OpethOpeth is a Swedish heavy metal heavy metal music band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. While the band has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force since joining promptly after its inception. While firmly rooted in Scandinavian death metal, Opeth has consistently incorporated influence by progressive music, folk folk music , blues rock and jazz into their usually-lengthy compositions. Many compositions include acoustic guitar interludes and strong dynamic dynamics (music) shifts, as well as both growling death growl and clean vocals. Though they rarely toured in support of their first four albums, Opeth conducted their first world tour after the 2001 release of Blackwater Park. Opeth has released nine studio albums, two live albums, two box sets, and two DVDs. The band released its debut album Orchid Orchid (album) in 1995. Although their eighth studio album Ghost Reveries was quite popular in the United States, Opeth did not experience American commercial success until the 2008 release of their ninth studio album, Watershed Watershed (Opeth album) , which peaked at number twenty-three on the Billboard 200 Billboard 200 , and topped the Finnish albums chart in its first week of release. Formation (1990–1993) Opeth was formed as a death metal band in the autumn of 1990 in Stockholm, Sweden by vocalist David Isberg. 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. During rehearsal, keyboardist Wiberg joined Opeth as a full-time member. Opeth recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden, from March 18 to June 1, 2005, and released the resulting Ghost Reveries on August 30, 2005, to critical and commercial acclaim. The album debuted at number 64 in the US, and number nine in Sweden, higher than any previous Opeth release. Keith Bergman of Blabbermouth.net gave the album ten out of ten, one of only 17 albums to achieve a perfect rating from the site. Rod Smith of Decibel magazine Decibel Magazine called Ghost Reveries "achingly beautiful, sometimes unabashedly brutal, often a combination of both." On May 12, 2006, Martin Lopez announced that he had officially parted ways with Opeth due to health problems, and was replaced by Martin Axenrot. Opeth toured on the main stage of Gigantour in 2006, alongside Megadeth. Ghost Reveries was re-released on October 31, 2006, with a bonus cover song cover version (Deep Purple's Soldier of Fortune) and a DVD documenting the making of the album. A recording of Opeth's live performance at the Camden Roundhouse Roundhouse (venue) , in London, on November 9, 2006, was released as the double live album The Roundhouse Tapes. On May 17, 2007, Peter Lindgren announced he was 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." Ex-Arch Enemy guitarist Fredrik Åkesson replaced Lindgren, as Åkerfeldt explained: {{Quote|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. The finished album, Watershed Watershed (Opeth album) , features seven tracks, with cover songs used as bonus tracks on different versions of the album. Watershed was released on June 3, 2008. Åkerfeldt described the songs on the album as "a bit more energetic." Opeth has planned tours in support of Watershed, including headlining the UK tour Defenders of the Faith with Arch Enemy, an appearance at Wacken Open Air, and the Progressive Nation tour with headliner Dream Theater. Watershed was Opeth's highest-charting album to date, debuting at number 23 on the US Billboard 200. Watershed debuted on the Australian ARIA album charts ARIA Charts at number seven and at number one on Finland's official album chart. Opeth went on a worldwide tour in support of the album. However, gigs in Spain and Portugal were cancelled due to the Burning Live Festival being cancelled, and four concerts from June 26 to June 29 had to be cancelled due to Mikael Åkerfeldt having chicken pox. Two of the festivals Opeth were supposed to play at were Hovefestivalen and Metaltown in Sweden. Their replacement for both the absences was Satyricon Satyricon (band) . From September to October, Opeth toured North America again backed by High on Fire, Baroness Baroness (band) , and Nachtmystium. They returned to tour Europe for the rest of the year with Cynic Cynic (band) and The Ocean The Ocean Collective . To celebrate their 20th anniversary, Opeth will perform a six-show, worldwide tour called Evolution XX: An Opeth Anthology, from March 30 through April 9, 2010. Blackwater Park will be performed in its entirety, along with several songs never before performed. Åkerfeldt stated, "I can’t believe it, but, ***, 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 will be released in March 2010, coinciding with the tour. Opeth wrote and recorded the new track, "The Throat of Winter", which will appear on the digital EP soundtrack to the upcoming video game, God of War III. Åkerfeldt described the song as "odd" and "not very metal."As Opeth's primary songwriter and lyricist, vocalist-guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt's influence dominates the sound of the band. Åkerfeldt is the only member to appear on every release. Influenced at a young age by heavy metal heavy metal music bands such as Slayer, Death Death (metal band) , Black Sabbath, Celtic Frost, King Diamond and Morbid Angel, Åkerfeldt later discovered progressive rock and folk music, both of which had a profound impact on the sound of the band. Opeth's distinct sound mixes heavy metal heavy metal music with acoustic passages, while also incorporating elements of progressive metal and progressive rock. In his review of 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." Opeth's earlier works often made use of twin-guitar harmonies harmony , although they were phased out on later releases. "I got tired of it, the whole harmony guitar thing", Åkerfeldt said. "It got out of hand in the mid-90s. Every band was doing that thing." Vocally, Åkerfeldt shifts between growling Death growl death metal vocals for heavy sections, and clean, sometimes whispered vocals over acoustic passages. While death growls were dominant on early releases, later efforts incorporate more clean vocals, with the 2003 release Damnation featuring only clean singing. 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." Åkerfeldt's lyrics are often poetic and metaphorical, focusing on the bleak side of human nature. In albums such as Blackwater Park, Still Life and My Arms, Your Hearse, all of the songs are unified under a single theme. In My Arms Your Hearse, the last lyric of each song is the title of the next song on the record, providing a sense of fluidity and cohesiveness to the album.; Current members * Mikael Åkerfeldt: lead vocals singer , lead lead guitar and rhythm guitars, acoustic guitars, bass bass guitar on My Arms, Your Hearse (since 1990) * Martin Mendez: bass (since 1997) * Per Wiberg: keyboards keyboard instrument , backing vocals backing vocalist (touring member 2003–2005; official member since 2005) * Martin "Axe" Axenrot Martin Axenrot : drums drum kit , percussion percussion instrument (since 2006) * Fredrik Åkesson: rhythm and lead guitars, backing vocals (since 2007)*Orchid Orchid (album) (1995) *Morningrise (1996) *My Arms, Your Hearse (1998) *Still Life Still Life (Opeth album) (1999) *Blackwater Park (2001) *Deliverance Deliverance (Opeth album) (2002) *Damnation Damnation (album) (2003) *Ghost Reveries (2005) *Watershed Watershed (Opeth album) (2008)
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