Hey Mikael, I doubt you will see this, but.... Sorry i upset you back in 2005 by shouting out "forest of october" at the SOTU festival, specifically the starland ballroom gig. It was rude of me to interrupt you while you were speaking. That look you gave me still haunts me 20 years later.
I guarantee you don't want him to see this, because he has definitely forgotten about you immediately after looking at you. So it will be to your detriment if he sees this because it will reawaken that moment and he will definitely despise you a tad more than before.
Man you have no idea how happy and grateful I am to see this video. An interview between my all time favourite band's song writer and my favourite metal RUclipsr. Just amazing thank you Ola for this
Gosh I wish that Mikael Akerfeldt would launch a podcast at some point! I could listen to him talking for days about anything and I'd never get bored the slightest
This. It wasn't just the growls that went away with Heritage. It was a near whole style change. And as far as the whole 'but the they did Damnation!' Yeah, I still like Damnation way more than the post Watershed albums. Bringing the growls back also hasn't mattered to me much so far because I don't like the singles they've released.
Agree completely. There are plenty of songs on older albums with only clean vocals that have that authentic Opeth vibe that the new albums don't have, and that no prog hash rock thing can convey, to me at least.
@@dysthymiabearer hell yea dude, Starpath and Shambhallic Vibrations were my most played albums last year, 20 Buck Spin has been cranking out the goods. You as well, cheers 🍻
Best interview I’ve ever seen featuring Mikael, and that’s saying something. NEVER heard Mikael talk about bands like At the Gates, Darkthrone, Pantera, etc. before, and it was cool to hear his take on all the classic metal albums. He may not listen to much metal anymore, but he’s clearly not ignorant to it either. I could have watched this for two hours easily. Opeth changed my life, they’ve been my favourite band as long as I can remember and that will always be the case. Can’t wait to hear the new album, like always!
What I love about Mikael's vocals is the weaving the growling and screaming in with the clean vocals. It vastly improves the song dynamics and enhances the story telling. Combining this with the heavy, progressive arrangements is ART.
Mikael's perspective on his growls opened my mind to appreciate that he just wanted to sing with his normal voice and progress as a musician. In saying that, it's the beautiful contrast of death metal growls with those autumnal folk passages that made early Opeth so special to me. The growls were just an added layer of depth that fit the theme of their albums and tapped into some primal emotions. The albums without growls didn't resonate as much with me mostly because of the Moog synths and wacky 70s prog structures NOT the lack of growls.
Sing however you need to sing! Wailing, screaming or growling............just keep writing that music brother! Cannot handle the wait for this album. 🤘
Marrow of the Earth is not only one of my fav Opeth tunes, but maybe my favorite 4+ minutes of music, period. That piece is MAGIC. Great interview, I love Mikael so much. Genius.
@@zombryn Cheers, you too! I have always felt a similar vibe and kindred spirits with both Mikael and Tim....both are self-taught musical geniuses that have created some of the most magical music I've ever heard. They are/were also completely humble, which sets them apart as well.
The first (and only) time I saw Opeth live was during the Heritage tour. I was bummed initially that there wasn’t any growling, but I have to say it was the best sounding show I’ve been to. I enjoyed it a lot. I do remember a drunk guy yelling “Where’s the fucking metal?!?” And Mikael said something along the lines of “I’ve been playing metal for 20 years…how about you?” Great stage presence.
I saw them live in 2022. Honestly, I was blown away by the Hertiage/onward material they played. I predominantly love the Watershed/prior material, but, man, the more recent songs really sound absolutely amazing live.
@@fv1005 I was there for that tour. One of my favorite shows ever. Opeth is the only metal band I've ever seen that everyone shuts up and listens quietly between songs because we all want to hear what Mikael says, and he's hilarious. The sound mix was also excellent and not TOO LOUD at all. I didn't even need my ear plugs, it sounded great but not painful.
@@johnnichols8553 I remember that it wasn't too loud....my gf (now wife) had a migraine so she didn't get to enjoy all of the show sadly. Houston was the 2nd time I saw them live
Honestly, Heritage is the record that I enjoy the most! You can hear so many influences, but it still holds the dark atmosphere of the other albums. It is the album that even got me into Opeth.
I love the autumn forest vibes I get from Opeth and their guitar tone. I also love that their riffage has a lot of creativity in it, not just chugs for heavy's sake. And of course the lyrics.
12:18 I have seen Opeth when they played only clean vocal songs back in 2011 on Heritage North American tour. It was one of a kind experience. I enjoyed every second of that show.
Mikael's right. It is annoying as hell that a good percentage of fans only really like Opeth for their growls and dont really see Opeth for what they are as a whole. I've been a fan since 2008. I definitely was a little hesitant when Heritage was released, but I grew to enjoy it just as much as the last album, and every album since has been fucking amazing. Metal doesnt have to be growls, and Opeth doesnt have to be Death Metal. Im glad these things never brought Mikael down enough to cave or give up. Every album is good in their own way.
Don't take the "growls" thing literally. It is about making heavy, intense music and growls is just part of that, the first clear sign that something changed and was lost. I am not a smart man, progressive music mostly flies over my head and I need something rigid to latch on to that takes me for a ride. For Opeth it was the quality death metal part and progressive elements were an icing on the cake whenever it clicks with me. I rememeber going to Opeth concert (which I never had been in before, it was my first time) but unfortunately that was exactly at the time they did Heritage and toured that. I was so gravely dissapointed and bored to tears... I was looking forward to a good metal concert and got anything but that. Talk about bait and switch. I know that is unfair and it is not what the band was doing but as a listener of their older stuff that is what I felt like in that moment.
@@MaaZeus i can understand that argument, and i understand for a lot of people it was the switch between sounds, ultimately once Steve Wilson got involved like, majorly; again it was kind of a little rocky a switch for me as well but i began to appreciate the music for what it was. I havent actually been able to go to an Opeth concert so i cant speak on that either, but especially now if I go to an Opeth concert i'd be expecting anything they had released. But thats after knowing y'know. Anyway, i get your point. I think i was just talking about the ones on the comment sections only talking about 'oh. Mikaels growling again! Hes back!' when thats just not a good enough reason, because they were excited for P1, and once P3 came out they were just disappointed again.
