Hi guys I´ve translated this interview from a Danish metal mag called NRG. I hope you enjoy it cos it took a hell of a time to translate:
The 70´s metallic Ghost
Despite the many releases of high musical quality Opeth has never made a big deal of themselves. The band has always been highly respected in musical circles, and by metal fans with a desire for experimental music. Mikael Åkerfeldt doesn´t pick the easy solution, or fall to the temptation of moving into a modern musical genre.
We have never followed a modern genre, among other things because I think the new genres suck There was a handful Swedish metal bands, that had an influence, on my life and they are easily named: Europe, Yngwie Malmsteen, Bathory, Mephisto Entombed, At the gates and Candlemass
Mikael Åkerfeldt may sound like a harsh conservative guy, but he´s not. His inspiration and musical passion must simply be found another place, than the quickly shifting metal world. He is a big admirer of Porcupine tree who he is not late to mention throughout the interview. The Porcupine front figure Steven Wilson has produced the last three Opeth records but not Ghost Reveries, which is produced by the band itself.
We´d asked Steven Wilson, but when we where on our way to the studio, he had to tour with his band. So we decided to do it ourselves. We refused to work with other producers, primarily because I don´t trust ém, but also because we´d never worked with other producers. If we are to take a new guy into the studio it must be someone I respect musically. Today it´s like the record companies want famous producers, on their records ´cos it will sell more records by the producer´s name, and at the same time the records will be expensive. I don´t know any of the established producers and I would never let Bob Rock touch our music. If we are to have other people involved in our music, they must at least recognize or understand our sound. It shall not be someone who sold 30 million records, I don´t give a shit about that
Ghost Reveries has been written in the practice room, before being practiced and completed, after which the band entered the studio, to record the songs. A formula most bands use, but one that Opeth hasn´t used for years Opeth used to make the music while in the studio.
It was necessary to do it this way after the last trip to the studio where we made two albums at once. They where recorded completely without practice, before entering the studio. The songs where not written, and I had only bits and pieces with me to the studio. This time (With Ghost reveries) I wanted us to be more professional about the whole thing, and I wanted us to act like we cared. I wrote all the songs and we practiced and all the members got to bring their suggestions to the songs, like many bands do. That process has really helped on the result
Where you not happy with last couple of records?
I was certainly happy with them but the process almost killed me. The workload was enormous and the pressure was equally high and removed the joy of recording. I felt like I wanted to quit playing because of the draining process it was to get the records done. This time I left the studio smiling
Is hard to be creative within a certain period of time?
I was very creative when we recorded the records (edit. D1 and D2), but it was too hard to make two records like that. We made Still life and Blackwater Park like that, but two at one time was simply too much
Since 1997 the Opeth line up has been persistent except when Gene Hogland replaced drummer Martin Lopez on a USA tour, due to health related issues. But now the Spiritual Beggar keyboard player Per Wiberg has joined the Opeth camp, and accordingly to Mikael Åkerfledt that is an exciting addition to the line up.
When we made Damnation with lots of keys it was like a tribute to 70´s progressive rock and it showed me how you could mix those parts with metal parts and maybe create something completely new. Opeth is a band that´s about developing and change, and by bringing Per to the band I had an opportunity to develop and enhance my song writing. At the same time it made it easier to perform the old songs live. We can make all vocal arrangements because Per also sings well, and he knows how to play a guitar and much more. That enables us to do everything better live
As previously told Mikael finds his inspiration from all sorts of places, and often not from the metal realm. For Ghost reveries he was inspired by Scandinavian and German rock from the 60´s and 70´s and of course also by Porcupine tree. Strangely the music doesn´t sound like it´s founded by these decades, it´s still brutal and metallic.
I collect LP´s almost every day. I mostly collect music from the 60´s and 70´s it can be hard rock, progressive rock, symphonic rock, singer songwriter, jazz or fusion. All these influences I save and use more or less consciously when I write music. It can be mixture of all sorts of things but the end the result always sound like Opeth. My biggest influence is progressive rock, cos that´s what I listen to the most
Perhaps you where born in the wrong decade?
