Through the years Opeth used diverse intro's for their liveshows.
Other bands, tracks or albums were covered on studioalbums or used as inspiration.
Here is an overview of these tracks and other inspirations through the years.
** LIVE COVERS - Through the years
During the very first shows in 1991 Opeth played two covertracks:
Possessed - Death Metal (original from the 1985 album Seven Churches)
Black Sabbath - Sweet Leaf (original from the 1971 album Master of Reality)
It took the band 12 years to do an occasional cover on stage again during their first world tour in 2003:
Deep Purple - Soldiers of Fortune (original from the 1974 album Stormbringer).
During the 2010 worldtour the band played the Bloodstock festival.
On the setlist was the only played coversong:
Rainbow - Catch the Rainbow (original from the 1975 album Ritchy Blackmore's Rainbow)
It wasn't untill 2011 before they started to play their most requested and fun cover untill today:
Napalm Death - You Suffer (original from the 1987 album Scum)
On the 2012 tour the band played, aside from You Suffer:
Black Sabbath - Solitude (original from the 1971 album Master of Reality)
Hansson de Wolfe United - Var Kommer Barnen In (original from the 1981 album Existens-Maximum)
** LIVESHOW INTRO'S
The band eventually started to work with an intro for the liveshows.
Research showed that the the very first time was Dublin 2001 (7th December).
The track used was: Through pain to heaven.
It's original on the 1987 album "On The Way To A Little Way" (Soundtrack from the movie Nosferatu)" by Popol Vuh.
The family from the composer made it eventually that the track was no longer available to use (ownership rights),
so the band used it during the Sorceress worldtour for the last time.
Actually this last time was in Las Vegas at the "Psycho Las Vegas festival" on August 18, 2019.
In 2022 the band did the postponed "fan-request" tour through Europe for the 30 year anniversary of the band.
As intro they used:
Aphrodite's Child - Seven Bowls (original from the 1972 album 666).
** STUDIO-ALBUM COVERTRACKS
On the 2000 re-release from My Arms, Your Hearse you find two covertracks:
Celtic Frost - Circle of the Tyrants (original from the 1995 album To Mega Therion)
Iron Maiden - Remember Tomorrow (original from the 1980 album Iron Maiden).
Both tracks were also released on a few nice compilationalbums.
It was in 2005 when there was a first bonustrack released on Ghost Reveries.
This was a Brasilian pressing. A year later there was a 2 disc European edition released with this track.
Deep Purple - Soldiers of Fortune (with Martin Axenrot on drums).
On the 2008 re-release of Watershed there are two coversongs:
Robin Trower - Bridge Of Sighs (original from the 1974 album Bridge Of Sighs)
Marie Fredrikson (former vocalist of Roxette who died in 2019) - Den Ständiga Resan (original from the 1992 album Den Ständiga Resan).
Also in 2008 the (digital) single Burden was released with a beautifull coverversion of Would from Alice in Chains.
Original from the 1992 album Dirt.
On the 2014 deluxe 2-disc version of Pale Communion you find two live covertracks.
Recorded live at Södra Teatern, Stockholm on December 4th, 2012.
Black Sabbath - Solitude (original from the 1971 album Master of Reality)
Hansson de Wolfe United - Var Kommer Barnen In (original from the 1981 album Existens-Maximum)
** INSPIRATIONS