@@fortheloveofmusic860 Of course, it is their band. But if you have an established fanbase and you suddenly make dramatic changes you should not be surprised if you alienate a lot of the old fans. Opeth did survive the change and thrived but still I say that they should have just put Opeth on ice and rather started a new prog rock band side project. Everybody would have won and there would have been less friction between the band and their fans. Case in point, Ihsahn and Emperor. Emperor was put on ice because Ihsahn no longer felt a need to create black metal and wanted to explore the progressive side of music. Rather than to change Emperor he started his own self titled band. Now Emperor is alive again, albeit just a live band, but Ihsahn is also thriving.
I was at that Massachusetts concert mentioned at 12:21. People were in shock. The mosh pit started dancing in a circle in a medieval style. I thought there was going to be a riot.
I actually remember seeing them at the webster theatre when i lived in the U.S. I witnessed first hand how upset people were when they played the softer songs. Cusing booing etc. They were so upset and i couldn't understand why. I remember absolutely loving it because i couldnt believe how amazing they sounded and seeing the mellow side of them. I'll never forget how amazing Akerfeldt's clean vocals sounded with the harmonies etc. What a band
@@apostolispaspalakis2627 I was at that show! The crowd was so obnoxious. The new stuff (at the time) sounded fantastic. I loved the show but I was embarrassed by the crowd.
I don't get why people hate proggy and mellow Opeth. It literally throws you into 1970s time trip (or nostalgia, if you actually have been there) with the proggy stuff except with greater quality and a bit of a darker flair (because it's Opeth), and better vocals in my opinion (60-70s singers are really good, I just don't like the style). And the mellow side (say Damnation) is just pure slow dancing material, which I guess is why certain types of people hate it - because they could never have the warm embrace of a woman. The only proggy/mellow record I dislike is probably Heritage (i can listen to only one song on that one), but I also dislike the first two
I saw the Heritage tour in Charlotte, and it definitely felt like witnessing a pivotal moment in the band's history. Crowd was definitely restless over the lack of growls, so the pit was desperate to mosh by the time the band got around to Hex Omega and A Fair Judgment towards the end of the set lol I'd hoped fans would eventually come around to appreciate Heritage in hindsight, and it seems like a lot have
At the ryman auditorium in Nashville Tennessee everyone loved every bit of it. The soft and the heavy alike. It was an amazing experience and I got to have it twice!!! My wife and I will never forget it.
I understand that people are into the growl. But The band is so much wider than just that. What i like about the band is both the outstanding compositions they make, with many subtle details, as well as the variety of it. I like that they switch from melancolic sound to full death in an instant, in the same track. And the singer is also amazing for the same reasons : his range is pretty insane. Opeth is, in my eyes (or in my ears) definitely among the best of the best of this new century.
Mikael's growls are sooo good, though. That said, so is his clean singing. I consider Opeth to be up there with Death, when it comes to the value in development and evolution they have brought to Death Metal in general. It's not just about speed and aggression, it can also be about contrasts and atmosphere - the dynamics, if you will. And both were and are so fun live. Plus, Opeth introduced the Hammond organ to death metal, something I wished to hear since I was a kid and a simultaneous Deep Purple and Death lover. I just knew it would go so well together, then a friend back in high school recommended Opeth to me. Now Ghost Reveries is one of my top 3 favorite albums of all time.
@@gandalf8216 I do agree, but i think if it was only growl, it would end up beeing "same-ey". And also, i find that the ones that hit the hardest are the ones that are prepaired with a clean singing before, and the contrast it causes make them pop even more :) Anyhow, it is nice also that the whole band is ultra technical and super skilled, but don't end up beeing show offs to the detriment of musical construction. I like super fast guitar solos as the next metalhead does, but when the whole track is just that, well it gets old. I remember when i discovered micheal Angelo Batio, and seeing him play, i was like "what the fuck, how can one play this?", but, well after watching it over and over and beeing impressed, well i don't listen to his music. Opeth also came in for me at a good time when i was growing tiired of the old stuff, like, i loved the older bands, and was impressed by the prog scene, but didn"t find the band that would capture the heavyness of some bands while providing something new, different. And they came in :)
To be honest these days I find myself returning more to the prog rock albums than the Death Metal ones. Still my favourites are Sorceress and Ghost Reveries
What saddens me is that 80% of people watching this will only remember about Ola saying that the new record has a lot of growls on it. A great interview, by the way
That saddens you? What made me sad wasn't that the growls were gone, but the music had softened and my favorite band became Jethro Tull over night from that brilliant Watershed album to Locomotive Breath. (No slack against Jethro Tull, cuz I like them). But we already have a Jethro Tull. THAT saddened me, Have you noticed many people are actually excited by this new album unlike the previous 4 that (for me) were below par? It's ok to criticize a band for legitimate reasons. And I did and Opeth deserved it. I still love Opeth but that's because between 99 and 07 they put out the greatest music I ever heard, and I'm 60. So I've heard it all. Don't be afraid to criticize a band if you feel they deserve that criticism. I welcome the New Old-peth back. The last 4 albums, that's what saddened me.
@@lawrencefine5020 this new album is a further musical departure from the old era than in cauda or pale communion. it's literally just the growls making people excited. it's shallow and moronic. Mikael's writing is what makes Opeth Opeth, and it's never left. If your closed mindedness makes you sad, that's on you, not Mikael.
@@ZauTa Aren't you glad that music is always subjective, and never objective? The last 4 albums were to me, SOLO PROJECTS, not Opeth. It's really ok to criticize when criticism is warranted. The last 4 albums sucked, sorry not sorry. I listened to them and thought "hmmm, this isn't Opeth, it's some lame imitation of Yes/Camel and Jethro Tull". That's my opinion. and you know what they say about opinions. And that includes yours. BE objective. If you liked the last 4 albums, great. I thought they sucked. You're a Mikael stan, ok. To me, Opeth is about the dark, the light and all the shadings in-between. And that includes the singing and the growling. The dark and the light, get it?
Utrolig bra intervju. Hadde gleden av å se opeth for første gang på tons of rock i år, for et show! Forresten, synes det svenske språket er så fint at jeg hadde digget hvis du hadde intervjuet på svensk (når du kan) og slengt på eng subs. Vet det er mer jobb, men det er evidens for at man faktisk tenker forskjellig på forskjellige språk (hvis det gav mening). Tenk litt på det, kanskje det blir lettere å være mer spontan i samtalen. Uansett, skål for denne samtalen og opeth 🤘
Couple swedish lads just having a casual polite conversation, love it, awesome to see mikael on here Ola as you can imagine hes a big deal to most of your fans. I’m also incredibly excited for the new album and can not wait to hear it.