I don´t know, but sometime I wish I had a time machine so I could go back and buy the records I´m looking for, cheap. In fact I think we´re doing quite all right in this decade, music-wise but I´m very romantic about the 70´s, i.e. my house looks like something from that time, and when you enter it it´s like stepping into the 70´s
How much of the music do you write?
I write all our music but I don´t have an overall plan as to how the music will eventually sound. I can´t tell the rest of the band how the next record wil sound ´cos I simply don´t know before all the songs have been written and recorded. I´m the only semi-original member left in Opeth. I´ve been in Opeth for 15 years. And since we began writing records I have written most of the material. On the last six I wrote everything myself. I must admit that it is what I come up with that´s gonna be our new musical direction. Luckily the other members don´t complain and I´m open to suggestions. It sounds dictatorial, but in fact it´s a very democratic process. In fact Per wrote two riffs for new album
The conversation directs itself towards song writing, and Mikael explains he has no firm ideas when he starts the writing process. It is the mood of each song that determents the process.
If it´s the songs that decides, when do you then figure out in which musical direction they move?
At the end! The songs get as they get, in the way that I don´t decide which direction the song must move in. It´s the song itself that decides how everything will sound. Often it´s the music that decides how everything will sound and if I meddle by forcing a riff over a song in process I end up ruining everything. I´ve started to write songs completely without ideas. I simply grab the guitar and I take what comes out of the guitar and me. I never pick up the guitar with the plan to make heavy riff or a fast riff. If some acoustic passages emerge, then that´s the direction of the song. That could be the reason why we write a lot of long songs. And I´ve always loved long songs, i.e. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner by Iron Maiden. The writing process is very spontaneous, and the only time I had an idea was with Damnation, cos I knew it would be an acoustic, toned down record. I wrote the two records simultaneously and in the process I saved the acoustic parts for Damnation. In fact it was easier to write that record cos the intension was not make a normal Opeth record. I wanted to get closer to my progressive influences
You like long songs?
Yes I always have. I think long songs are like adventures. They can bring you around all types of musical recesses and thereby all types of moods. That doesn´t mean I don´t like short songs cos I do. For me to like a song it must make me feel something, then it doesn´t matter if the song is long or short. I do have a weakness for long songs, though; ever since I was a child, where the long songs by Iron Maiden or Judas Priest where among my favourites. An important thing in our song writing is surprising people. People might think they know where the song is headed but I like to disappoint and surprise people. We might let a song start off easy and then let all hell break loose
Mikael has dedicated his life to music and if you ask him if Opeth has made it and become a big name, he answers deviously. But admits he´s happy about the situation today.
It depends on how you look at it. It´s a slow process being in a band. Had I known what I know now 15 years ago, I would´ve said I made it. But ambitions progress each time you reach a new part of the road. I have been in a situation where I didn´t have a place to live, no money, the band didn´t get any tours, and nobody cared about us. But I chose a long time ago that music was the way of life for me. And I don´t intend to stray from that. It may sound like I´m a millionaire living in a big house. It´s not like that. The phrase I made it! sounds of more than it is in my case
Have you ever considered being a producer?
In fact I have produced a little, not whole albums, but I produced the vocal for Katatonia on two records. It happened quite spontaneously. I didn´t have anything to do when they recorded Discouraged Ones so I hang out in the studio. When Jonas said they where going to start recording, he didn´t felt like singing and much was wrong. So he asked if I could sing instead of him, but I said no. It ended with me producing the vocal for that record, and they where so satisfied with that, that they asked me to produce the vocal for Tonight´s Decision. So in that way I worked actively with the band and I enjoyed it. I don´t feel comfortable enough in the producer role to take the full responsibility for a whole production. First of all it has to be a band I like myself, secondly I need to learn more about the trait. To be a producer means you are involved in the music. You must know the technical aspect and you must have ideas for certain sounds and you must have the necessary know-how to enable you to bring the ideas to life and I´m not there yet. I only know about the musical aspect
Åkerfeldt and Opeth has produced Ghost Reveries on their own. And they have made a grandeur and exciting record. The opening act itself Ghost Of Perdition is a fine example on Mikael´s interest for long, innovative adventurous songs, with a good production.
