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Opeth

March 21, 2023

Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal/rock band from Stockholm, formed in 1990 by lead vocalist David Isberg.[1][2] The group has been through several personnel changes, including the replacement of every original member; notably Isberg in 1992. Mikael Åkerfeldt has been Opeth's frontman and primary songwriter since Isberg's departure, and is the band's only constant member. Opeth has consistently incorporated progressive, folk, blues, classical, and jazz influences into its usually lengthy compositions, as well as strong influences from death metal, especially in their early works. Many songs include acoustic guitar passages and strong dynamic shifts, as well as death growls. Opeth is also well known for their incorporation of Mellotrons in their work. The band rarely made live appearances supporting their first four albums, but since conducting their first world tour after the 2001 release of Blackwater Park, they have led several major world tours.

Opeth
Background information
OriginStockholm, Sweden
Genres
Years active1990–present
Labels
Members
Past membersList of Opeth band members
Websiteopeth.com

Opeth has released 13 studio albums, four live DVDs, four live albums (three that are in conjunction with DVDs), and two boxsets. The band released its debut album Orchid in 1995. Although their eighth studio album, Ghost Reveries, was quite popular in the United States, Opeth did not experience major American commercial success until the 2008 release of their ninth studio album, Watershed, which peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard 200, and topped the Finnish albums chart in its first week of release. As of November 2009, the band has sold over 1.5 million copies of their albums and DVDs worldwide,[3] including 300,000 collective SoundScans of their albums Blackwater Park, Damnation, and Deliverance in the United States.[4]

History

Formation (1990–1993)

 
Åkerfeldt (pictured) and Isberg decided they would carry on with the band after most of the members had gone separate ways.

Opeth was formed as a death metal band in 1990 in Stockholm, Sweden, by lead vocalist David Isberg.[5] The band name was derived from the word "Opet", taken from the Wilbur Smith novel The Sunbird.[6] In this novel, Opet is the name of a fictional Phoenician city in South Africa translated as "City of the Moon".

In 1990, Isberg asked former Eruption band member Mikael Åkerfeldt to join Opeth as a bassist, replacing Martin Persson. When Åkerfeldt showed up to practice on the day after Isberg invited him, it became clear that Isberg had not told the band members, including the band's current bassist, that Åkerfeldt would be joining the band. An ensuing argument led to all members but Isberg and Åkerfeldt leaving to form a new project.[5]

Isberg and Åkerfeldt recruited drummer Anders Nordin, bassist Nick Döring, and guitarist Andreas Dimeo. Unsatisfied with Opeth's slow progress, Döring and Dimeo left the band after their first performance,[7] and were replaced by guitarist Kim Pettersson and bassist Johan De Farfalla. After the next show, De Farfalla left Opeth to spend time with his girlfriend in Germany, and was initially replaced by Mattias Ander, before Åkerfeldt's friend Peter Lindgren took on the role of bassist. Rhythm guitarist Kim Pettersson left following the band's next performance, and Lindgren switched to guitar, with the role of bassist falling to Stefan Guteklint. The following year, David Isberg left the band citing "creative differences".[5]

Following Isberg's departure, Åkerfeldt took over vocal duties and he, Lindgren, and Nordin spent the next year writing and rehearsing new material. The group began to rely less on the blast beats and aggression typical of death metal, and incorporated acoustic guitars and guitar harmonies into their music; developing the core sound of Opeth. Bassist Guteklint was dismissed by the band after they signed their first record deal with Candlelight Records in 1994. Opeth initially employed former member De Farfalla as a session bassist for their demo recordings, and he went on to join on a full-time basis following the release of Opeth's debut album, "Orchid", in 1995.[7]

Orchid, Morningrise, and My Arms, Your Hearse (1994–1998)

Main articles: Orchid (album); Morningrise; and My Arms, Your Hearse
 
"In Mist She Was Standing"
"In Mist She Was Standing", from Orchid. This clip highlights the twin harmony guitar style featured on the band's early releases.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Opeth recorded its debut album, Orchid, with producer Dan Swanö in April 1994. Because of distribution problems with the newly formed Candlelight Records, the album was not released until 15 May 1995, and only in Europe.[8] Orchid tested the boundaries of traditional death metal, featuring acoustic guitars, piano, and clean vocals.[9]

After a few live shows in the United Kingdom, Opeth returned to the studio in March 1996 to begin work on a second album, again produced by Dan Swanö.[10] The album, titled Morningrise, was released in Europe on 24 June 1996. With only five songs, but lasting 66 minutes, it features Opeth's longest song, the 20-minute "Black Rose Immortal".[11] Opeth toured the UK in support of Morningrise, followed by a 26-date Scandinavian tour with Cradle of Filth.[12] While on tour, Opeth attracted the attention of Century Media Records, who signed the band and released the first two albums in the United States in 1997.[13][14]

In 1997, after the tour, Åkerfeldt and Lindgren dismissed De Farfalla for personal reasons, without the consent of Nordin. When Åkerfeldt informed Nordin, who was on a vacation in Brazil, Nordin left the band and remained in Brazil for personal reasons.[15] Former Eternal members, drummer Martín López (formerly of Amon Amarth) and bassist Martín Méndez, responded to an ad at a music shop placed by Åkerfeldt.[16] López and Méndez were fans of the band and took the ads down themselves so no other musicians could apply for the job. Åkerfeldt and Lindgren did not want the Martíns to join at first, due to them already knowing each other; they felt that they wanted two strangers so that there wouldn't be two camps in the band, but eventually hired both.[17] López made his debut with Opeth playing on a cover version of Iron Maiden's "Remember Tomorrow", which was included on the album A Call to Irons: A Tribute to Iron Maiden.[18]

With a larger recording budget from Century Media, Opeth began work on its third album, with noted Swedish producer Fredrik Nordström, at Studio Fredman in August 1997. Although Opeth had Méndez, due to time constraints Åkerfeldt played bass on the album.[19] My Arms, Your Hearse was released to critical acclaim on 18 August 1998.[8]

Still Life and Blackwater Park (1999–2001)

Main articles: Still Life (Opeth album) and Blackwater Park
 
"Bleak"
"Bleak" from Blackwater Park. This clip features an acoustic breakdown, followed by a dynamic shift into distorted guitars, a common trait for the band.
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In 1999 the ownership of Candlelight Records changed hands with owner and friend of the band Lee Barrett leaving the company. Opeth signed with UK label Peaceville Records in Europe, which was distributed by Music for Nations. Opeth reserved time at Studio Fredman to begin work on its next album, but recording was postponed while the studio was relocated. Due to time constraints, the band was able to rehearse only twice before entering the studio.[15] Delays with the album's artwork pushed the release back an additional month and Still Life was released on 18 October 1999.[15] Due to problems with the band's new distribution network, the album was not released in the United States until February 2001. Still Life was the first album recorded with Méndez, and also the first Opeth album to bear any kind of caption on the front cover upon its initial release, including the band's logo.[20] Allmusic called Still Life a "formidable splicing of harsh, often jagged guitar riffs with graceful melodies."[21] As explained by Åkerfeldt, Still Life is a concept album: "The main character is kind of banished from his hometown because he hasn't got the same faith as the rest of the inhabitants there. The album pretty much starts off when he is returning after several years to hook up with his old 'babe.' The big bosses of the town know that he's back... A lot of bad things start happening."[19]

Following a few live dates in Europe, Opeth returned to Studio Fredman to begin work on its next album, with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson producing. The band sought to recreate the recording experience of Still Life, and again entered the studio with minimal rehearsals, and no lyrics written. "This time it was tough," Åkerfeldt said, "I feel pleasantly blown away by the immense result, though. It was indeed worth the effort."[22] Wilson also pushed the band to expand its sound, incorporating new sounds and production techniques. "Steve guided us into the realms of 'strange' noises for guitars and voice", Åkerfeldt said.[22]

Opeth released its fifth studio album, Blackwater Park, on 21 February 2001. AllMusic has stated that the album "keeps with Opeth's tradition by transcending the limits of death/black metal and repeatedly shattering the foundations of conventional songwriting".[23] In support of Blackwater Park, Opeth embarked on its first world tour, headlined Europe for the first time, and made an appearance at the 2001 Wacken Open Air festival in Germany, playing to a crowd of 60,000.[24]

Deliverance and Damnation (2002–2004)

Main articles: Deliverance (Opeth album) and Damnation (album)
 
"Deliverance"
"Deliverance" from the album of the same name. The song is nearly 14 minutes long, which is not uncommon for an Opeth song. The clip features Åkerfeldt's growling vocal style.
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Opeth returned to Sweden after touring in support of Blackwater Park, and began writing for the next album. At first, Åkerfeldt had trouble putting together new material: "I wanted to write something heavier than we'd ever done, still I had all these great mellow parts and arrangements which I didn't want to go to waste."[25] Jonas Renkse of Katatonia, a long-time friend of Åkerfeldt, suggested writing music for two separate albums—one heavy and one soft.[5]

