When released the track in August, it was their first new music featuring growled vocals in 16 years – but bandleader rejects the suggestion that is a death metal record. Instead, he says, their 14th LP represents a melding of their earlier aggression with vintage prog. “If you take those vocals away, it’s no big stretch.
I think this album is slightly heavier; it’s much darker and evil, but I think they’re the only thing that could keep the prog guys away from this record. “The rest is business as usual. To be honest, my heart is not in death metal.
I’m after some kind of feeling. Music should be an emotional experience; and once I get that, I’m happy.” He continues: “It’s a pretty happening record – there’s a lot of stuff going on.
We don’t linger on parts like we did 20 years ago. I went with the flow of my own restlessness, which has resulted in quite a crazy record.” Opeth’s progressive influences, and Åkerfeldt’s love for obscure 70s prog records, have taken hold over the past decade and a half.
During that time, the hardcore portion of their fanbase has been clamouring for growled vocals to make a comeback. But why now? “We’ve been doing anniversary shows, so we played a lot of old songs, and I thought my voice sounded good,” he says. “I didn’t have any plans to record with it.
But as I started writing the music, I figured that style could be utilised to expand the sonic landscape and give the main character in the story a .