Yes that song is like an explosion. So many things happen there. The other members had serious doubts about whether or not that should be the opening tune, but I was confident that had to be the opening tune. If you don´t get interested in the rest of the record after hearing Ghost Of Perdition you might as well take out the disc from your stereo
The 70´s metallic Ghost
Despite the many releases of high musical quality Opeth has never made a big deal of themselves. The band has always been highly respected in musical circles, and by metal fans with a desire for experimental music. Mikael Åkerfeldt doesn´t pick the easy solution, or fall to the temptation of moving into a modern musical genre.
We have never followed a modern genre, among other things because I think the new genres suck There was a handful Swedish metal bands, that had an influence, on my life and they are easily named: Europe, Yngwie Malmsteen, Bathory, Mephisto Entombed, At the gates and Candlemass
Mikael Åkerfeldt may sound like a harsh conservative guy, but he´s not. His inspiration and musical passion must simply be found another place, than the quickly shifting metal world. He is a big admirer of Porcupine tree who he is not late to mention throughout the interview. The Porcupine front figure Steven Wilson has produced the last three Opeth records but not Ghost Reveries, which is produced by the band itself.
We´d asked Steven Wilson, but when we where on our way to the studio, he had to tour with his band. So we decided to do it ourselves. We refused to work with other producers, primarily because I don´t trust ém, but also because we´d never worked with other producers. If we are to take a new guy into the studio it must be someone I respect musically. Today it´s like the record companies want famous producers, on their records ´cos it will sell more records by the producer´s name, and at the same time the records will be expensive. I don´t know any of the established producers and I would never let Bob Rock touch our music. If we are to have other people involved in our music, they must at least recognize or understand our sound. It shall not be someone who sold 30 million records, I don´t give a shit about that
Ghost Reveries has been written in the practice room, before being practiced and completed, after which the band entered the studio, to record the songs. A formula most bands use, but one that Opeth hasn´t used for years Opeth used to make the music while in the studio.
It was necessary to do it this way after the last trip to the studio where we made two albums at once. They where recorded completely without practice, before entering the studio. The songs where not written, and I had only bits and pieces with me to the studio. This time (With Ghost reveries) I wanted us to be more professional about the whole thing, and I wanted us to act like we cared. I wrote all the songs and we practiced and all the members got to bring their suggestions to the songs, like many bands do. That process has really helped on the result
Where you not happy with last couple of records?
I was certainly happy with them but the process almost killed me. The workload was enormous and the pressure was equally high and removed the joy of recording. I felt like I wanted to quit playing because of the draining process it was to get the records done. This time I left the studio smiling
Is hard to be creative within a certain period of time?
I was very creative when we recorded the records (edit. D1 and D2), but it was too hard to make two records like that. We made Still life and Blackwater Park like that, but two at one time was simply too much
Since 1997 the Opeth line up has been persistent except when Gene Hogland replaced drummer Martin Lopez on a USA tour, due to health related issues. But now the Spiritual Beggar keyboard player Per Wiberg has joined the Opeth camp, and accordingly to Mikael Åkerfledt that is an exciting addition to the line up.
When we made Damnation with lots of keys it was like a tribute to 70´s progressive rock and it showed me how you could mix those parts with metal parts and maybe create something completely new. Opeth is a band that´s about developing and change, and by bringing Per to the band I had an opportunity to develop and enhance my song writing. At the same time it made it easier to perform the old songs live. We can make all vocal arrangements because Per also sings well, and he knows how to play a guitar and much more. That enables us to do everything better live
As previously told Mikael finds his inspiration from all sorts of places, and often not from the metal realm. For Ghost reveries he was inspired by Scandinavian and German rock from the 60´s and 70´s and of course also by Porcupine tree. Strangely the music doesn´t sound like it´s founded by these decades, it´s still brutal and metallic.
I collect LP´s almost every day. I mostly collect music from the 60´s and 70´s it can be hard rock, progressive rock, symphonic rock, singer songwriter, jazz or fusion. All these influences I save and use more or less consciously when I write music. It can be mixture of all sorts of things but the end the result always sound like Opeth. My biggest influence is progressive rock, cos that´s what I listen to the most
Perhaps you where born in the wrong decade?
I don´t know, but sometime I wish I had a time machine so I could go back and buy the records I´m looking for, cheap. In fact I think we´re doing quite all right in this decade, music-wise but I´m very romantic about the 70´s, i.e. my house looks like something from that time, and when you enter it it´s like stepping into the 70´s
How much of the music do you write?