Excited at the prospect, Åkerfeldt agreed without consulting his bandmates or record label. While his bandmates liked the idea of recording two separate albums, Åkerfeldt had to convince the label: "I had to lie somewhat ... saying that we could do this recording very soon, it won't cost more than a regular single album."[25] With most of the material written, the band rehearsed just once before entering Nacksving Studios in 2002, and again with producer Steven Wilson in Studio Fredman. Under pressure to complete both albums simultaneously, Åkerfeldt said the recording process was "the toughest test of our history."[26] After recording basic tracks, the band moved production to England to first mix the heavy album, Deliverance, with Andy Sneap at Backstage Studios. "Deliverance was so poorly recorded, without any organisation whatsoever," Åkerfeldt claimed, that Sneap "is credited as a 'saviour' in the sleeve, as he surely saved much of the recording."[26]

Deliverance was released on 4 November 2002, and debuted at number 19 on the US Top Independent Albums chart, marking the band's first US chart appearance.[27] AllMusic stated, "Deliverance is altogether more subtle than any of its predecessors, approaching listeners with haunting nuances and masterful dynamics rather than overwhelming them with sheer mass and complexity."[28]

Opeth performed a one-off concert in Stockholm, then returned to the UK to finish recording vocals for the second of the two albums, Damnation, at Steven Wilson's No Man's Land Studios.[29] Although Åkerfeldt believed the band could not finish both albums, Opeth completed Deliverance and Damnation in just seven weeks of studio time, which was the same amount spent on Blackwater Park alone.[25] Damnation was released on 14 April 2003, and garnered the band its first appearance on the US Billboard 200 at number 192.[27] The album also won the 2003 Swedish Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance.[30] On 1 January 2016, Opeth re-released both Deliverance and Damnation in one package, containing CD and DVD versions, along with new mixing.

The band embarked on its biggest tour yet, playing nearly 200 shows in 2003 and 2004.[26] Opeth performed three special shows in Europe with two song lists each—one acoustic set and one heavy set. The band recorded its first DVD, Lamentations (Live at Shepherd's Bush Empire 2003), at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, England. The DVD features a two-hour performance, including the entire Damnation album, several songs from Deliverance and Blackwater Park, and a one-hour documentary about the recording of Deliverance and Damnation. Lamentations was certified Gold in Canada.[31]

Opeth was scheduled to perform in Jordan without a crew due to the fear of terrorist attacks in the Middle East. Opeth's tour manager distributed 6,000 tickets for the concert, but before the band left for Jordan, drummer Lopez called Åkerfeldt stating he was having an anxiety attack and could not perform, forcing the band to cancel the show.[32][33] In early 2004, Lopez was sent home from Canada after more anxiety attacks on tour. Opeth decided against cancelling the remainder of the tour, with Lopez's drum technician filling in for two concerts.[34] Lopez promised that he would return to the tour as soon as he could, but two shows later Opeth asked Strapping Young Lad drummer Gene Hoglan to fill in. Lopez returned to Opeth for the Seattle show on the final leg of the Deliverance and Damnation tour. Per Wiberg also joined the band on tour to perform keyboards, after more than a year on tour.

Ghost Reveries (2005–2007)

Main article: Ghost Reveries
 
Peter Lindgren left Opeth in 2007 after sixteen years with the band.

Opeth returned home in 2004 to start writing new material for its eighth album, and by the end of the year, they had finished writing it.[26] Opeth's European label, Music for Nations, closed its doors in 2005, and after negotiations with various labels, the band signed with Roadrunner Records.[35] Åkerfeldt said the primary reason for signing with Roadrunner was the label's wide distribution, ensuring the album would be available at larger-chain retailers.[36] When news leaked that the band was signed to Roadrunner, who predominantly worked with trend-oriented rock and metal, some fans accused the band of selling out. "To be honest," Åkerfeldt said, "that's such an insult after 15 years as a band and 8 records. I can't believe we haven't earned each and every Opeth fan's credibility after all these years. I mean, our songs are 10 minutes long!"[36] The band rehearsed for three weeks before entering the studio, the first time the band rehearsed since the 1998 album, My Arms, Your Hearse.[36] During rehearsal, keyboardist Wiberg joined Opeth as a full-time member.[37] Opeth recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden, from 18 March to 1 June 2005, and released the resulting Ghost Reveries on 30 August 2005, to critical acclaim and commercial success. The album debuted at number 64 in the US, and number nine in Sweden, higher than any previous Opeth release.[27][38] Keith Bergman of Blabbermouth.net gave the album ten out of ten, one of only 21 albums to achieve a perfect rating from the site.[39] Rod Smith of Decibel magazine called Ghost Reveries "achingly beautiful, sometimes unabashedly brutal, often a combination of both".[40]

On 12 May 2006, Martin Lopez announced that he had officially parted ways with Opeth due to health problems, and was replaced by Martin Axenrot.[41] Opeth toured on the main stage of Gigantour in 2006, alongside Megadeth. Ghost Reveries was re-released on 31 October 2006, with a bonus cover song (Deep Purple's "Soldier of Fortune"), a DVD featuring a 5.1 surround sound mix of the album and a documentary on the making of the record. A recording of Opeth's live performance at the Camden Roundhouse, in London, on 9 November 2006, was released as the double live album The Roundhouse Tapes, which topped the Finnish DVD chart.[42]

On 17 May 2007, Peter Lindgren announced he would be leaving Opeth after 16 years. "The decision has been the toughest I've ever made but it is the right one to make at this point in my life," Lindgren said. "I feel that I simply have lost some of the enthusiasm and inspiration needed to participate in a band that has grown from a few guys playing the music we love to a worldwide industry."[43] Ex-Arch Enemy guitarist Fredrik Åkesson replaced Lindgren, as Åkerfeldt explained "Fredrik was the only name that popped up thinking about a replacement for Peter. In my opinion he's one of the top three guitar players out of Sweden. We all get along great as we've known each other for maybe four years and he already has the experience to take on the circus-like lifestyle we lead as members of Opeth."[43]

Watershed and In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall (2008–2010)

Main articles: Watershed (Opeth album) and In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall

Opeth entered Fascination Street Studios in November 2007 to record their ninth studio album, with Åkerfeldt producing. By January 2008, Opeth had recorded 13 songs, including three cover songs.[44] The finished album, Watershed, features seven tracks, with cover songs used as bonus tracks on different versions of the album. Watershed was released on 3 June 2008.[45] Åkerfeldt described the songs on the album as "a bit more energetic".[46] Opeth toured in support of Watershed, including headlining the UK Defenders of the Faith tour with Arch Enemy, an appearance at Wacken Open Air, and the Progressive Nation tour with headliner Dream Theater.[47] Watershed was Opeth's highest-charting album to date, debuting at number 23 on the US Billboard 200,[27] on the Australian ARIA album charts at number seven[48] and at number one on Finland's official album chart.[49] Opeth went on a worldwide tour in support of Watershed. From September to October, the band toured North America backed by High on Fire, Baroness, and Nachtmystium.[50] They returned to tour Europe for the rest of the year with Cynic and The Ocean.[51]

In 2010, Opeth wrote and recorded the new track, "The Throat of Winter", which appeared on the digital EP soundtrack of the video game, God of War III. Åkerfeldt described the song as "odd" and "not very metal."[52] To celebrate their 20th anniversary, Opeth performed a six-show, worldwide tour called Evolution XX: An Opeth Anthology, from 30 March through 9 April 2010. Blackwater Park was performed in its entirety, along with several songs never before performed. The concert of 5 April 2010, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England was filmed for a DVD and live album package titled In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall.[53] The set was released on 21 September 2010, in 2-DVD and 2-DVD/3-CD configurations.[54] For the DVD the concert was split into two sets. The first set consists of the entire Blackwater Park album, while the second set contains one song from every album excluding Blackwater Park, in chronological order representing the twenty years of "evolution" in their music. Åkerfeldt stated, "I can't believe it, but, fuck, we're celebrating 20 years. I've been in this band ever since I was 16. It's insane." A special edition of Blackwater Park was released in March 2010 to coincide with the tour.[55]

Heritage (2011–2013)

Main article: Heritage (Opeth album)
 
Opeth at Kavarna Rock Fest 2011

In September 2010, Mikael Åkerfeldt stated that he was writing for a new Opeth album.[56] The band announced on their website that they would start recording their tenth album on 31 January 2011, at the Atlantis/Metronome studios in Stockholm, once again with Jens Bogren (engineering) and Steven Wilson from Porcupine Tree as co-producer.[57]