Thank you very, very much for this nice interview. Such an insight into the person of Mikael. It's really a challenge to wait for the new album. But I guess I'll manage 😅
Hell yeah!! I discovered Opeth through a recommendation by a friend and the latest album at the time was Ghost Reveries- such an amazing album and I fell even more in love with it after watching the documentary of the making of the album. Then I went back and listened and loved all the earlier stuff! For me I’ve never been a huge fan of growling or screaming vocals but it just seemed to work on these albums and with their music. If I missed anything over these last 4 albums it wasn’t the growl but rather just the style of that music on the earlier stuff. But still an Opeth fan till the end!! Thanks Ola
They're my friends favourite band and I never listened to them, then I was front row for them at Bloodstock this year. Fell in love with their music, and binged every album over the next two weeks. Remarkable talent, and much rarer and more important - remarkable vision. Also, at 13:31 - what Yu-Gi-Oh universe is that guy living it?
33:18 Man am I glad to hear Mikael is a fan of the first At the Gates album. It's also my favourite and I think it's their most complex and atmospheric album. There is very little that sounds similar to that album in the genre. A unique and nightmarish release.
Yeah it's also my favourite! I love the guitar harmonies and they took those harmonies so seriously... The part in kingdom gone where the guitar stands in tremolo is a death metal landmark
I have become obsessed with the song Sorceress lately. The heaviness, the chug, the vocals. The groove. The bass. The fuckin drums and keys holy shit everything is just heaviness perfected. Mikael has a crazy voice.
Agree, theyre the GOLD STANDARD for me, and have ruined it for pretty much all other musicians in the genre that I listen to. Like "yeah, this is a good band but Opeth is still better." Probably because every single album - even heritage - is a journey. Theres always so much to unpack and enjoy. The process of learning each new song is so much fun, and then knowing it note for note, drum beat for drum beat is as enjoyable as it gets. And there's just zero mediocrity with Mikael, zero. So much talent, like mozart level talent.
People always argue about their favorite album and it breaks down to post-scream/pre-scream with fans and it always feels 2 dimensional. I will say my favorite album is whatever album I'm listening to at the time. My wife and I have been together since Watershed, and we never miss a show when they roll through Cleveland. We listen to the entire discography from start to finish before each show. The discography is a journey. Every album is a journey. Every song is a journey. I love the way Opeth paints its audio landscape with every stroke of the brush. 🤘See you in Cleveland next month!!!!
Watershed and In Cauda Venenum, if they are to be described as closing albums to a phase (like Mikael described here), are absolutely perfect albums in capturing collectively the sound of 'each phase'. But otherwise I agree with your experiences. Each album is something unlike the other, before or after
@@aksimtaioreunin5385 Ghost Reveries is the culmination of their early career. Watershed's heavy sections were different than their earlier career. Watershed kind of stands on its own. It's heavy like the old stuff, but also very tonal, chromatic, and filled with his new vocal style, all found on the newer records.
Blackwater Park and Ghost Reveries are my favourite purely because of the song structures and mood setting. I love all their newer stuff as well though. I feel like Opeth do the "melancholy" thing better than anyone else.
At 21:06 he references Jante’s Law from the novel ”A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks” by the great writer Aksel Sandemose. Just fyi for those who didn’t catch it.
@@BrofUJuIt’s when people start to criticize you or strongly dislike you if you become successful. It’s common for Scandinavian people to refer to the concept when they talk about their own success or their struggle with their success. “I achieved everything I had hoped for, but lost my old friends” or “I didn’t dare to tell anyone about my success because I was afraid of Jante’s law”
@@BrofUJu Both, I guess. For example, if someone is successful, other people will be jealous, so the successful person will (or should) be extra humble.
14:00 ish…I attended the Heritage tour in Houston and it was a different aura emanating not only from the audience but also from the band. I had no problem with the direction the band was going in at the time especially with having heard Damnation and other “clean” vocal songs on previous albums. I never could understand the hostility from some of the fans. I think Heritage is an excellent album especially the extended version and I consider myself lucky to have seen the band on the Deliverance tour as well as the Heritage tour.
In my opinion, it's not entirely about the growl itself. People appreciate Opeth for the contrast, which other bands can't achieve with this level of finesse and sense of good taste. I'm glad as hell that Mikael is singing hard again, but an album with “In Your Face” growl alone would definitely not appeal to me.
Yeah, a lot of people realize it's not about whether he growls or not. I love Pale Communion and it doesn't have growls, but Heritage, Sorceress, and in cauda venenum are super weak to me with maybe 1-2 songs each that I can take.
It's not just the growls, Damnation is a beloved record because it contained all the hallmarks of classic Opeth - haunting, gothic, melodic, ethereal, ghostly - and it was all clean. The newer albums had little or none of that. The rhythm guitar tone from Blackwater Park to Watershed was also AMAZING, so tight and aggressive, but glassy and saturated perfectly. From Heritage on they abandoned all of that, it became 70s psychedelic soft rock, which is just not what a lot of loyal fans wanted after becoming invested in the haunted forest death metal they had loved for so long. Imo the last 4 records just got worse as they went along. But i'll love Opeth forever because of that decade long run of incredible metal they made from Still Life to Watershed. And super excited about Last Will and Testament!
Exactly, well put. Finally someone who gets it. The last 4 albums abandoned all those elements and regressed (to an unfocused prog / jazz thing). Damnation had all those elements, and no growls. The deep emotions are just missing in the later albums. (Opeth fan since 1999)
I still think it's not just about the growls, it's about the dynamics. One of Opeth's main attractions for me were always those changes in dynamics. Also, the ability that screams give you to "fill" a part that otherwise would have average or boring melodic vocal lines is not to be understated. The result is usually a more interesting and entertaining piece of music, and that's where Opeth's strength lies.
Basically what I've said and others too. I think we as PROPER Opeth fans all love the band because of dynamics first. People who were crying "If you want growls back, go listen to any other death metal band...." clearly haven't HEARD Opeth. Listened, maybe. But they've never heard Opeth because that comment is ridiculous in every sense of the word and implies Opeth were just another death metal band. Yes, because they've always sounded like Entombed, Cannibal Corpse and Nile. Yes...