I write all our music but I don´t have an overall plan as to how the music will eventually sound. I can´t tell the rest of the band how the next record wil sound ´cos I simply don´t know before all the songs have been written and recorded. I´m the only semi-original member left in Opeth. I´ve been in Opeth for 15 years. And since we began writing records I have written most of the material. On the last six I wrote everything myself. I must admit that it is what I come up with that´s gonna be our new musical direction. Luckily the other members don´t complain and I´m open to suggestions. It sounds dictatorial, but in fact it´s a very democratic process. In fact Per wrote two riffs for new album
The conversation directs itself towards song writing, and Mikael explains he has no firm ideas when he starts the writing process. It is the mood of each song that determents the process.
If it´s the songs that decides, when do you then figure out in which musical direction they move?
At the end! The songs get as they get, in the way that I don´t decide which direction the song must move in. It´s the song itself that decides how everything will sound. Often it´s the music that decides how everything will sound and if I meddle by forcing a riff over a song in process I end up ruining everything. I´ve started to write songs completely without ideas. I simply grab the guitar and I take what comes out of the guitar and me. I never pick up the guitar with the plan to make heavy riff or a fast riff. If some acoustic passages emerge, then that´s the direction of the song. That could be the reason why we write a lot of long songs. And I´ve always loved long songs, i.e. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner by Iron Maiden. The writing process is very spontaneous, and the only time I had an idea was with Damnation, cos I knew it would be an acoustic, toned down record. I wrote the two records simultaneously and in the process I saved the acoustic parts for Damnation. In fact it was easier to write that record cos the intension was not make a normal Opeth record. I wanted to get closer to my progressive influences
You like long songs?
Yes I always have. I think long songs are like adventures. They can bring you around all types of musical recesses and thereby all types of moods. That doesn´t mean I don´t like short songs cos I do. For me to like a song it must make me feel something, then it doesn´t matter if the song is long or short. I do have a weakness for long songs, though; ever since I was a child, where the long songs by Iron Maiden or Judas Priest where among my favourites. An important thing in our song writing is surprising people. People might think they know where the song is headed but I like to disappoint and surprise people. We might let a song start off easy and then let all hell break loose
Mikael has dedicated his life to music and if you ask him if Opeth has made it and become a big name, he answers deviously. But admits he´s happy about the situation today.
It depends on how you look at it. It´s a slow process being in a band. Had I known what I know now 15 years ago, I would´ve said I made it. But ambitions progress each time you reach a new part of the road. I have been in a situation where I didn´t have a place to live, no money, the band didn´t get any tours, and nobody cared about us. But I chose a long time ago that music was the way of life for me. And I don´t intend to stray from that. It may sound like I´m a millionaire living in a big house. It´s not like that. The phrase I made it! sounds of more than it is in my case
Have you ever considered being a producer?
In fact I have produced a little, not whole albums, but I produced the vocal for Katatonia on two records. It happened quite spontaneously. I didn´t have anything to do when they recorded Discouraged Ones so I hang out in the studio. When Jonas said they where going to start recording, he didn´t felt like singing and much was wrong. So he asked if I could sing instead of him, but I said no. It ended with me producing the vocal for that record, and they where so satisfied with that, that they asked me to produce the vocal for Tonight´s Decision. So in that way I worked actively with the band and I enjoyed it. I don´t feel comfortable enough in the producer role to take the full responsibility for a whole production. First of all it has to be a band I like myself, secondly I need to learn more about the trait. To be a producer means you are involved in the music. You must know the technical aspect and you must have ideas for certain sounds and you must have the necessary know-how to enable you to bring the ideas to life and I´m not there yet. I only know about the musical aspect
Åkerfeldt and Opeth has produced Ghost Reveries on their own. And they have made a grandeur and exciting record. The opening act itself Ghost Of Perdition is a fine example on Mikael´s interest for long, innovative adventurous songs, with a good production.
Yes that song is like an explosion. So many things happen there. The other members had serious doubts about whether or not that should be the opening tune, but I was confident that had to be the opening tune. If you don´t get interested in the rest of the record after hearing Ghost Of Perdition you might as well take out the disc from your stereo