Shortly after mixing was complete on the new album in April 2011, Opeth announced that Per Wiberg was relieved of his duties in the band.[58] In the press statement, Mikael Åkerfeldt explained the decision, saying, "Mendez, Axe and Fredrik and I came to the decision that we should find a replacement for Per right after the recordings of the new album, and this came as no surprise to Per. He had, in turn, been thinking about leaving, so you could say it was a mutual decision. There's no bad blood, just a relationship that came to an end, and that's that."[58]

Opeth's tenth album, Heritage, was released on 14 September 2011, to generally favorable reviews.[59] The album sold 19,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release and debuted at number 19 on the Billboard 200 chart.[60] Heritage debuted at number four in the band's native country of Sweden.[61]

Heritage became the second Opeth album to not feature any death growls and had a much more progressive style than previous albums from the band, something that Åkerfeldt had been wanting to do for some time.[62]

The first two songs Åkerfeldt wrote for Heritage were in the style of Watershed. After hearing the songs for the first time, Martín Méndez told Åkerfeldt that he would be disappointed if the album continued in that direction.[63] Relieved that Méndez was not interested in doing another conventional Opeth album, Åkerfeldt scrapped the two songs and started the writing process over in a different style.[63] In the press release for Heritage, Mikael Åkerfeldt revealed that he felt as though he had been building to write the album since he was 19 years old.[64] In a review for Allmusic, Thom Jurek called Heritage the band's most adventurous album, describing the songs as "drenched in instrumental interludes, knotty key and chord changes, shifting time signatures, clean vocals, and a keyboard-heavy instrumentation that includes Mellotrons, Rhodes pianos, and Hammond organs".[65]

Opeth supported Heritage with a tour that would last for over 200 tour dates.[66] The tour was the band's first with new keyboardist, Joakim Svalberg, who played on the opening track of the album.[67] During the tour, Opeth played with bands such as Katatonia, Pain of Salvation, Mastodon, Ghost and Anathema all over the world in countries such as the United States, Europe, Turkey, India, Japan, Greece, Israel, Latin America and Sweden.[68][69][70][71] The tour concluded with "Melloboat 2013".[66]

Pale Communion (2014–2015)

Main article: Pale Communion

On 26 August 2014, Opeth released its eleventh studio album, titled Pale Communion.[72][73] Åkerfeldt began working on new material as far back as August 2012.[74] In January 2014 he stated, "We've been looking at [tracking the next album at] Rockfield Studios in Wales where Queen recorded "Bohemian Rhapsody", but we haven't made a decision yet, but it will be an expensive album. There's a lot going on, lots of string arrangements that we haven't had in the past."[60] Despite fearing that the band's new musical direction would split Opeth's fanbase,[75] when asked if it will it be heavier or softer than Heritage, Åkerfeldt said, "Maybe a little bit heavier, not death metal heavy, but hard rock/heavy metal heavy. There's also lots of progressive elements and acoustic guitars, but also more sinister-sounding riffs." Åkerfeldt also produced the new album which will include string instrumentation, something that he became interested in doing when working on Storm Corrosion.[60] The band members in Opeth felt rejuvenated after creating Heritage which resulted in closer relationships between them.[76]

The Guardian reviewed Pale Communion positively, calling it "strange, intricate prog-metal genius" somewhat flawed by Åkerfeldt's indulgent vocal styling.[77] The album saw Opeth's highest chart positions in the history of the band with Pale Communion debuting at number 19 in the US,[27] number 3 in Sweden,[61] and number 14 in the United Kingdom.[78] It sold 13,000 copies in its first week of release in the US.[76]

Pale Communion was supported with more touring from Opeth. In 2015, Opeth played several concerts to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the band. At these special shows, the band was doing two sets. The first set is 2005's Ghost Reveries as a ten-year anniversary celebration of the album. The second set spanned the rest of the band's career, celebrating their 25th anniversary.[79][80] Åkerfeldt expressed excitement for the concerts.[79]

Sorceress, In Cauda Venenum and departure of Axenrot (2016–present)

On 15 June 2016, Nuclear Blast Entertainment announced the signing of Opeth.[81] Three days later, on 18 June, Opeth released a 30-second teaser for their new album, Sorceress.[82] A month later, on 18 July, the band confirmed the album would be released on 30 September, in addition to revealing the artwork and track list.[83] Mikael Åkerfeldt described it as, "A fine little record. My favorite in our discography right now. Of course. That's how it should be, right? It's both fresh and old, both progressive and rehashed. Heavy and calm. Just the way we like it." The album was the first project under Moderbolaget Records, a joint venture between Opeth and Nuclear Blast. Moderbolaget means "the parent company" in Swedish.

On 25 July 2016, in the build up towards the album release, the band posted the first Sorceress: Studio Report on their YouTube channel.[84] In the behind-the-scenes studio tour, it is confirmed that the band had returned to Rockfield Studios where they previously recorded Pale Communion. At the end of the video, there is a 20-second excerpt of a track believed to be from the album featuring heavily down-tuned guitars. On 1 August 2016, the band released a lyric video for the title-track 'Sorceress' on their YouTube channel. On 4 September 2016, Opeth released a lyric video for the second single titled 'Will O the Wisp,' again through their YouTube channel and website. Opeth's video for "Era" was nominated for "Video of the Year" at the 2017 Progressive Music Awards,[85] where they ultimately won "International Band of the Year".[86]

On 2 October 2017, Åkerfeldt said he has been thinking about doing something "twisted" and different for the next studio album, which could be released by mid-to-late 2019.[87] On 20 November 2017, guitarist Fredrik Åkesson stated that the band will not have any gigs in the upcoming months, until the 2018 summer festivals. During this break the band will focus on writing songs for the new album.[88] On 11 July 2018, during an interview with FaceCulture, Åkesson said "I've recorded a lot of solos so far. And Mikael Åkerfeldt has almost already written 12 songs for the new album, so we have more material than enough for an album".[89] On 22 May 2019, the band announced their thirteenth studio album, In Cauda Venenum, due for release on 27 September 2019.[90] On 12 July 2019, Opeth released the first single from In Cauda Venenum entitled "Heart in Hand" in both English and Swedish.

On 16 November 2021, it was announced that longtime drummer Martin Axenrot had left the band due to conflict of interests and will be replaced by Sami Karppinen for the North American tour.[91] On 9 September 2022, it was announced Waltteri Väyrynen, formerly of Paradise Lost, as well as Alexi Laiho's project Bodom After Midnight, was the band's new drummer.[92]

Musical style and influences

 
"Windowpane"
"Windowpane" from Opeth's album Damnation. This clip features the clean vocal style of Mikael Åkerfeldt.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

As Opeth's primary songwriter and lyricist, vocalist/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt heads the direction of Opeth's sound. He was influenced at a young age by the 1970s progressive rock bands King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, Camel, P.F.M., Hawkwind, and Gracious,[93] and by heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden, Slayer, Death, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Celtic Frost, King Diamond, Morbid Angel, Voivod,[94] and, most importantly, Judas Priest. Åkerfeldt considers Judas Priest's Sad Wings of Destiny (1976) the best metal album of all time, and notes that there was a time when he listened only to Judas Priest. While warming up before Opeth concerts, Åkerfeldt frequently sings "Here Come the Tears" from Judas Priest's third album Sin After Sin (1977).[95][96][97] Åkerfeldt later discovered progressive rock and folk music, both of which had a profound impact on the sound of the band.[98]

Opeth's distinct sound mixes death metal with progressive rock.[99][100] Steve Huey of AllMusic refers to Opeth's "epic, progressive death metal style".[101] Ryan Ogle of Blabbermouth described Opeth's sound as incorporating "the likes of folk, funk, blues, '70s rock, goth and a laundry list of other sonic oddities into their trademark progressive death style."[102] In his review of Opeth's 2001 album Blackwater Park, AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadavia wrote, "Tracks start and finish in seemingly arbitrary fashion, usually traversing ample musical terrain, including acoustic guitar and solo piano passages, ambient soundscapes, stoner rock grooves, and Eastern-tinged melodies—any of which are subject to savage punctuations of death metal fury at any given moment."[23] Åkerfeldt commented on the diversity of Opeth's music:

I don't see the point of playing in a band and going just one way when you can do everything. It would be impossible for us to play just death metal; that is our roots, but we are now a mishmash of everything, and not purists to any form of music. It's impossible for us to do that, and quite frankly I would think of it as boring to be in a band that plays just metal music. We're not afraid to experiment, or to be caught with our pants down, so to speak. That's what keeps us going.[103]

More recently, Opeth have abandoned their death metal sound resulting in a mellower progressive rock sound.[104] When talking about Heritage, guitarist Fredrik Åkesson stated:

In the beginning it took me a little while to get used to the new idea of the sound, not having any screaming vocals and stuff like that. But I think the album was necessary for us to do. Maybe the band wouldn't have continued if we hadn't done Heritage. I think the old Opeth fans understand this album. There's always going to be some haters, but you can't be loved by everyone. Opeth has always been about not repeating ourself. A lot of people don't think Heritage is metal but I think it's metal to go somewhere people don't expect. It doesn't mean we're not embracing the past sound of Opeth.[75]

Vocally, Åkerfeldt shifts between traditional death metal vocals for heavy sections, and clean, sometimes whispered or soft-spoken vocals over mellower passages. While his death growls were dominant on early releases, later efforts incorporate more clean vocals, with Damnation, Heritage, Pale Communion, Sorceress and In Cauda Venenum featuring only clean singing.[97][105] Rivadavia noted that "Åkerfeldt's vocals run the gamut from bowel-churning grunts to melodies of chilling beauty—depending on each movement section's mood."[23]

Legacy

A number of artists and bands have cited Opeth as an influence, among which are Mayan (a project of Mark Jansen from Epica),[106] Luc Lemay of Gorguts,[107] Soen (a band of former Opeth drummer Martin Lopez),[108] Tor Oddmund Suhrke of Leprous,[109] Disillusion,[110] Caligula's Horse,[111] Klimt 1918,[112] Daniel Droste of Ahab,[113] Becoming the Archetype,[114][115] Nucleus Torn,[116] Alex Vynogradoff of Kauan,[117] Wastefall,[118] Eric Guenther of The Contortionist,[119] Thomas MacLean and To-Mera,[120][121] The Man-Eating Tree,[122] Nahemah,[123] Vladimir Agafonkin of Obiymy Doschu,[124] Schizoid Lloyd,[125] Native Construct, Maxime Côté of Catuvolcus,[126] Bilocate,[127] and Jinjer.[128]

In addition, other artists have been quoted expressing admiration for their work including Steven Wilson, Seven Lions,[129] John Petrucci,[130] Mike Portnoy,[131] Ihsahn,[132] Simone Simons of Epica,[133] Oliver Palotai of Kamelot,[134] Jim Matheos of Fates Warning,[135] and Haken.[136]

Members

Main article: List of Opeth band members

Current members

  • Mikael Åkerfeldt – guitars (1990–present), lead vocals (1992–present), keyboards (1990), bass (1990, 1992, 1997)
  • Martín Méndez – bass (1997–present)
  • Fredrik Åkesson – guitars, backing vocals (2007–present)
  • Joakim Svalberg – keyboards, synthesizers, piano, mellotron, backing vocals (2011–present)
  • Waltteri Väyrynen – drums (2022–present)

Discography

Main article: Opeth discography

References

  1. ^ Laing, Rob (12 October 2010). "Interview: Mikael Åkerfeldt, Opeth". Music Radar. from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  2. ^ "Astra Berlin - OPETH". www.astra-berlin.de. 24 November 2016. from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  3. ^ . Opeth Fan Club Sweden. 13 November 2009. Archived from the original on 5 April 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  4. ^ . Pure Rock News. 2 May 2012. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d McIver, Joel (January 2008). "Pressing the Red Button". Metal Hammer.
  6. ^ Watt, Erika Kristen (5 July 2005). . Furteeng.net. Archived from the original on 4 June 2009. Retrieved 8 February 2008.
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Sources

  • Opeth (2016). Book of Opeth (Illustrated ed.). London: Essential Works Limited. ISBN 978-1906615963.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Opeth.
  • Official website