I'll give my opinion as someone who was a diehard Opeth fan up to Watershed and of the growls--the journey one single song could take you through was unparalleled at the time compared to other bands. Opeth could start with heavy grows and naturally go into soft singing. I loved the way Opeth composed their songs when there was that extra element involved. Heritage just didn't click with me and neither did any of the following releases. A return to growls is much more to me (and I'm sure others) than simply "Mikael sounds angry again" -- it is *hopefully* a return to that era that many fans loved so much.
I saw them at bloodstock a few weeks back playing a fan picked setlist. All but one of the songs was from watershed or earlier. He even joked about it saying "So we haven't don't anything decent in 15 years. Message received." Safe to say the majority of fans feel the same as you.
Unfortunately I don't think so, the complex emotions, or the "soul" / "essence" seems to be gone since Ghost Reveries / Watershed. I haven't felt much emotion from the last 4 albums. (Except 1-2 songs) They are (at times) sophisticated, very competent, quality music, but they give me no feeling / emotion. New album feels the same.
How did I miss this!! Damn YT algorithm!! Thank you @Ola Englund for making this real!!! My feedback to the Legend here: It's not that I particularly love screams/growls in music, not very much actually, or at least very few bands can do with proper taste … But when Mikael/Opeth mixes growls with clean melodies, it adds a unique dynamic range to the music. There's a lot of suspense and drama, almost like a surreal thriller or a crazy rollercoaster. It's pure adrenaline! Mikael, please consider this much appreciation under a (potentially) different perspective. We love your work, please don't hold your capabilities because of a possible bias. Keep rocking without limits! Lots of love and wine from Chile!
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
Hey Mikael, I doubt you will see this, but.... Sorry i upset you back in 2005 by shouting out "forest of october" at the SOTU festival, specifically the starland ballroom gig. It was rude of me to interrupt you while you were speaking. That look you gave me still haunts me 20 years later.
liking and commenting on this just so you hopefully get heard
I guarantee you don't want him to see this, because he has definitely forgotten about you immediately after looking at you. So it will be to your detriment if he sees this because it will reawaken that moment and he will definitely despise you a tad more than before.
Lmao I saw them on this tour in Tulsa, OK. That festival was a circus.
@@leeDs718 Doubtful. Remorse is Gold.
Mikael he's sorry pls forgive him/her
Man you have no idea how happy and grateful I am to see this video. An interview between my all time favourite band's song writer and my favourite metal RUclipsr. Just amazing thank you Ola for this
Lots of love
@@OlaEnglund Found grandpa on social media again
appreciate your alcest profile pic.
Gosh I wish that Mikael Akerfeldt would launch a podcast at some point! I could listen to him talking for days about anything and I'd never get bored the slightest
NO!
A podcast where Mikael talks about old albums and artists that has inspired him through the years would be amazing.
i felt the same way about devin townsend, and it turns out, he's a terrible speaker. nice voice. but he has nothing to say.
@@kahwigulum are we talking about the same Devin Townsend??
@@Hocke11 I want him to do a specifically jazz music podcast tbh
It's not the growls, it's the Spooky Forest Vibes
This. It wasn't just the growls that went away with Heritage. It was a near whole style change. And as far as the whole 'but the they did Damnation!' Yeah, I still like Damnation way more than the post Watershed albums. Bringing the growls back also hasn't mattered to me much so far because I don't like the singles they've released.
I hope we havent bid them farewell
Exactly, but now I'm getting more of Spooky Prog vibes instead of whatever it used to be in the past
@@beneathsands THANK YOU
Agree completely. There are plenty of songs on older albums with only clean vocals that have that authentic Opeth vibe that the new albums don't have, and that no prog hash rock thing can convey, to me at least.
You finally got Mike!! This is gonna be good, can’t wait for the new record 🔥🤘🏻
Great record you have as a profile picture man, was one of my favs last year. Cheers, have a great day.
@@dysthymiabearer hell yea dude, Starpath and Shambhallic Vibrations were my most played albums last year, 20 Buck Spin has been cranking out the goods. You as well, cheers 🍻
@@thecrypticstench Dream Unending are 3 for 3 ❤ I bought that split on Vinyl but it got misdelivered/stolen.
am i the only one who loves the way, how Mikael says "sh1t" ?
yes
"Shi-T"
No, I love it too. The Swedish accent is wonderful 😊
Shit
like a gent
It's happening, guys. IT'S HAPPENING!
MAKE MIKAEL GROWL AGAIN !!!!@😂😂😂
Coffee with ola is COMPLETE !!! 😄😄😄🤘🤘
YUSSSSSSSSS
How is this happening 😮
@@Lennart_Holm everybody stay CALM! 😂
Best interview I’ve ever seen featuring Mikael, and that’s saying something. NEVER heard Mikael talk about bands like At the Gates, Darkthrone, Pantera, etc. before, and it was cool to hear his take on all the classic metal albums. He may not listen to much metal anymore, but he’s clearly not ignorant to it either. I could have watched this for two hours easily. Opeth changed my life, they’ve been my favourite band as long as I can remember and that will always be the case. Can’t wait to hear the new album, like always!
What I love about Mikael's vocals is the weaving the growling and screaming in with the clean vocals. It vastly improves the song dynamics and enhances the story telling. Combining this with the heavy, progressive arrangements is ART.
This is why we all love Opeth, but Mikael seems to not realise this 😅
Soooo, what they did for 25 yrs until Heritage?
Been nice to see all these Mikael interviews over the past month or so.
It's not just that the Metal elements are back - I'm even more excited to hear that their new music has moved back in a dark, gothic direction.
Arguably the best growls ever. Especially on Katatonia’s Brave Murder Day album.
@@internaljeremy726 that’s one of the best Death/Doom albums ever made. It’s my personal favorite, it feels like despair in the best way.
The live Bloodbath album is my favourite death metal album ever. Insane vocals, insane energy
Thanks for the album recommendation!
Even sounded good when he has a cold on MAYH
That is still my favorite extreme metal vocal performance ever. His voice fit the atmosphere of the album beautifully.
Mikael's perspective on his growls opened my mind to appreciate that he just wanted to sing with his normal voice and progress as a musician. In saying that, it's the beautiful contrast of death metal growls with those autumnal folk passages that made early Opeth so special to me. The growls were just an added layer of depth that fit the theme of their albums and tapped into some primal emotions.
