Opeth has always been a band defined by fearless evolution. Over the course of 14 studio albums, the Swedish progressive metal masters have constantly shifted their sonic landscape. Their most recent release, October 2024’s The Last Will and Testament, marked another pivotal chapter, featuring the return of frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt‘s signature death metal growls and the studio debut of drummer Waltteri Väyrynen, who officially replaced Martin Axenrot in 2022.
In a recent interview with Blabbermouth, Åkerfeldt opened up about his rigid songwriting process and why he handles the vast majority of the band’s compositional duties. The interviewer pointed out that Åkerfeldt appeared especially enthusiastic when talking about Opeth’s creative process. He agreed, but added that letting other members contribute songs to the band could be risky.
“Definitely. I would love that. Then, I think, the music would have to be freer because I write everything, like all the details, down to the tiniest detail, for the demos. If we’re going to jam, I’m thinking it’s going to change the whole nature of our sound.”
He elaborated on how a more collaborative, jam-based approach could completely alter the band’s trajectory:
“We’ve never worked like that. We could develop into some f**king Kraut rock band, lingering on one note for minutes. Of course, that would be cool and fun to do, but I’m not sure if it’s fun to listen to. I’m definitely open to all sorts of developments when it comes to the creative side of this band. I’m also a creature of habit. When I start writing, I know that I can’t leave things open. I have to finish all of the ideas down to the smallest detail, because that’s just who I am.”
Reflecting on Opeth‘s three-decade career, Åkerfeldt confessed that he doesn’t look back fondly on every single piece of music he has written. However, he emphasized that maintaining a flawless track record was never the ultimate goal:
“I’m conscious of our ‘heritage,’ no pun intended. I am responsible for this band, and for our ‘legacy’, and also, for myself, of course. I’ve done some sh**ty things that I don’t like now, but at the time, it’s like, ‘This works!’ More so in later years and in records, I’m more thorough.”
For the frontman, prioritizing originality and pushing the boundaries of progressive metal will always take precedence over playing it safe or repeating past successes:
“At some point, we’ll die and won’t be able to do more music, if you know what I mean. At that point, I want to leave not a spotless legacy, but something unique to us. I’m not interested in doing, ‘Let’s do a standard death metal record!’ It’s fun and all, but does the world need that?”
He finished by pointing out the unique musical identity the band has built over the years
“I think we have carved out our own niche in the metal scene. We have something, and within that niche, we have allowed ourselves to grow and do something different. Between some of our records, you can almost not tell it’s the same band.”
During the same interview, he was also asked about potential new album, to which he replied:
“I cannot say much, but I have a project that I’m doing in May. Hopefully, it will materialize, but I am doing something in May. That’s going to be fun. Then, I might have some project as well, like, for me, not for the band. I’m a bit burned out, as you can probably tell. I would really need a break from the band and be regular Mikael, not band Mikael.”
