Opeth | Artist

Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal band formed 1989 in Stockholm by David Isberg (vocals), Dan Nilsson (guitar), Micke Bergström (guitar), Martin Persson (bass) and Rille Even (drums). The group has been through several personnel changes, including the replacement of every single original member. Mikael Åkerfeldt (guitar, vocals, bass), a sixteen year old when he joined, has remained Opeth's primary driving force since the departure of original vocalist David Isberg in 1992. Opeth's style is a blend of death metal and progressive rock. Åkerfeldt cites his influences include many classic '70s prog bands, as well as heavy metal bands, particularly Judas Priest. Their prog influences are evident from the inclusion of acoustic guitar and mellotrons in the instrumental palette. To-date Opeth has released 14 studio albums and several excellent live albums. The overall standard of their albums has remained exceptionally high, but their most creative period was undoubtably 1996-2008 when they released eight superb albums back-to-back: Morningrise (1996), My Arms Your Hearse (1998), Still Life (1999), Blackwater Park (2001), Deliverance (2002), Damnation (2003), Ghost Reveries (2005) and Watershed (2008). The band's 2019 release In cauda venenum, was a strong return to form, and 2024's Last Will and Testament is right back up there with their best work from the late 2000's. Also the live releases Lamentations: Live at Shepherd's Bush (2006) and The Roundhouse Tapes (2007) are both highly recommended. 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, and by heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden, Slayer, Death, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Celtic Frost, King Diamond, Morbid Angel, Voivod, 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. The band name "Opeth" translates to "City of the Moon", and comes from the fictional city of Opet in the Wilbur Smith novel Sunbird.

Artist Website: opeth.com

Featured Albums: Opeth

Related Artists: Edge of Sanity, Therion