The albums without growls didn't resonate as much with me mostly because of the Moog synths and wacky 70s prog structures NOT the lack of growls.
"Wacky" is right. The vocal harmony part in "Moon Above Sun Below" sounds like a barbershop quartet.
Åkerfeldt should start doing bedtime story audiobooks. Could listen to that shit forever 😉👌
Sing however you need to sing! Wailing, screaming or growling............just keep writing that music brother! Cannot handle the wait for this album. 🤘
Marrow of the Earth is not only one of my fav Opeth tunes, but maybe my favorite 4+ minutes of music, period. That piece is MAGIC. Great interview, I love Mikael so much. Genius.
Such a moving piece of music, isn't it?
Hello fellow Cardiacs and Opeth fan!
@@zombryn Hi! My two fav bands
@@fcamiola Excellent taste!
@@zombryn Cheers, you too! I have always felt a similar vibe and kindred spirits with both Mikael and Tim....both are self-taught musical geniuses that have created some of the most magical music I've ever heard. They are/were also completely humble, which sets them apart as well.
The first (and only) time I saw Opeth live was during the Heritage tour. I was bummed initially that there wasn’t any growling, but I have to say it was the best sounding show I’ve been to. I enjoyed it a lot.
I do remember a drunk guy yelling “Where’s the fucking metal?!?” And Mikael said something along the lines of “I’ve been playing metal for 20 years…how about you?”
Great stage presence.
Hahaha great story 😂 I was at a show on that tour too and it was great and disappointing at the same time.
I saw them live in 2022. Honestly, I was blown away by the Hertiage/onward material they played. I predominantly love the Watershed/prior material, but, man, the more recent songs really sound absolutely amazing live.
I saw that tour in Houston
@@fv1005 I was there for that tour. One of my favorite shows ever. Opeth is the only metal band I've ever seen that everyone shuts up and listens quietly between songs because we all want to hear what Mikael says, and he's hilarious. The sound mix was also excellent and not TOO LOUD at all. I didn't even need my ear plugs, it sounded great but not painful.
@@johnnichols8553 I remember that it wasn't too loud....my gf (now wife) had a migraine so she didn't get to enjoy all of the show sadly. Houston was the 2nd time I saw them live
Honestly, Heritage is the record that I enjoy the most! You can hear so many influences, but it still holds the dark atmosphere of the other albums. It is the album that even got me into Opeth.
thank god i'm not alone
I think its terrible
I love the autumn forest vibes I get from Opeth and their guitar tone. I also love that their riffage has a lot of creativity in it, not just chugs for heavy's sake. And of course the lyrics.
12:18 I have seen Opeth when they played only clean vocal songs back in 2011 on Heritage North American tour. It was one of a kind experience. I enjoyed every second of that show.
Yesterday Ihsahn was on Devin Townsend-podcast and today Mikael has a coffee with Ola…what a great week!
Ihsahn was also on the Downbeat Podcast this week, don't miss out on that one!
Åkerfeldt did a song with Ihsahn called “Unhealer” and a song with Townsend called “Stand”, both of which have growls.
@@dogbiscuits752 I know. Still awesome that we were treated to those conversations in just two days ☺️
Mikael's right. It is annoying as hell that a good percentage of fans only really like Opeth for their growls and dont really see Opeth for what they are as a whole. I've been a fan since 2008. I definitely was a little hesitant when Heritage was released, but I grew to enjoy it just as much as the last album, and every album since has been fucking amazing. Metal doesnt have to be growls, and Opeth doesnt have to be Death Metal. Im glad these things never brought Mikael down enough to cave or give up. Every album is good in their own way.
Don't take the "growls" thing literally. It is about making heavy, intense music and growls is just part of that, the first clear sign that something changed and was lost. I am not a smart man, progressive music mostly flies over my head and I need something rigid to latch on to that takes me for a ride. For Opeth it was the quality death metal part and progressive elements were an icing on the cake whenever it clicks with me. I rememeber going to Opeth concert (which I never had been in before, it was my first time) but unfortunately that was exactly at the time they did Heritage and toured that. I was so gravely dissapointed and bored to tears... I was looking forward to a good metal concert and got anything but that. Talk about bait and switch. I know that is unfair and it is not what the band was doing but as a listener of their older stuff that is what I felt like in that moment.
@@MaaZeus i can understand that argument, and i understand for a lot of people it was the switch between sounds, ultimately once Steve Wilson got involved like, majorly; again it was kind of a little rocky a switch for me as well but i began to appreciate the music for what it was. I havent actually been able to go to an Opeth concert so i cant speak on that either, but especially now if I go to an Opeth concert i'd be expecting anything they had released. But thats after knowing y'know.
Anyway, i get your point. I think i was just talking about the ones on the comment sections only talking about 'oh. Mikaels growling again! Hes back!' when thats just not a good enough reason, because they were excited for P1, and once P3 came out they were just disappointed again.
I like all phases and eras of Opeth. Imo all genius in their own way.
Opeth doesn't even need to be metal. They can do whatever they like.
@@fortheloveofmusic860 Of course, it is their band. But if you have an established fanbase and you suddenly make dramatic changes you should not be surprised if you alienate a lot of the old fans. Opeth did survive the change and thrived but still I say that they should have just put Opeth on ice and rather started a new prog rock band side project. Everybody would have won and there would have been less friction between the band and their fans.
Case in point, Ihsahn and Emperor. Emperor was put on ice because Ihsahn no longer felt a need to create black metal and wanted to explore the progressive side of music. Rather than to change Emperor he started his own self titled band. Now Emperor is alive again, albeit just a live band, but Ihsahn is also thriving.
I was at that Massachusetts concert mentioned at 12:21. People were in shock. The mosh pit started dancing in a circle in a medieval style. I thought there was going to be a riot.
lol I can imagine.
''My best friend Jonas from Katatonia''... Hope Steven Wilson doesn't hear that...
Really happy to see a coffee with Mikael.
Coffee with Jonas next!
That gave me a good laugh but to be fair Steven is more than a friend ;) And yes, would be nice to see Jonas here sometime soon!
I mean he's known Jonas for what, 30 years? 35?
And guess who introduce Mikael to Porcupine Tree.... Jonas :D True story.
Was Steven involved in the production of the new album?
