Opeth

Opeth
Opeth in 2009 at the Bijou Theater, Knoxville, TN. Left tae richt: Per Wiberg, Fredrik Åkesson, Mikael Åkerfeldt, Martin Mendez, an Martin "Axe" Axenrot.
Background information
Oreigin	Stockholm, Swaden
Genres	Progressive daith metal, progressive metal, progressive rock
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Candlelight, Century Black, Peaceville, Music for Nations, Koch, Roadrunner
Associate acts	Katatonia, Bloodbath, Steel, Porcupine Tree, Storm Corrosion
Wabsteid	opeth.com
Members	Mikael Åkerfeldt Martín Méndez Martin Axenrot Fredrik Åkesson Joakim Svalberg
Past members	Umwhile members

Opeth is a Swedish hivy metal baund frae Stockholm, formit in 1990. Tho the group haes been throu several personnel chynges, sangster, guitarist, an sangwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt haes remained Opeth's drivin force throughoot the years. Opeth haes consistently incorporatit progressive, fowk, blues, classical an jazz influences intae thair uisually lengthy compositions, as well as noticeable influences frae black metal an daith metal, maist notably in thair early wirks. Mony sangs include acoustic guitar passages an strang dynamic shifts, as well as baith daith grouls an clean vocals. Opeth rarely made live appearances supportin thair first fower albums; but syne conductin thair first warld tour efter the 2001 release o Blackwater Park, thay hae led several major warld tours.

Opeth haes released ten studio albums, three live DVDs, three live albums (twa that are in conjunction wi DVDs), an twa boxsets. The baund released its debut album Orchid in 1995. Awtho thair aicht studio album, Ghost Reveries, wis quite popular in the Unitit States, Opeth did no experience major American commercial success till the 2008 release o thair nint studio album, Watershed, which peakit at nummer twinty-three on the Billboard 200, an toppit the Finnish albums chairt in its first week o release. Opeth sauld ower 2 million albums an DVDs warldwide, includin 300,000 collective Soundscans o thair albums Blackwater Park, Damnation an Deliverance in the Unitit States.

Muisical style an influence

Influences

As Opeth's primary sangwriter an leericist, vocalist/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt heids the direction o Opeth's soond. Influencit at a young age bi hivy metal baunds sic as Iron Maiden, Slayer, Death, Black Sabbath, Celtic Frost, King Diamond, Morbid Angel, an maist importantly Judas Priest. Åkerfeldt considers Sad Wings of Destiny the best metal album o aw time, an notes that thare wis a time when he anerlie listened tae Judas Priest. Åkerfeldt sings "Here Come the Tears" bi Judas Priest afore maist Opeth concerts while wairmin up.

Genre an soond

Åkerfeldt later discovered progressive rock an fowk music, baith o which haed a profoond impact on the soond o the baund. Opeth's distinct soond mixes daith metal wi progressive rock. In his review o Opeth's 2001 album Blackwater Park, Allmusic's Eduardo Rivadavia wrote; "Tracks stairt an feenish in seemingly arbitrary fashion, uisually traversin ample muisical terrain, includin acoustic guitar an solo piano passages, ambient soondscapes, stoner rock grooves, an Eastren-tingit melodies—any o which are subject tae savage punctuations o daith metal fury at ony given moment." Åkerfeldt commentit on the diversity o Opeth's muisic:

"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."

Vocals

Vocally, Åkerfeldt shifts atween traditional daith metal vocals for hivy sections, an clean, whiles whispered vocals ower mellae passages. While his daith grouls wur dominant on early releases, later efforts incorporate mair clean vocals, wi baith Damnation an Heritage featurin anerlie clean singin. Rivadavia notit that "Åkerfeldt's vocals run the gamut frae bowel-churnin grunts tae melodies o chillin brawnie—dependin on each muivement section's mood."

Baund members

Main airticle: Leet o Opeth baund members

Current members

• Mikael Åkerfeldt – lead vocals, guitars (1990–present), bass guitar (1997)
• Martín Méndez – bass guitar (1997–present)
• Martin "Axe" Axenrot – drums, percussion (2006–present)
• Fredrik Åkesson – guitars, backin vocals (2007–present)
• Joakim Svalberg – keybuirds, synthesizer, backin vocals, percussion (2011–present)

Discography

Main airticle: Opeth discography

Studio albums

• 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)
• The Last Will and Testament (2024)

Freemit airtins

• Offeecial wabsteid