March 21, 2023
opeth, swedish, progressive, metal, rock, band, from, stockholm, formed, 1990, lead, vocalist, david, isberg, group, been, through, several, personnel, changes, including, replacement, every, original, member, notably, isberg, 1992, mikael, Åkerfeldt, been, fr. Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal rock band from Stockholm formed in 1990 by lead vocalist David Isberg 1 2 The group has been through several personnel changes including the replacement of every original member notably Isberg in 1992 Mikael Akerfeldt has been Opeth s frontman and primary songwriter since Isberg s departure and is the band s only constant member Opeth has consistently incorporated progressive folk blues classical and jazz influences into its usually lengthy compositions as well as strong influences from death metal especially in their early works Many songs include acoustic guitar passages and strong dynamic shifts as well as death growls Opeth is also well known for their incorporation of Mellotrons in their work The band rarely made live appearances supporting their first four albums but since conducting their first world tour after the 2001 release of Blackwater Park they have led several major world tours OpethOpeth at Rock Hard Festival 2017 Germany L R Fredrik Akesson Joakim Svalberg Mikael Akerfeldt Martin Axenrot amp Martin MendezBackground informationOriginStockholm SwedenGenresProgressive metal progressive death metal progressive rockYears active1990 presentLabelsModerbolaget Nuclear Blast Candlelight Century Black Peaceville Music for Nations Koch Roadrunner Atomic FireMembersMikael Akerfeldt Martin Mendez Fredrik Akesson Joakim Svalberg Waltteri VayrynenPast membersList of Opeth band membersWebsiteopeth wbr comOpeth has released 13 studio albums four live DVDs four live albums three that are in conjunction with DVDs and two boxsets The band released its debut album Orchid in 1995 Although their eighth studio album Ghost Reveries was quite popular in the United States Opeth did not experience major American commercial success until the 2008 release of their ninth studio album Watershed which peaked at No 23 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Finnish albums chart in its first week of release As of November 2009 the band has sold over 1 5 million copies of their albums and DVDs worldwide 3 including 300 000 collective SoundScans of their albums Blackwater Park Damnation and Deliverance in the United States 4 Contents 1 History 1 1 Formation 1990 1993 1 2 Orchid Morningrise and My Arms Your Hearse 1994 1998 1 3 Still Life and Blackwater Park 1999 2001 1 4 Deliverance and Damnation 2002 2004 1 5 Ghost Reveries 2005 2007 1 6 Watershed and In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall 2008 2010 1 7 Heritage 2011 2013 1 8 Pale Communion 2014 2015 1 9 Sorceress In Cauda Venenum and departure of Axenrot 2016 present 2 Musical style and influences 3 Legacy 4 Members 5 Discography 6 References 6 1 Sources 7 External linksHistory EditFormation 1990 1993 Edit Akerfeldt pictured and Isberg decided they would carry on with the band after most of the members had gone separate ways Opeth was formed as a death metal band in 1990 in Stockholm Sweden by lead vocalist David Isberg 5 The band name was derived from the word Opet taken from the Wilbur Smith novel The Sunbird 6 In this novel Opet is the name of a fictional Phoenician city in South Africa translated as City of the Moon In 1990 Isberg asked former Eruption band member Mikael Akerfeldt to join Opeth as a bassist replacing Martin Persson When Akerfeldt showed up to practice on the day after Isberg invited him it became clear that Isberg had not told the band members including the band s current bassist that Akerfeldt would be joining the band An ensuing argument led to all members but Isberg and Akerfeldt leaving to form a new project 5 Isberg and Akerfeldt recruited drummer Anders Nordin bassist Nick Doring and guitarist Andreas Dimeo Unsatisfied with Opeth s slow progress Doring and Dimeo left the band after their first performance 7 and were replaced by guitarist Kim Pettersson and bassist Johan De Farfalla After the next show De Farfalla left Opeth to spend time with his girlfriend in Germany and was initially replaced by Mattias Ander before Akerfeldt s friend Peter Lindgren took on the role of bassist Rhythm guitarist Kim Pettersson left following the band s next performance and Lindgren switched to guitar with the role of bassist falling to Stefan Guteklint The following year David Isberg left the band citing creative differences 5 Following Isberg s departure Akerfeldt took over vocal duties and he Lindgren and Nordin spent the next year writing and rehearsing new material The group began to rely less on the blast beats and aggression typical of death metal and incorporated acoustic guitars and guitar harmonies into their music developing the core sound of Opeth Bassist Guteklint was dismissed by the band after they signed their first record deal with Candlelight Records in 1994 Opeth initially employed former member De Farfalla as a session bassist for their demo recordings and he went on to join on a full time basis following the release of Opeth s debut album Orchid in 1995 7 Orchid Morningrise and My Arms Your Hearse 1994 1998 Edit Main articles Orchid album Morningrise and My Arms Your Hearse In Mist She Was Standing source source In Mist She Was Standing from Orchid This clip highlights the twin harmony guitar style featured on the band s early releases Problems playing this file See media help Opeth recorded its debut album Orchid with producer Dan Swano in April 1994 Because of distribution problems with the newly formed Candlelight Records the album was not released until 15 May 1995 and only in Europe 8 Orchid tested the boundaries of traditional death metal featuring acoustic guitars piano and clean vocals 9 After a few live shows in the United Kingdom Opeth returned to the studio in March 1996 to begin work on a second album again produced by Dan Swano 10 The album titled Morningrise was released in Europe on 24 June 1996 With only five songs but lasting 66 minutes it features Opeth s longest song the 20 minute Black Rose Immortal 11 Opeth toured the UK in support of Morningrise followed by a 26 date Scandinavian tour with Cradle of Filth 12 While on tour Opeth attracted the attention of Century Media Records who signed the band and released the first two albums in the United States in 1997 13 14 In 1997 after the tour Akerfeldt and Lindgren dismissed De Farfalla for personal reasons without the consent of Nordin When Akerfeldt informed Nordin who was on a vacation in Brazil Nordin left the band and remained in Brazil for personal reasons 15 Former Eternal members drummer Martin Lopez formerly of Amon Amarth and bassist Martin Mendez responded to an ad at a music shop placed by Akerfeldt 16 Lopez and Mendez were fans of the band and took the ads down themselves so no other musicians could apply for the job Akerfeldt and Lindgren did not want the Martins to join at first due to them already knowing each other they felt that they wanted two strangers so that there wouldn t be two camps in the band but eventually hired both 17 Lopez made his debut with Opeth playing on a cover version of Iron Maiden s Remember Tomorrow which was included on the album A Call to Irons A Tribute to Iron Maiden 18 With a larger recording budget from Century Media Opeth began work on its third album with noted Swedish producer Fredrik Nordstrom at Studio Fredman in August 1997 Although Opeth had Mendez due to time constraints Akerfeldt played bass on the album 19 My Arms Your Hearse was released to critical acclaim on 18 August 1998 8 Still Life and Blackwater Park 1999 2001 Edit Main articles Still Life Opeth album and Blackwater Park Bleak source source Bleak from Blackwater Park This clip features an acoustic breakdown followed by a dynamic shift into distorted guitars a common trait for the band Problems playing this file See media help In 1999 the ownership of Candlelight Records changed hands with owner and friend of the band Lee Barrett leaving the company Opeth signed with UK label Peaceville Records in Europe which was distributed by Music for Nations Opeth reserved time at Studio Fredman to begin work on its next album but recording was postponed while the studio was relocated Due to time constraints the band was able to rehearse only twice before entering the studio 15 Delays with the album s artwork pushed the release back an additional month and Still Life was released on 18 October 1999 15 Due to problems with the band s new distribution network the album was not released in the United States until February 2001 Still Life was the first album recorded with Mendez and also the first Opeth album to bear any kind of caption on the front cover upon its initial release including the band s logo 20 Allmusic called Still Life a formidable splicing of harsh often jagged guitar riffs with graceful melodies 21 As explained by Akerfeldt Still Life is a concept album The main character is kind of banished from his hometown because he hasn t got the same faith as the rest of the inhabitants there The album pretty much starts off when he is returning after several years to hook up with his old babe The big bosses of the town know that he s back A lot of bad things start happening 19 Following a few live dates in Europe Opeth returned to Studio Fredman to begin work on its next album with Porcupine Tree s Steven Wilson producing The band sought to recreate the recording experience of Still Life and again entered the studio with minimal rehearsals and no lyrics written This time it was tough Akerfeldt said I feel pleasantly blown away by the immense result though It was indeed worth the effort 22 Wilson also pushed the band to expand its sound incorporating new sounds and production techniques Steve guided us into the realms of strange noises for guitars and voice Akerfeldt said 22 Opeth released its fifth studio album Blackwater Park on 21 February 2001 AllMusic has stated that the album keeps with Opeth s tradition by transcending the limits of death black metal and repeatedly shattering the foundations of conventional songwriting 23 In support of Blackwater Park Opeth embarked on its first world tour headlined Europe for the first time and made an appearance at the 2001 Wacken Open Air festival in Germany playing to a crowd of 60 000 24 Deliverance and Damnation 2002 2004 Edit Main articles Deliverance Opeth album and Damnation album Deliverance source source Deliverance from the album of the same name The song is nearly 14 minutes long which is not uncommon for an Opeth song The clip features Akerfeldt s growling vocal style Problems playing this file See media help Opeth returned to Sweden after touring in support of Blackwater Park and began writing for the next album At first Akerfeldt had trouble putting together new material I wanted to write something heavier than we d ever done still I had all these great mellow parts and arrangements which I didn t want to go to waste 25 Jonas Renkse of Katatonia a long time friend of Akerfeldt suggested writing music for two separate albums one heavy and one soft 5 Excited at the prospect Akerfeldt agreed without consulting his bandmates or record label While his bandmates liked the idea of recording two separate albums Akerfeldt had to convince the label I had to lie somewhat saying that we could do this recording very soon it won t cost more than a regular single album 25 With most of the material written the band rehearsed just once before entering Nacksving Studios in 2002 and again with producer Steven Wilson in Studio Fredman Under pressure to complete both albums simultaneously Akerfeldt said the recording process was the toughest test of our history 26 After recording basic tracks the band moved production to England to first mix the heavy album Deliverance with Andy Sneap at Backstage Studios Deliverance was so poorly recorded without any organisation whatsoever Akerfeldt claimed that Sneap is credited as a saviour in the sleeve as he surely saved much of the recording 26 Deliverance was released on 4 November 2002 and debuted at number 19 on the US Top Independent Albums chart marking the band s first US chart appearance 27 AllMusic stated Deliverance is altogether more subtle than any of its predecessors approaching listeners with haunting nuances and masterful dynamics rather than overwhelming them with sheer mass and complexity 28 Opeth performed a one off concert in Stockholm then returned to the UK to finish recording vocals for the second of the two albums Damnation at Steven Wilson s No Man s Land Studios 29 Although Akerfeldt believed the band could not finish both albums Opeth completed Deliverance and Damnation in just seven weeks of studio time which was the same amount spent on Blackwater Park alone 25 Damnation was released on 14 April 2003 and garnered the band its first appearance on the US Billboard 200 at number 192 27 The album also won the 2003 Swedish Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance 30 On 1 January 2016 Opeth re released both Deliverance and Damnation in one package containing CD and DVD versions along with new mixing The band embarked on its biggest tour yet playing nearly 200 shows in 2003 and 2004 26 Opeth performed three special shows in Europe with two song lists each one acoustic set and one heavy set The band recorded its first DVD Lamentations Live at Shepherd s Bush Empire 2003 at Shepherd s Bush Empire in London England The DVD features a two hour performance including the entire Damnation album several songs from Deliverance and Blackwater Park and a one hour documentary about the recording of Deliverance and Damnation Lamentations was certified Gold in Canada 31 Opeth was scheduled to perform in Jordan without a crew due to the fear of terrorist attacks in the Middle East Opeth s tour manager distributed 6 000 tickets for the concert but before the band left for Jordan drummer Lopez called Akerfeldt stating he was having an anxiety attack and could not perform forcing the band to cancel the show 32 33 In early 2004 Lopez was sent home from Canada after more anxiety attacks on tour Opeth decided against cancelling the remainder of the tour with Lopez s drum technician filling in for two concerts 34 Lopez promised that he would return to the tour as soon as he could but two shows later Opeth asked Strapping Young Lad drummer Gene Hoglan to fill in Lopez returned to Opeth for the Seattle show on the final leg of the Deliverance and Damnation tour Per Wiberg also joined the band on tour to perform keyboards after more than a year on tour Ghost Reveries 2005 2007 Edit Main article Ghost Reveries Peter Lindgren left Opeth in 2007 after sixteen years with the band Opeth returned home in 2004 to start writing new material for its eighth album and by the end of the year they had finished writing it 26 Opeth s European label Music for Nations closed its doors in 2005 and after negotiations with various labels the band signed with Roadrunner Records 35 Akerfeldt said the primary reason for signing with Roadrunner was the label s wide distribution ensuring the album would be available at larger chain retailers 36 When news leaked that the band was signed to Roadrunner who predominantly worked with trend oriented rock and metal some fans accused the band of selling out To be honest Akerfeldt said that s such an insult after 15 years as a band and 8 records I can t believe we haven t earned each and every Opeth fan s credibility after all these years I mean our songs are 10 minutes long 36 The band rehearsed for three weeks before entering the studio the first time the band rehearsed since the 1998 album My Arms Your Hearse 36 During rehearsal keyboardist Wiberg joined Opeth as a full time member 37 Opeth recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Orebro Sweden from 18 March to 1 June 2005 and released the resulting Ghost Reveries on 30 August 2005 to critical acclaim and commercial success The album debuted at number 64 in the US and number nine in Sweden higher than any previous Opeth release 27 38 Keith Bergman of Blabbermouth net gave the album ten out of ten one of only 21 albums to achieve a perfect rating from the site 39 Rod Smith of Decibel magazine called Ghost Reveries achingly beautiful sometimes unabashedly brutal often a combination of both 40 On 12 May 2006 Martin Lopez announced that he had officially parted ways with Opeth due to health problems and was replaced by Martin Axenrot 41 Opeth toured on the main stage of Gigantour in 2006 alongside Megadeth Ghost Reveries was re released on 31 October 2006 with a bonus cover song Deep Purple s Soldier of Fortune a DVD featuring a 5 1 surround sound mix of the album and a documentary on the making of the record A recording of Opeth s live performance at the Camden Roundhouse in London on 9 November 2006 was released as the double live album The Roundhouse Tapes which topped the Finnish DVD chart 42 On 17 May 2007 Peter Lindgren announced he would be leaving Opeth after 16 years The decision has been the toughest I ve ever made but it is the right one to make at this point in my life Lindgren said I feel that I simply have lost some of the enthusiasm and inspiration needed to participate in a band that has grown from a few guys playing the music we love to a worldwide industry 43 Ex Arch Enemy guitarist Fredrik Akesson replaced Lindgren as Akerfeldt explained Fredrik was the only name that popped up thinking about a replacement for Peter In my opinion he s one of the top three guitar players out of Sweden We all get along great as we ve known each other for maybe four years and he already has the experience to take on the circus like lifestyle we lead as members of Opeth 43 Watershed and In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall 2008 2010 Edit Main articles Watershed Opeth album and In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall Mikael Akerfeldt and Martin Mendez live in 2008 Opeth entered Fascination Street Studios in November 2007 to record their ninth studio album with Akerfeldt producing By January 2008 Opeth had recorded 13 songs including three cover songs 44 The finished album Watershed features seven tracks with cover songs used as bonus tracks on different versions of the album Watershed was released on 3 June 2008 45 Akerfeldt described the songs on the album as a bit more energetic 46 Opeth toured in support of Watershed including headlining the UK Defenders of the Faith tour with Arch Enemy an appearance at Wacken Open Air and the Progressive Nation tour with headliner Dream Theater 47 Watershed was Opeth s highest charting album to date debuting at number 23 on the US Billboard 200 27 on the Australian ARIA album charts at number seven 48 and at number one on Finland s official album chart 49 Opeth went on a worldwide tour in support of Watershed From September to October the band toured North America backed by High on Fire Baroness and Nachtmystium 50 They returned to tour Europe for the rest of the year with Cynic and The Ocean 51 In 2010 Opeth wrote and recorded the new track The Throat of Winter which appeared on the digital EP soundtrack of the video game God of War III Akerfeldt described the song as odd and not very metal 52 To celebrate their 20th anniversary Opeth performed a six show worldwide tour called Evolution XX An Opeth Anthology from 30 March through 9 April 2010 Blackwater Park was performed in its entirety along with several songs never before performed The concert of 5 April 2010 at the Royal Albert Hall in London England was filmed for a DVD and live album package titled In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall 53 The set was released on 21 September 2010 in 2 DVD and 2 DVD 3 CD configurations 54 For the DVD the concert was split into two sets The first set consists of the entire Blackwater Park album while the second set contains one song from every album excluding Blackwater Park in chronological order representing the twenty years of evolution in their music Akerfeldt stated I can t believe it but fuck we re celebrating 20 years I ve been in this band ever since I was 16 It s insane A special edition of Blackwater Park was released in March 2010 to coincide with the tour 55 Heritage 2011 2013 Edit Main article Heritage Opeth album Opeth at Kavarna Rock Fest 2011 In September 2010 Mikael Akerfeldt stated that he was writing for a new Opeth album 56 The band announced on their website that they would start recording their tenth album on 31 January 2011 at the Atlantis Metronome studios in Stockholm once again with Jens Bogren engineering and Steven Wilson from Porcupine Tree as co producer 57 Shortly after mixing was complete on the new album in April 2011 Opeth announced that Per Wiberg was relieved of his duties in the band 58 In the press statement Mikael Akerfeldt explained the decision saying Mendez Axe and Fredrik and I came to the decision that we should find a replacement for Per right after the recordings of the new album and this came as no surprise to Per He had in turn been thinking about leaving so you could say it was a mutual decision There s no bad blood just a relationship that came to an end and that s that 58 Opeth s tenth album Heritage was released on 14 September 2011 to generally favorable reviews 59 The album sold 19 000 copies in the United States in its first week of release and debuted at number 19 on the Billboard 200 chart 60 Heritage debuted at number four in the band s native country of Sweden 61 Heritage became the second Opeth album to not feature any death growls and had a much more progressive style than previous albums from the band something that Akerfeldt had been wanting to do for some time 62 The first two songs Akerfeldt wrote for Heritage were in the style of Watershed After hearing the songs for the first time Martin Mendez told Akerfeldt that he would be disappointed if the album continued in that direction 63 Relieved that Mendez was not interested in doing another conventional Opeth album Akerfeldt scrapped the two songs and started the writing process over in a different style 63 In the press release for Heritage Mikael Akerfeldt revealed that he felt as though he had been building to write the album since he was 19 years old 64 In a review for Allmusic Thom Jurek called Heritage the band s most adventurous album describing the songs as drenched in instrumental interludes knotty key and chord changes shifting time signatures clean vocals and a keyboard heavy instrumentation that includes Mellotrons Rhodes pianos and Hammond organs 65 Opeth supported Heritage with a tour that would last for over 200 tour dates 66 The tour was the band s first with new keyboardist Joakim Svalberg who played on the opening track of the album 67 During the tour Opeth played with bands such as Katatonia Pain of Salvation Mastodon Ghost and Anathema all over the world in countries such as the United States Europe Turkey India Japan Greece Israel Latin America and Sweden 68 69 70 71 The tour concluded with Melloboat 2013 66 Pale Communion 2014 2015 Edit Main article Pale Communion On 26 August 2014 Opeth released its eleventh studio album titled Pale Communion 72 73 Akerfeldt began working on new material as far back as August 2012 74 In January 2014 he stated We ve been looking at tracking the next album at Rockfield Studios in Wales where Queen recorded Bohemian Rhapsody but we haven t made a decision yet but it will be an expensive album There s a lot going on lots of string arrangements that we haven t had in the past 60 Despite fearing that the band s new musical direction would split Opeth s fanbase 75 when asked if it will it be heavier or softer than Heritage Akerfeldt said Maybe a little bit heavier not death metal heavy but hard rock heavy metal heavy There s also lots of progressive elements and acoustic guitars but also more sinister sounding riffs Akerfeldt also produced the new album which will include string instrumentation something that he became interested in doing when working on Storm Corrosion 60 The band members in Opeth felt rejuvenated after creating Heritage which resulted in closer relationships between them 76 The Guardian reviewed Pale Communion positively calling it strange intricate prog metal genius somewhat flawed by Akerfeldt s indulgent vocal styling 77 The album saw Opeth s highest chart positions in the history of the band with Pale Communion debuting at number 19 in the US 27 number 3 in Sweden 61 and number 14 in the United Kingdom 78 It sold 13 000 copies in its first week of release in the US 76 Pale Communion was supported with more touring from Opeth In 2015 Opeth played several concerts to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the band At these special shows the band was doing two sets The first set is 2005 s Ghost Reveries as a ten year anniversary celebration of the album The second set spanned the rest of the band s career celebrating their 25th anniversary 79 80 Akerfeldt expressed excitement for the concerts 79 Sorceress In Cauda Venenum and departure of Axenrot 2016 present Edit On 15 June 2016 Nuclear Blast Entertainment announced the signing of Opeth 81 Three days later on 18 June Opeth released a 30 second teaser for their new album Sorceress 82 A month later on 18 July the band confirmed the album would be released on 30 September in addition to revealing the artwork and track list 83 Mikael Akerfeldt described it as A fine little record My favorite in our discography right now Of course That s how it should be right It s both fresh and old both progressive and rehashed Heavy and calm Just the way we like it The album was the first project under Moderbolaget Records a joint venture between Opeth and Nuclear Blast Moderbolaget means the parent company in Swedish On 25 July 2016 in the build up towards the album release the band posted the first Sorceress Studio Report on their YouTube channel 84 In the behind the scenes studio tour it is confirmed that the band had returned to Rockfield Studios where they previously recorded Pale Communion At the end of the video there is a 20 second excerpt of a track believed to be from the album featuring heavily down tuned guitars On 1 August 2016 the band released a lyric video for the title track Sorceress on their YouTube channel On 4 September 2016 Opeth released a lyric video for the second single titled Will O the Wisp again through their YouTube channel and website Opeth s video for Era was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2017 Progressive Music Awards 85 where they ultimately won International Band of the Year 86 On 2 October 2017 Akerfeldt said he has been thinking about doing something twisted and different for the next studio album which could be released by mid to late 2019 87 On 20 November 2017 guitarist Fredrik Akesson stated that the band will not have any gigs in the upcoming months until the 2018 summer festivals During this break the band will focus on writing songs for the new album 88 On 11 July 2018 during an interview with FaceCulture Akesson said I ve recorded a lot of solos so far And Mikael Akerfeldt has almost already written 12 songs for the new album so we have more material than enough for an album 89 On 22 May 2019 the band announced their thirteenth studio album In Cauda Venenum due for release on 27 September 2019 90 On 12 July 2019 Opeth released the first single from In Cauda Venenum entitled Heart in Hand in both English and Swedish On 16 November 2021 it was announced that longtime drummer Martin Axenrot had left the band due to conflict of interests and will be replaced by Sami Karppinen for the North American tour 91 On 9 September 2022 it was announced Waltteri Vayrynen formerly of Paradise Lost as well as Alexi Laiho s project Bodom After Midnight was the band s new drummer 92 Musical style and influences Edit Windowpane source source Windowpane from Opeth s album Damnation This clip features the clean vocal style of Mikael Akerfeldt Problems playing this file See media help As Opeth s primary songwriter and lyricist vocalist guitarist Mikael Akerfeldt heads the direction of Opeth s sound He was influenced at a young age by the 1970s progressive rock bands King Crimson Yes Genesis Camel P F M Hawkwind and Gracious 93 and by heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden Slayer Death Black Sabbath Deep Purple Celtic Frost King Diamond Morbid Angel Voivod 94 and most importantly Judas Priest Akerfeldt considers Judas Priest s Sad Wings of Destiny 1976 the best metal album of all time and notes that there was a time when he listened only to Judas Priest While warming up before Opeth concerts Akerfeldt frequently sings Here Come the Tears from Judas Priest s third album Sin After Sin 1977 95 96 97 Akerfeldt later discovered progressive rock and folk music both of which had a profound impact on the sound of the band 98 Opeth s distinct sound mixes death metal with progressive rock 99 100 Steve Huey of AllMusic refers to Opeth s epic progressive death metal style 101 Ryan Ogle of Blabbermouth described Opeth s sound as incorporating the likes of folk funk blues 70s rock goth and a laundry list of other sonic oddities into their trademark progressive death style 102 In his review of Opeth s 2001 album Blackwater Park AllMusic s Eduardo Rivadavia wrote Tracks start and finish in seemingly arbitrary fashion usually traversing ample musical terrain including acoustic guitar and solo piano passages ambient soundscapes stoner rock grooves and Eastern tinged melodies any of which are subject to savage punctuations of death metal fury at any given moment 23 Akerfeldt commented on the diversity of Opeth s music I don t see the point of playing in a band and going just one way when you can do everything It would be impossible for us to play just death metal that is our roots but we are now a mishmash of everything and not purists to any form of music It s impossible for us to do that and quite frankly I would think of it as boring to be in a band that plays just metal music We re not afraid to experiment or to be caught with our pants down so to speak That s what keeps us going 103 More recently Opeth have abandoned their death metal sound resulting in a mellower progressive rock sound 104 When talking about Heritage guitarist Fredrik Akesson stated In the beginning it took me a little while to get used to the new idea of the sound not having any screaming vocals and stuff like that But I think the album was necessary for us to do Maybe the band wouldn t have continued if we hadn t done Heritage I think the old Opeth fans understand this album There s always going to be some haters but you can t be loved by everyone Opeth has always been about not repeating ourself A lot of people don t think Heritage is metal but I think it s metal to go somewhere people don t expect It doesn t mean we re not embracing the past sound of Opeth 75 Vocally Akerfeldt shifts between traditional death metal vocals for heavy sections and clean sometimes whispered or soft spoken vocals over mellower passages While his death growls were dominant on early releases later efforts incorporate more clean vocals with Damnation Heritage Pale Communion Sorceress and In Cauda Venenum featuring only clean singing 97 105 Rivadavia noted that Akerfeldt s vocals run the gamut from bowel churning grunts to melodies of chilling beauty depending on each movement section s mood 23 Legacy EditA number of artists and bands have cited Opeth as an influence among which are Mayan a project of Mark Jansen from Epica 106 Luc Lemay of Gorguts 107 Soen a band of former Opeth drummer Martin Lopez 108 Tor Oddmund Suhrke of Leprous 109 Disillusion 110 Caligula s Horse 111 Klimt 1918 112 Daniel Droste of Ahab 113 Becoming the Archetype 114 115 Nucleus Torn 116 Alex Vynogradoff of Kauan 117 Wastefall 118 Eric Guenther of The Contortionist 119 Thomas MacLean and To Mera 120 121 The Man Eating Tree 122 Nahemah 123 Vladimir Agafonkin of Obiymy Doschu 124 Schizoid Lloyd 125 Native Construct Maxime Cote of Catuvolcus 126 Bilocate 127 and Jinjer 128 In addition other artists have been quoted expressing admiration for their work including Steven Wilson Seven Lions 129 John Petrucci 130 Mike Portnoy 131 Ihsahn 132 Simone Simons of Epica 133 Oliver Palotai of Kamelot 134 Jim Matheos of Fates Warning 135 and Haken 136 Members EditMain article List of Opeth band members Current members Mikael Akerfeldt guitars 1990 present lead vocals 1992 present keyboards 1990 bass 1990 1992 1997 Martin Mendez bass 1997 present Fredrik Akesson guitars backing vocals 2007 present Joakim Svalberg keyboards synthesizers piano mellotron backing vocals 2011 present Waltteri Vayrynen drums 2022 present Discography EditMain article Opeth discography Orchid 1995 Morningrise 1996 My Arms Your Hearse 1998 Still Life 1999 Blackwater Park 2001 Deliverance 2002 Damnation 2003 Ghost Reveries 2005 Watershed 2008 Heritage 2011 Pale Communion 2014 Sorceress 2016 In Cauda Venenum 2019 References Edit Laing Rob 12 October 2010 Interview Mikael Akerfeldt 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Ozric Tentacles Zobbel Archived from the original on 19 July 2011 Retrieved 6 June 2011 a b 25th Anniversary Concert Announced Opeth com 12 November 2014 Archived from the original on 18 May 2015 Retrieved 17 May 2015 New York amp LA 25th Anniversary Shows Announced Opeth com 28 April 2015 Archived from the original on 18 May 2015 Retrieved 17 May 2015 OPETH Sign To Nuclear Blast Metal Shock Finland Archived from the original on 30 July 2019 Retrieved 15 June 2016 Here s Your First Taste Of OPETH s New Album Sorceress Metal Injection Metal Injection 17 June 2016 Archived