I actually remember seeing them at the webster theatre when i lived in the U.S. I witnessed first hand how upset people were when they played the softer songs. Cusing booing etc. They were so upset and i couldn't understand why. I remember absolutely loving it because i couldnt believe how amazing they sounded and seeing the mellow side of them. I'll never forget how amazing Akerfeldt's clean vocals sounded with the harmonies etc. What a band
@@apostolispaspalakis2627 I was at that show! The crowd was so obnoxious. The new stuff (at the time) sounded fantastic. I loved the show but I was embarrassed by the crowd.
I don't get why people hate proggy and mellow Opeth. It literally throws you into 1970s time trip (or nostalgia, if you actually have been there) with the proggy stuff except with greater quality and a bit of a darker flair (because it's Opeth), and better vocals in my opinion (60-70s singers are really good, I just don't like the style). And the mellow side (say Damnation) is just pure slow dancing material, which I guess is why certain types of people hate it - because they could never have the warm embrace of a woman.
The only proggy/mellow record I dislike is probably Heritage (i can listen to only one song on that one), but I also dislike the first two
I saw the Heritage tour in Charlotte, and it definitely felt like witnessing a pivotal moment in the band's history. Crowd was definitely restless over the lack of growls, so the pit was desperate to mosh by the time the band got around to Hex Omega and A Fair Judgment towards the end of the set lol
I'd hoped fans would eventually come around to appreciate Heritage in hindsight, and it seems like a lot have
I was there too for both nights in NYC as well, still have some videos from that show on my channel
At the ryman auditorium in Nashville Tennessee everyone loved every bit of it. The soft and the heavy alike. It was an amazing experience and I got to have it twice!!! My wife and I will never forget it.
Great interview! I very much look forward to seeing the show tonight.
I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THISSSSSS THANK YOU OLA!
So happy to see this Ola! Congrats for the success.
I understand that people are into the growl. But The band is so much wider than just that. What i like about the band is both the outstanding compositions they make, with many subtle details, as well as the variety of it. I like that they switch from melancolic sound to full death in an instant, in the same track. And the singer is also amazing for the same reasons : his range is pretty insane.
Opeth is, in my eyes (or in my ears) definitely among the best of the best of this new century.
Mikael's growls are sooo good, though. That said, so is his clean singing. I consider Opeth to be up there with Death, when it comes to the value in development and evolution they have brought to Death Metal in general. It's not just about speed and aggression, it can also be about contrasts and atmosphere - the dynamics, if you will. And both were and are so fun live. Plus, Opeth introduced the Hammond organ to death metal, something I wished to hear since I was a kid and a simultaneous Deep Purple and Death lover. I just knew it would go so well together, then a friend back in high school recommended Opeth to me. Now Ghost Reveries is one of my top 3 favorite albums of all time.
@@gandalf8216 I do agree, but i think if it was only growl, it would end up beeing "same-ey". And also, i find that the ones that hit the hardest are the ones that are prepaired with a clean singing before, and the contrast it causes make them pop even more :)
Anyhow, it is nice also that the whole band is ultra technical and super skilled, but don't end up beeing show offs to the detriment of musical construction. I like super fast guitar solos as the next metalhead does, but when the whole track is just that, well it gets old.
I remember when i discovered micheal Angelo Batio, and seeing him play, i was like "what the fuck, how can one play this?", but, well after watching it over and over and beeing impressed, well i don't listen to his music.
Opeth also came in for me at a good time when i was growing tiired of the old stuff, like, i loved the older bands, and was impressed by the prog scene, but didn"t find the band that would capture the heavyness of some bands while providing something new, different.
And they came in :)
To be honest these days I find myself returning more to the prog rock albums than the Death Metal ones.
Still my favourites are Sorceress and Ghost Reveries
@@darkwarrior1194 Don't know why, but same here
You should check out BTBAM
What saddens me is that 80% of people watching this will only remember about Ola saying that the new record has a lot of growls on it. A great interview, by the way
That saddens you?
What made me sad wasn't that the growls were gone, but the music had softened and my favorite band became Jethro Tull over night from that brilliant Watershed album to Locomotive Breath. (No slack against Jethro Tull, cuz I like them). But we already have a Jethro Tull.
THAT saddened me,
Have you noticed many people are actually excited by this new album unlike the previous 4 that (for me) were below par?
It's ok to criticize a band for legitimate reasons.
And I did and Opeth deserved it.
I still love Opeth but that's because between 99 and 07 they put out the greatest music I ever heard, and I'm 60. So I've heard it all.
Don't be afraid to criticize a band if you feel they deserve that criticism.
I welcome the New Old-peth back.
The last 4 albums, that's what saddened me.
Who cares what people think. Give it up man, you're not THAT special, it's just an interview, don't belittle strangers you don't know
@@lawrencefine5020 this new album is a further musical departure from the old era than in cauda or pale communion. it's literally just the growls making people excited. it's shallow and moronic. Mikael's writing is what makes Opeth Opeth, and it's never left. If your closed mindedness makes you sad, that's on you, not Mikael.
@@ZauTa Aren't you glad that music is always subjective, and never objective?
The last 4 albums were to me, SOLO PROJECTS, not Opeth.
It's really ok to criticize when criticism is warranted.
The last 4 albums sucked, sorry not sorry.
I listened to them and thought "hmmm, this isn't Opeth, it's some lame imitation of Yes/Camel and Jethro Tull". That's my opinion. and you know what they say about opinions.
And that includes yours.
BE objective.
If you liked the last 4 albums, great.
I thought they sucked.
You're a Mikael stan, ok.
To me, Opeth is about the dark, the light and all the shadings in-between.
And that includes the singing and the growling. The dark and the light, get it?
And I thought I was sensitive... 😅
Utrolig bra intervju. Hadde gleden av å se opeth for første gang på tons of rock i år, for et show! Forresten, synes det svenske språket er så fint at jeg hadde digget hvis du hadde intervjuet på svensk (når du kan) og slengt på eng subs. Vet det er mer jobb, men det er evidens for at man faktisk tenker forskjellig på forskjellige språk (hvis det gav mening). Tenk litt på det, kanskje det blir lettere å være mer spontan i samtalen. Uansett, skål for denne samtalen og opeth 🤘
Couple swedish lads just having a casual polite conversation, love it, awesome to see mikael on here Ola as you can imagine hes a big deal to most of your fans. I’m also incredibly excited for the new album and can not wait to hear it.
Plain and simple! A fantastic interview.
0:14 I LOVE THIS MAN
Thank you very, very much for this nice interview. Such an insight into the person of Mikael. It's really a challenge to wait for the new album. But I guess I'll manage 😅
So happy he mentioned Frank Marino, the greatest! ❤
Always nice to see/hear Mikael chatting
I have never clicked on an Ola video so fast in my entire life.
Has Ola ever interviewed Tommy Giles from the Prog Metal band BTBAM?
Wonderful job, was expecting a great interview and received just that!
He said that writing Heritage was a watershed moment.
That was an awesome interview. Opeth always seemed like a band who played tribute to their heros but took it a step further.
Great interview! Mikael is "the sh1t"! 👀
Really looking forward to the new album! 🔥🤘
Legend. Always a joy to listen too, so thoughtful, intelligent and great humor.
Nice to hear so much respect for Priest too! 🤟🤘
JESUS CHRIST THIS IS WHAT WE BEEN ASKING FOR 10 YEARS
It's not just about the growls, it's about the mix and heaviness...and we love it!
Hell yeah!! I discovered Opeth through a recommendation by a friend and the latest album at the time was Ghost Reveries- such an amazing album and I fell even more in love with it after watching the documentary of the making of the album. Then I went back and listened and loved all the earlier stuff! For me I’ve never been a huge fan of growling or screaming vocals but it just seemed to work on these albums and with their music. If I missed anything over these last 4 albums it wasn’t the growl but rather just the style of that music on the earlier stuff. But still an Opeth fan till the end!! Thanks Ola
It’s about time! I’m so happy to see Mikael on here.
Holy fuck...A LEGEND
Finally!!!! thank you Ola I really enjoyed this interview
Daaaamn, Mr. Akerfeldt himself! Simply the greatest musician of all time for me! Thank you Ola! Cheers!
Great interview Ola...great questions as well.
They're my friends favourite band and I never listened to them, then I was front row for them at Bloodstock this year. Fell in love with their music, and binged every album over the next two weeks. Remarkable talent, and much rarer and more important - remarkable vision.
Also, at 13:31 - what Yu-Gi-Oh universe is that guy living it?
They were incredible at Bloodstock, I was also front row and got to crowd surf, definitely a core memory moment! 🥲
I absolutely love Opeth the cleans and screams and everything between amazing and genuine band!
33:18 Man am I glad to hear Mikael is a fan of the first At the Gates album. It's also my favourite and I think it's their most complex and atmospheric album. There is very little that sounds similar to that album in the genre. A unique and nightmarish release.
Yeah it's also my favourite! I love the guitar harmonies and they took those harmonies so seriously... The part in kingdom gone where the guitar stands in tremolo is a death metal landmark
Excellent interview! Thank you🤘
Holy cow, it's the guy from RUclips talking to the guy from Opeth!
Thank you so much for doing this
I have become obsessed with the song Sorceress lately. The heaviness, the chug, the vocals. The groove. The bass. The fuckin drums and keys holy shit everything is just heaviness perfected. Mikael has a crazy voice.
what do you think of the new drummer on the new album? I think he is great! (Former Paradise Lost drummer). Only 30 years old! What a beast!
@@Deauxtje Didn't hear the new album yet, but I saw him play during the last tour, he absolutely nailed it
Love the background music 🤘
Opeth are unique in their way of making air molecules vibrate. I am so glad I discovered them. No one else comes close to what they do!
Agree, theyre the GOLD STANDARD for me, and have ruined it for pretty much all other musicians in the genre that I listen to. Like "yeah, this is a good band but Opeth is still better." Probably because every single album - even heritage - is a journey. Theres always so much to unpack and enjoy. The process of learning each new song is so much fun, and then knowing it note for note, drum beat for drum beat is as enjoyable as it gets. And there's just zero mediocrity with Mikael, zero. So much talent, like mozart level talent.
Thank you, Ola, for talking to Mikael. Very insightful!
Yes!! Finally - Åkerfeldt has, next to his musical skills, such an amazing and bone-dry sense of humour... Brilliant guy 😎🤘
great interview, mikael is the best! cant wait to hear the last will and testament
Love this, a couple of Swedish legends
Insanely stoked for new album
"Heritage" was a huge turning point for me with music. Screams or not, love this band. Awesome interview! 👍
I've been waiting for this since you started coffee with Ola.
I asked for this like 5 years ago. Thank you so much Ola!!!!
I remember that, glad he saw your comment.
Mikael has one of the most enchanting singing voices I know.
I happy there's more to Opeth's music than growls.
Honestly never been a big fan of Opeth but Mikael is my kind of guy. Cool interview, I'll ha ve to give some of their new stuff another chance 👍
Nice one Ola! I'm fond of Mikael, Opeth and these two beverages over there. And i like your clapping
People always argue about their favorite album and it breaks down to post-scream/pre-scream with fans and it always feels 2 dimensional. I will say my favorite album is whatever album I'm listening to at the time. My wife and I have been together since Watershed, and we never miss a show when they roll through Cleveland. We listen to the entire discography from start to finish before each show. The discography is a journey. Every album is a journey. Every song is a journey. I love the way Opeth paints its audio landscape with every stroke of the brush. 🤘See you in Cleveland next month!!!!
Watershed and In Cauda Venenum, if they are to be described as closing albums to a phase (like Mikael described here), are absolutely perfect albums in capturing collectively the sound of 'each phase'. But otherwise I agree with your experiences. Each album is something unlike the other, before or after
@YersinisPestis I also plan to be at the show🤘
@@aksimtaioreunin5385 Ghost Reveries is the culmination of their early career. Watershed's heavy sections were different than their earlier career. Watershed kind of stands on its own. It's heavy like the old stuff, but also very tonal, chromatic, and filled with his new vocal style, all found on the newer records.
@@dee-taylor Great insight. I dont disagree
Blackwater Park and Ghost Reveries are my favourite purely because of the song structures and mood setting. I love all their newer stuff as well though.
I feel like Opeth do the "melancholy" thing better than anyone else.
Every Opeth album is a masterpiece! Definitely one of the best bands on the planet! Have been looking forward to this Coffee with Ola 🤘🤘
Man that was such a good interview. I hope you manage to get Joe Duplantier in the future.
