tour concluded at the historic Warfield Theater in San Francisco on Halloween night, and proved to be the perfect show for Bay Area metalheads on the spookiest of all nights. Tribulation’s sixth studio effort Sub Rosa In Æternum was released the following day, while headliners Opeth are set to release their fourteenth studio record entitled The Last Will and Testament on November 22.

Up first was Swedish metallers Tribulation, who were playing their first Bay Area show in a few years. With newish guitarist Joseph Tholl, the band delivered a brief yet scorching seven-song setlist. Opening with the very deathrock-inspired “Tainted Skies” off the new album, the band was full of energy, feeding off the already packed venue. Highpoints from their set included “Saturn Coming Down” and “Strange Gateways Beckon.” Although it would have been nice to see a longer set from these guys, Tribulation proved to be the perfect support for Opeth, especially on Halloween night.

As the lights dimmed, Opeth walked out onto the stage to the almost “chanting” like opening of “§1” off of the soon to be released album, before launching into the song itself. The band wasted no time in setting the tone all while dressed in costumes and corpse paint, embracing the Halloween spirit. From there it was a thirteen-song setlist highlighted by “The Grand Conjuration,” “Eternal Rains Will Come,” and “In My Time of Need.” After a brief break, Opeth returned to the stage for a two song encore of ‘Sorceress” and “Deliverance,” played in front of a quite fitting asterial video wall behind them.

Although this show was the final stop of the tour, one would expect both Tribulation and Opeth out on the road in the new year, supporting their new albums. Keep an eye out for future dates from both bands, as they are not to be missed when they hit your town.

Here’s a slideshow with more photos of both bands by Raymond Ahner: