Opeth interview - Mikael Åkerfeldt (part 2)

[dublo7]

Mikael talking about Mendes always gives me a laugh. There's clearly great respect there.

[666Henthorn666]

i've only listened to opeth a couple time here and there when i was younger. then i saw them play at heavy t.o and i thought they sucked(but he was having problems with his guitar, he kept breaking strings). well maybe saying "sucked" isn't the best way to describe it....just not my "thing". but after listening to a few songs on youtube....watching some interviews....you know what....they aren't that bad....at least he's playing for himself instead of what others want to hear.

[GrotesqueKevin]

ugh, too much to say about this interview, none of it is positive.

[LilithImmacualte]

@GrotesqueKevin How? Because he is musically growing himself? Why produce albums that sound the same, for your fans when you're not going to enjoy it yourself? The diversity in Opeth is one of the main reasons why i love them so much, and Mikael, making music for himself instead of the fans, is a very important quality that not enough musicians have..

[bullrog100]

have Mikael ever heard of b-sides? o.O

[GatesOfGehenna76]

Mikael himself is a great, funny person. i'd love to hang with this guy for a day

[goneinthefade]

REMOVE HIS DELETE KEY

[DarkXxXJack]

Hmmm WTF i will miss the growls from this guy

[kr3w0804]

DO IT BETTER YOURSELF THEN, MOTHERFUCKER!

[d0r1705]

@kr3w0804 busted out laughing!

[dariwsh]

DELETED??? WTF? Mikael is crazy... always have been. That's why we have Opeth =).

[SerbKangsta]

completely amped for Heritage, like 16 more days

[n5r15]

I think albums like Heritage are the kinds of things that separate fans of the music from fans of the artists themselves. I like it... as shocked and completely confused as i originally was it grew on me and lately I haven't been able to get heritage out of my head and i absolutely LOVE to see a musician who's got the balls to make such a drastic change... tho in the end... it still sounds like Opeth in a strange sort of way. Cant wait to see them in October!

[brandonnieves91]

"DO IT BETTER YOURSELF THEN MOTHER FUCKER!"

That's just classic.

[MetallicOpeth]

Judging by his words here and how his vocals have sounded lately, I'm glad he decided not to try and force a more death metal album. It's unfortunate they're moving past that style since I got into them around the MAYH era and I find it an essential part of the band, but it's fair that he believes he can't move it any further.

[CLARAmae13]

it hurst a little bit hearing him say no metal but this album is gonna be awesome.

[RussMaxable]

I guess it's abit cocky but i have not really heard music like that before lol.hahahahahahahahahahahahaha­.awesome.

[fetor41]

I've never been so excited for an album to come out. Ever.

[shorttyjones]

do it better yourself then mother fucker 3:25 hahaha

[jonahfox]

Give us the two watershed style songs please....

[DJKEBAB]

3:27

[WhoTheHellAreYou7]

IF THIS IS THE NEXT ALBUM I'M GOING TO BE VERY DISAPPOINTED =\

awesome face :D

[DillingerEscapeMan]

@WhoTheHellAreYou7 I spoke to Mikael 3 days ago - and her said this will be a kind of jazz album. S.

[WhoTheHellAreYou7]

The Hives? Oh shi...

[jgurthy]

He's like... the coolest dude ever. Seriously.

[phreestylesk8r]

i hope heritage is good, im really looking forword to it. i will miss the growls but his voice is amazing on its own

[ManateeMentality]

4:21 In referring to the new album: "I haven't really heard music like that before."

CANNNOT WAIT

[FyrusD]

He should listen to Beardfish. This new Opeth sounds a lot like Beardfish.

[DarthSivius]

the hives, awesome xD

[Thystonius]

I'd be annoyed if Opeth stayed the same. Great thing of Opeth is the constant development. Heard the new song of Dream Theater, they are pretty much stuck in their sound now since Systematic Chaos.

[Karhuherraz]

Respect.

[ScReAmOboyV7]

I miss the old Mikael, the old Opeth!

[skateNappreciate]

@Kole777 lol (growling) "drivingggggg... tooo pick up sum hoes"

[Metallikakka]

do it better yourself then muthafucka

[legatoshred]

to be honest i listen opeth almost just for the 70 and prog stuff in the songs. i love hard metal but i think this will be one of the best works ever

[icketypickety]

you gotta respect and admire the man when he says he is saturated and wants to move on....

[Kole777]

New Opeth album, Michael will venture into gangster rap.

[DavetzWin]

Disappointed that he is moving away from Metal.

He says "what I wanted to hear", but about us fans? Anyway, if Heritage is good, no matter the style, it will be worth it, I trust Mikael.

I just hope it's not TOO soft (ie: Damnation).

[DavetzWin]

what about us fans*

[Megadedly]

@DavetzWin Opeth may come back to more extreme metal in the future, you never know...Mikael didn't. Doesn't mean Heritage wont be heavy.

[MadcapMacabre]

@DavetzWin Mikael has never written songs for the fans. Why should he? It's his band, not ours. Any sound he develops will generate new fans and lose others. Think of it this way....you have 8 albums of the traditional sound of Opeth...that's a hefty discography.

[DavetzWin]

@MadcapMacabre

Opeth will never lose this fan :)

Worst-case scenario is that I no longer enjoy their new records depending on their direction (which I doubt), but even then I would still listen to the current albums like I do now, I'll always be a fan.

[MyScaryScrotum]

@MadcapMacabre Exactly! Most great bands have a half a dozen discography all in the same style. With Opeth, we get 8 great heavy albums and some more great proggy shit.

If you don't like this album, you're a cunt.

[Bassbait]

@MadcapMacabre Not true. We have 5 traditional Opeth albums. Then we have Damnation, Watershed, and the first two albums, which are not traditional Opeth. Damnation is all soft. Watershed was experimental. Morningrise and Orchid were Folk/Black Metal influenced, before Opeth defined their sound.

In reality, Watershed was an experimental album that they should have continued in the style of. The semi-rock, semi-metal sound was great. Heritage will be good too, but Watershed needs a sequel.

[MadcapMacabre]

@Bassbait Yes, you are quite right. Although I should perhaps elaborate on what I mean by traditional. I mean the core elements which they tend to adhere to. Vocals alternating between clean singing and rougher extreme vocals, aspects of progressive rock, Metal and folk/acoustic stylings, and long varied song structures. Damnation does of course break away from that, but other than that I would say all of the others still stay true to those principles...despite them all being vastly different.

[RussMaxable]

@Bassbait It's not like he is quiting, you will get your album but enjoy this one, I just heard the single and being a fan of Pink Floyd and alot of prog, it was awesome.I love every Opeth album but this is going to be one for the ages.

[towardstheshadows]

@MadcapMacabre not to mention they're not going to just not play those albums live either this album sounds fantastic so far and people should deal with the new direction

[pantalaemon]

@MadcapMacabre Yeah, and besides. It's not like he isn't dedicated to his fans. It's just that his art is HIS, and the people he is dedicated to aren't the 'fans' that hate on new ways, but the actual fans, who can appreciate his art. These are the people he's dedicated to. That Mikael does what he wants to isn't the variable in this equation, the understanding of his fans is.

[t75ftw]

@MadcapMacabre I think there was never anything as a traditional sound of Opeth tho...dont get me wrong, i love em...

[Ullish1989]

@MadcapMacabre Totally agree, if Mikael was to listen to fans and do exactly what they told him to, Opeth would stop being Opeth. It would no longer be the brilliant mind of Mikael Åkerfeldt, exploring creativity.

[MetallicOpeth]

@DavetzWin I think it's going to be a pretty dark album man. Gonna be awesome.

[BdonYoo]

Wooo! I'm pumped to hear a little Hives influence on this album! Fuck Mikael is cool

[antonio610]

Two Opeth songs in the style of Watershed that nobody will ever hear. Holy shit.

[steliospitsillides]

@antonio610

you can expect a later release with them featured as bonus tracks. as done with derelict herds etc..

[antonio610]

@steliospitsillides Highly doubt it from the way he stresses how he deleted them.

[Thatmetaldude590]

@antonio610 Yeah, I know! I saw some other stuff about Porcupine Tree's Deadwing. They replaced some song that Steven reviewed as "really, really good" (think it was called In the White or something similar) with Shallow because 'it had to be radio-compatible'. Now, I don't know if you're into P/T... Perhaps meaningless response. Sorry :) It's just... Yeah, those songs would've been nice to hear.

[JBT24]

So many sturgeon faces.