from the original on 30 July 2019 Retrieved 18 June 2016 OPETH Sorceress Artwork Track Listing Release Date Revealed Blabbermouth 18 July 2016 Archived from the original on 30 July 2019 Retrieved 18 July 2016 OPETH Sorceress Studio Report Episode 1 Rockfield Studios OFFICIAL TRAILER Opeth Youtube Channel 22 July 2016 Archived from the original on 12 August 2019 Retrieved 26 July 2016 Video Of The Year TeamRock 12 July 2017 Archived from the original on 28 October 2017 Retrieved 28 October 2017 Marillion Anathema Steve Hackett among Progressive Music Award winners teamrock com 14 September 2017 Archived from the original on 22 March 2018 Retrieved 25 September 2017 Opeth Mikael Akerfeldt Prog Awards eonmusic Interview October 2017 eonmusic 2 October 2017 Archived from the original on 30 July 2019 Retrieved 3 October 2017 OPETH Will Take Time Off From Touring In Early 2018 To Begin Working On New Music Blabbermouth net 20 November 2017 Archived from the original on 21 November 2017 Retrieved 20 November 2017 OPETH Is Working On Complex And Energetic New Album BLABBERMOUTH NET 11 July 2018 Archived from the original on 1 March 2021 Retrieved 19 October 2021 Opeth Official Website opeth com Archived from the original on 21 May 2019 Retrieved 22 May 2019 Kennelty Greg 16 November 2021 OPETH Parts Ways With Drummer Over Conflict Of Interests Metal Injection Retrieved 16 November 2021 OPETH Enlists Ex PARADISE LOST Drummer WALTTERI VAYRYNEN Blabbermouth net 9 September 2022 Retrieved 9 September 2022 Wagner Jeff 2010 Mean Deviation Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal Bazillion Points Books p 293 ISBN 9780979616334 Archived from the original on 23 June 2016 Retrieved 13 December 2015 Wagner Jeff 2010 Mean Deviation Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal Bazillion Points Books p 110 ISBN 9780979616334 Archived from the original on 19 October 2021 Retrieved 13 December 2015 Azevedo Pedro Born Within Sorrow s Mask Chroniclesofchaos com Archived from the original on 18 December 2007 Retrieved 18 January 2008 Interview with Mikael Akerfeldt or Opeth Wnhumetal com 24 February 2006 Archived from the original on 26 January 2008 Retrieved 8 February 2008 a b Opeth Interview with Mikael Akerfeldt HailMetal com 28 December 2004 Archived from the original on 2 February 2009 Retrieved 22 May 2010 Opeth overview Allmusic Retrieved 18 January 2008 Hash Tommy 22 May 2003 Opeth Damnation RevelationZ Magazine Archived from the original on 20 June 2007 Retrieved 17 June 2007 Lee Cosmo 13 September 2005 Ghost Reveries Review Stylus Magazine Archived from the original on 4 February 2008 Retrieved 30 January 2008 Huey Steve My Arms Your Hearse Review AllMusic Archived from the original on 12 November 2010 Retrieved 23 June 2014 Ogle Ryan CD Reviews Watershed Opeth Blabbermouth net Archived from the original on 9 August 2014 Retrieved 23 June 2014 Opeth frontman on being different Metal Hammer 30 October 2006 Archived from the original on 15 January 2009 Retrieved 17 January 2008 Brandon Stosuy 17 September 2011 Opeth Heritage Pitchfork Media Archived from the original on 14 October 2014 Retrieved 18 October 2014 Belling Alasdair 20 January 2020 Opeth member understands frustration at lack of death growls in new material Tone Deaf Archived from the original on 7 April 2020 Retrieved 7 April 2020 Sliwa Philippe May 2011 Mark Jansen and his new project RadioMetal com published 14 June 2011 Archived from the original on 20 February 2017 Retrieved 19 February 2017 But Opeth is even a bigger influence because I listen to a lot of Opeth myself and I think it s a very interesting band DiVita Joe 25 July 2013 Gorguts Leader Luc Lemay Talks New Album Influences More Loudwire Archived from the original on 28 August 2016 Retrieved 14 February 2017 Dodds Cameron 7 December 2014 All Axess Exclusive Interview With Martin Lopez Of Soen Allaxess com Archived from the original on 16 February 2017 Retrieved 15 February 2017 Rowland Jim 7 July 2013 Tor Oddmund Suhrke Leprous Uber Rock Interview Exclusive Uberrock co uk Archived from the original on 30 August 2014 Retrieved 14 February 2017 Dennis October 2006 Interviews Disillusion Metalspheres de in German Archived from the original on 20 February 2017 Retrieved 19 February 2017 Opeth sind ein massiver Einfluss auf die letzten sechs Jahre gewesen auf jeden Fall Opeth have been a massive influence on the past six years in any case Morten Okkerholm Robert Bergstein Larsen 29 October 2015 Interview med Caligula s Horse www rockzeit dk Copenhagen Denmark published 6 November 2015 Archived from the original on 12 April 2016 Retrieved 27 February 2017 Russo Salvo 2 September 2002 KLIMT 1918 Interview with Marco Soellner and Alessandro Pace GryphonMetal ch Archived from the original on 20 September 2020 Retrieved 18 February 2017 Alisoglu Scott 2 November 2009 Interview with Ahab TeethOfTheDivine com Archived from the original on 9 July 2017 Retrieved 14 February 2017 Tahmasian Michael 19 September 2012 Becoming the Archetype Mindequalsblown net Archived from the original on 16 February 2017 Retrieved 15 February 2017 Steve 18 January 2011 Becoming the Archetype IndieVisionMusic com Archived from the original on 16 February 2017 Retrieved 15 February 2017 Bolther Giancarlo 2011 INTERVIEWS WITH NUCLEUS TORN with Fredy Schnyder Rock Impressions com Archived from the original on 11 September 2016 Retrieved 19 February 2017 Andrei Pruna 4 January 2016 Music has no limits an interview with Alex Vynogradoff Kauan about his new project a noend of mine MaximumRock ro Archived from the original on 16 February 2017 Retrieved 16 February 2017 Scheurer Walter WASTEFALL Interview Underground Empire com in German Archived from the original on 2 February 2017 Retrieved 14 February 2017 Guenther Eric 17 September 2014 The Jedi Council of Riff MetalSucks net Archived from the original on 15 February 2017 Retrieved 14 February 2017 Opeth are legends and have spread profound influence and inspiration to countless musicians They really changed the game for me a huge part of my history and artistic fingerprint I wouldn t be writing or recording the stuff I am today without that dude doing his thing Stefanis John February 2008 Interview To Mera Tom MacLean GetReadyToRock com Archived from the original on 22 April 2016 Retrieved 15 February 2017 Goumas Yorgos Progressive Metal Jazz For Your Ears rzk voyager com Archived from the original on 16 February 2017 Retrieved 15 February 2017 Riessinger Bianca 29 September 2010 Interview 2010 09 29 The Man Eating Tree Band anzeigen in German Archived from the original on 12 February 2017 Retrieved 14 February 2017 Viktor 1 June 2009 Interview Nahemah Splitted de Archived from the original on 16 February 2017 Retrieved 15 February 2017 During the past years of NahemaH Opeth was an influence in our progressive vein Vjeran 17 May 2015 Obiymy Doschu We want to create emotional beautiful multi layered music Croatian amp English version MetalJacketMagazine com Archived from the original on 3 July 2015 Retrieved 19 February 2017 van Os Mario 19 June 2012 Schizoid Lloyd Bandpresentatie Dutch Exposure Progwereld org in Dutch Archived from the original on 20 February 2017 Retrieved 19 February 2017 Lake Dan 20 July 2012 Interview Max Cote blackens the Great White North Decibel Archived from the original on 21 February 2017 Retrieved 20 February 2017 Nefarious 20 August 2012 Bilocate interview 08 2012 MetalStorm net Archived from the original on 15 February 2017 Retrieved 14 February 2017 Waseem EsSayed Influential bands include Opeth Anders Ekdahl Battle Helm com Jinjer 20 May 2016 Retrieved 27 March 2020 As for the influences for the whole band there are a few which we all like and appreciate Gojira Lamb of God Opeth Pantera Karnivool Your EDM Exclusive Interview Seven Lions Hints At Upcoming Dark Release YourEDM com Atlanta Georgia 10 September 2014 Archived from the original on 30 August 2017 Retrieved 17 February 2017 Opeth has always been my favorite band and they ve always kinda done whatever they want I m not a huge fan of the album they just put out but they give no cares and continue to do what they do and I have a lot of respect for that They always push forward and it s very cool Sharma Amit 4 August 2014 John Petrucci Why I Love Opeth TeamRock com Archived from the original on 18 February 2017 Retrieved 17 February 2017 Mike Portnoy 5 minutes HudsonMusic com Archived from the original on 11 February 2017 Retrieved 14 February 2017 Some modern bands and artists that I have a tremendous amount of respect for are Muse Opeth Matthijssens Vera February 2010 Ihsahn LordsOfMetal nl Archived from the original on 19 February 2017 Retrieved 18 February 2017 I love Opeth I think it is great that Opeth has succeeded to this enormous extend that they have It is a band with really good musicians for so many years and they just develop their sound in a very truthful way and honest condition It is refreshing to see that kind of band getting that amount of recognition Ju de Melon 19 February 2012 Simone Simons chanteuse d Epica Lagrosseradio com in French Archived from the original on 21 March 2017 Retrieved 19 February 2017 J ai beaucoup aime le nouvel album d Opeth qui reste a ce jour mon groupe prefere j adore son cote pyschedelique et space Je suis bien sur alle les voir en live et c est marrant de constater que meme la Mikael a totalement stoppe les growls on en a discute ensemble et d ailleurs il s amuse un peu des critiques a ce sujet Personnellement j aime les deux Opeth et je suis contente de voir qu il ne regarde pas autour de lui pour faire la musique qui lui plait vraiment c est un vrai musicien qui ecoute son coeur I loved Opeth s new album which remains my favorite band so far I love its psychedelic side and space Of course I went to see them live and it s funny to see that even here Mikael has totally stopped the growls we discussed it together and besides he has a bit of criticism about it Personally I like the two Opeth and I m glad to see that he does not look around him to make the music he really likes he s a real musician who listens to his heart van Os Mario Kamelot Interview met Oliver Palotai en Thomas Youngblood nav hun nieuwe album Haven Progwereld org in Dutch Amsterdam Archived from the original on 20 February 2017 Retrieved 19 February 2017 Mijn favoriete band is waarschijnlijk Opeth Ik ken Mikael Akerfeldt persoonlijk heel goed Ik heb al hun albums en luister er ook regelmatig naar My favourite band is probably Opeth I know Mikael Akerfeldt very well personally I have all their albums and listen to them regularly DiVita Joe 8 July 2016 Fates Warning s Jim Matheos Talks Theories of Flight Album Writing Process Performing With Different Lineups Loudwire Archived from the original on 9 July 2016 Retrieved 14 February 2017 I m a huge admirer of Opeth Meet the band HAKEN Archived from the original on 15 June 2018 Retrieved 2 July 2018 Sources Edit Opeth 2016 Book of Opeth Illustrated ed London Essential Works Limited ISBN 978 1906615963 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Opeth Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Opeth amp oldid 1145229914, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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