In a recent conversation with Blabbermouth, Mikael Åkerfeldt, the iconic vocalist and guitarist of Opeth, opened up about his present life, artistic goals, and the future direction of the band.
Asked about potential new album, Åkerfeldt told: “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.”
Stepping back from the demands of touring, Åkerfeldt is fully embracing life at home.
“I’m a really good househusband. I wish I could be paid for it. I’ll get up at six in the morning and cook breakfast for everyone. Sometimes my daughters show up, and sometimes they don’t, but I’m up. [Laughs]”
He also confirmed to fans that Opeth is not planning a “farewell” tour, stressing that any future changes would be handled in a more low-key manner.
“Opeth is not going to split up. If we do, we’re going to disappear. It’s not going to be a big hurrah, ‘final tour.’ That’s not going to happen. We’re going to disappear. Honestly, I don’t think we’ll ever stop playing. We love each other, and we love playing together.”
Åkerfeldt suggested that the band may be shifting its priorities, placing greater emphasis on creativity rather than constant touring.
“There’s probably going to be less touring. If we do less touring, it will mean more music and more frequent releases. That’s what I really want to do. Maybe, if I feel like, ‘Oh, I think we should do a tour,’ and see if there are people out there who like us, we can do that. First and foremost, I want to spend more time with the creative side of things.”
