Akerfeldt on Loomis

[Dark One]

Digging around and found these thoughts on Loomis and Jorn Lande/ARK previously posted by Mikael Akerfeldt:

On Loomis:

"I love Nevermore, I think they're vastly underrated, and Loomis as a guitar player is unbelievable! You can't mention the guy from Bodom in the same sentence, quite honestly it's the C-league in comparison! Loomis is probably my favourite guitarplayer in metal today! And a great, great guy as well. We toured with them some years back and the guys are fantastic.

Loomis is not only a great player, I think he's got an ear for music, exciting ways of putting solos together, on top of this he writes most of the stuff for the band. Nevermore has got "nerve" in their music which is essential for me if I'm gonna like something. Wow, I'm really hyping him, but I truly think he's fantastic! As for guitarplayers, there's a zillion of shredders out there and they don't do fuck-all for me any more."

On Jorn Lande/ARK:

They're one of my newfound faves!
I pretty much dislike everything that has a neo-prog touch, but Ark has something the other bands don't have, which is one of the best vocalists I've ever heard. And I must admit, without Lande's vocals I guess it wouldn't affect me at all. He's like a cross of all the greats : Coverdale, Dio, Cornell, and Staley. Musicwise, much of it is typical 80´s metal or progressive metal, but they have a darker (Scandinavian?) touch which I like. Some songs has rather diverse influences, like you rarely see in their genre...Björk, Nicolai Dunger or even Latin music.

He used to be with Company of snakes which is a Whitesnake kinda tribute band featuring Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden etc (Old Whitesnake members). I tell ya, at times you can't tell the difference from Lande and Mr. Coverdale himself.

Just thought these were interesting based on the recent Progpower situation with one act replacing the other.

Jason

 

[Crimson Velvet]

Maybe this explains how Opeth turned so incedrible freakishly boring over the last seven or eight years...

 

[Dark One]

Ah, the old RC sarcastic zing!!

 

[lizard]

with their support slot on the Euro disturbed tour cancelled, and their withdrawal from progpower for the 2nd time (!?!?) is their a more star-crossed band than nevermore?

 

[Dark One]

with their support slot on the Euro disturbed tour cancelled

Huh? The tour got rescheduled to take place in the Fall, which is why Nevermore had to cancel their Progpower appearance. Is there updated info on this or are you referring to the initial tour getting postponed?

 

[lizard]

yeah the initial one, I lost the rescheduling thing in the nevermore board's frothy silliness.

they just don't seem to get any traction going. dane sobering up is good, he was all bloated for so long that once he got healthy, he looked emaciated

 

[Dark One]

yeah the initial one, I lost the rescheduling thing in the nevermore board's frothy silliness.

As unfortunate as the cancellation of their PP performance is, a tour opening up for Disturbed can only be a good thing for them, so I wish them the best of luck.

they just don't seem to get any traction going. dane sobering up is good, he was all bloated for so long that once he got healthy, he looked emaciated

Actually, I think with the new Century Media deal behind them, Dane's sobriety and a fantastic new album under their belts, they seem more focused than ever. The live shows I've seen from them over the past year confirm that as well.

 

[lizard]

they've been at this for a while and I hope they get a bit bigger. I know they draw well in Europe.

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

Diggin' around? Where? the Opeth forum?

FANBOY!

*points at Jason*

 

[General Zod]

And I must admit, without Lande's vocals I guess it wouldn't affect me at all. He's like a cross of all the greats : Coverdale, Dio, Cornell, and Staley.

Interesting that Åkerfeldt would rate Cornell and Staley with Coverdale and Dio. I have no problem with that at all. I'm just surprised to hear him say it.

they just don't seem to get any traction going.

100% right. It does seem like, if they didn't have bad luck, they'd have no luck at all. However, Disturbed is tme most popular Metal (if you can call them that) band on the planet. Their CD debuted at #1 on Billboards Pop chart and they can sell out any size venue they choose to play in the states.

Zod

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

I don't know about any size, though maybe you're right.

I mean, sure, they can sell out 6-8k venues pretty easily now, but MSG-sized? That's quite the leap.

 

[Dark One]

Diggin' around? Where? the Opeth forum?

FANBOY!

*points at Jason*

Akerfeldt's old posts. I thought I remembered seeing him say something about Loomis before, so I was curious.

EDIT - , so you know I'm not taking it too seriously or anything.

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

fanboy

 

[lizard]

now that I think about it, it's the entire US metal scene that is out of whack. the rest of the world seems to like real metal just fine.

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

You're coming to this conclusion NOW?

 

[Dark One]

fanboy

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

i love that photoshop, ha ha

 

[lizard]

You're coming to this conclusion NOW?

no I've had it for a while but I realized my comment about nevermore was a symptom of a bigger problem.

 

[JayKeeley]

Cool thread!

"He's like a cross of all the greats : Coverdale, Dio, Cornell, and Staley. Musicwise, much of it is typical 80´s metal or progressive metal, but they have a darker (Scandinavian?) touch which I like. Some songs has rather diverse influences, like you rarely see in their genre...Björk, Nicolai Dunger or even Latin music."

That's pretty spot on. There are some songs on "Burn the Sun" that remind me of Bjork for sure.

But outside of Ark, what you're looking at here is a singer that comes from the same school of DEEP PURPLE / RAINBOW type influence: other examples, Coverdale, Joe Lynn Turner, Ronnie James Dio, etc.

And funnily enough, it's the same sort of vocal style that MALMSTEEN tends to leverage, just because he's so much of a Richie Blackmore fanboy. Of course, that partnership never evolved based on what happened with the tour. (Still, I wouldn't mind hearing a bootleg if you've got one Mark).

So yeah, Jorn Lande is basically bringing classic metal to the stage, and of course, his voice is the big selling point. If you like early Coverdale and Dio, you're gonna like him.

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

bootleg? of what?