Amazing interview 🔥
Please do a Coffee with Ola with Neige from Alcest 🙏🏻
what a lovely interview
At 21:06 he references Jante’s Law from the novel ”A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks” by the great writer Aksel Sandemose. Just fyi for those who didn’t catch it.
What does that refer to exactly?
@@BrofUJu It's similar to the Tall poppy syndrome.
@@BrofUJuIt’s when people start to criticize you or strongly dislike you if you become successful. It’s common for Scandinavian people to refer to the concept when they talk about their own success or their struggle with their success.
“I achieved everything I had hoped for, but lost my old friends”
or
“I didn’t dare to tell anyone about my success because I was afraid of Jante’s law”
@@audunrundberg9180 wow. Is that a jealousy thing, or just it's better to be humble? I feel that deeply, but it's the opposite in North America
@@BrofUJu Both, I guess. For example, if someone is successful, other people will be jealous, so the successful person will (or should) be extra humble.
Been waiting for this for years. Finally, thanks.
He's so right about the in ear monitors and screams, it really tripped me up the first time I ever played with monitors.
Timestamp me when he talks about it yeah?
Grym video Ola! Vore fantastiskt om du kunde få med Mikael Stanne på en intervju 🤘🏻
14:00 ish…I attended the Heritage tour in Houston and it was a different aura emanating not only from the audience but also from the band. I had no problem with the direction the band was going in at the time especially with having heard Damnation and other “clean” vocal songs on previous albums. I never could understand the hostility from some of the fans. I think Heritage is an excellent album especially the extended version and I consider myself lucky to have seen the band on the Deliverance tour as well as the Heritage tour.
Great interview Ola. Stoked for the new album!
In my opinion, it's not entirely about the growl itself. People appreciate Opeth for the contrast, which other bands can't achieve with this level of finesse and sense of good taste. I'm glad as hell that Mikael is singing hard again, but an album with “In Your Face” growl alone would definitely not appeal to me.
Yeah, a lot of people realize it's not about whether he growls or not. I love Pale Communion and it doesn't have growls, but Heritage, Sorceress, and in cauda venenum are super weak to me with maybe 1-2 songs each that I can take.
Super Interview, very informative. Looking forward to the new Opeth Album, and also seing you with Berndt in Vienna 2025!
It's not just the growls, Damnation is a beloved record because it contained all the hallmarks of classic Opeth - haunting, gothic, melodic, ethereal, ghostly - and it was all clean. The newer albums had little or none of that. The rhythm guitar tone from Blackwater Park to Watershed was also AMAZING, so tight and aggressive, but glassy and saturated perfectly. From Heritage on they abandoned all of that, it became 70s psychedelic soft rock, which is just not what a lot of loyal fans wanted after becoming invested in the haunted forest death metal they had loved for so long. Imo the last 4 records just got worse as they went along. But i'll love Opeth forever because of that decade long run of incredible metal they made from Still Life to Watershed. And super excited about Last Will and Testament!
Exactly, well put. Finally someone who gets it.
The last 4 albums abandoned all those elements and regressed (to an unfocused prog / jazz thing).
Damnation had all those elements, and no growls.
The deep emotions are just missing in the later albums.
(Opeth fan since 1999)
Helt suverän intervju - de bästa 37 minuterna jag spenderat på YT på mycket länge! Tack som fan 🖤
I still think it's not just about the growls, it's about the dynamics. One of Opeth's main attractions for me were always those changes in dynamics. Also, the ability that screams give you to "fill" a part that otherwise would have average or boring melodic vocal lines is not to be understated. The result is usually a more interesting and entertaining piece of music, and that's where Opeth's strength lies.
Basically what I've said and others too. I think we as PROPER Opeth fans all love the band because of dynamics first. People who were crying "If you want growls back, go listen to any other death metal band...." clearly haven't HEARD Opeth. Listened, maybe. But they've never heard Opeth because that comment is ridiculous in every sense of the word and implies Opeth were just another death metal band. Yes, because they've always sounded like Entombed, Cannibal Corpse and Nile. Yes...
Very cool interview! We all knew it was going to happen eventually
That Jethro Tull shirt is pure class
Thanks for another great interview Ola!
I'll give my opinion as someone who was a diehard Opeth fan up to Watershed and of the growls--the journey one single song could take you through was unparalleled at the time compared to other bands. Opeth could start with heavy grows and naturally go into soft singing. I loved the way Opeth composed their songs when there was that extra element involved. Heritage just didn't click with me and neither did any of the following releases.
A return to growls is much more to me (and I'm sure others) than simply "Mikael sounds angry again" -- it is *hopefully* a return to that era that many fans loved so much.
I saw them at bloodstock a few weeks back playing a fan picked setlist. All but one of the songs was from watershed or earlier. He even joked about it saying "So we haven't don't anything decent in 15 years. Message received." Safe to say the majority of fans feel the same as you.
I prefer the classic era stuff, but ICV was a great album.
Unfortunately I don't think so, the complex emotions, or the "soul" / "essence" seems to be gone since Ghost Reveries / Watershed.
I haven't felt much emotion from the last 4 albums. (Except 1-2 songs)
They are (at times) sophisticated, very competent, quality music, but they give me no feeling / emotion.
New album feels the same.
fastest click of my RUclips life
That's awesome! Well done Ola
Coffee with Ola and guy from Opeth leeeeeeet's go
Been waiting for this!!
AT LAST! An interviewer that doesn't interrupt Mikael every 2 seconds. Great work Ola!
Bloodstock? 😅
@@Aenigmakil maybe I'm on about that one... maybe I'm not 😂
Ever since releasing Blackwater Park and Deliverance you became a living legend to me Mikael 🤘 looking forward to hearing rest of new album 👍
I can't wait to get this album on vinyl, playing it and reading the contents absorbing the whole story!
How did I miss this!! Damn YT algorithm!! Thank you @Ola Englund for making this real!!!
My feedback to the Legend here:
It's not that I particularly love screams/growls in music, not very much actually, or at least very few bands can do with proper taste … But when Mikael/Opeth mixes growls with clean melodies, it adds a unique dynamic range to the music. There's a lot of suspense and drama, almost like a surreal thriller or a crazy rollercoaster. It's pure adrenaline!
Mikael, please consider this much appreciation under a (potentially) different perspective. We love your work, please don't hold your capabilities because of a possible bias.
Keep rocking without limits!
Lots of love and wine from Chile!