"Nobody really cared for OPETH until we did Blackwater Park"

Mikael Åkerfeldt said:
Come on Jim, you got more sense than that...
It's not like I'm calling the people who bought our first 4 records "nobodies", like you make it seem. Hey, I never expected to get a deal at all period. But before BWP we didn't get tours, between 1990 (start) and 2001 (BWP) we did ONE tour, and that's it. Lee fixed us that tour. We also did 2 shows with Morbid Angel in the UK, a few Swedish shows, one German show...and then Milwaukee metalfest.

You're making it sound like I can't be bothered to be happy about our success until we hit a million sales. Hell yeah, I was happy then, and I'm happy now, but it's a fact that we didn't sell in comparison to most other bands, we didn't tour a lot in comparison to other bands, we didn't do anything "a lot" in comparison. Nobody called us up for gigs, Lee fixed us pretty much everything. Hammy and Peaceville didn't do shit as far as touring goes, and yes, true, I didn't want to sign to MFN cause I loved Hammy and I like personal relations with our labels etc...but in retrospect that deal with MFN was the best thing that could happen.

We all know that sales and quality don't go hand in hand but no-sales and quality don't go hand in hand either.

Mike
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Wow. *claps* :rock:
 
There weren't many Opeth fans at all before BWP. I remember the first time i heard Opeth in 99 i nearly died from awesomeness, so i went on the net to look for more people who liked the band. Guess what? no forums, no discussion... it was crying SHAME SHAME so i just started plugging the band as much as i could on the forums i go to. I can tell you first hand people weren't talking about Opeth then! They were this "obscure" proggy metal band that no one seemed to take me seriously about when i said they were a must-hear. A funny thing happened around the release of BWP though and things snowballed. Now it's pretty much impossible to be a metalhead and not have an opinion on Opeth. At my university i see more Opeth shirts than any other metal band even... it's pretty insane.

I think the fact they didn't even have much chance to play live before then says a lot about the number of fans. Metal is a "live" kind of music, and people who love bands want to see those bands live! if there were so many fans, why wasn't there more request for shows?
 
Most of my friends that I had when Orchid and Morningrise were released liked Opeth. But then again, they were all northern swedes (you need music like that to cope in the harsh winters up there), so I guess the statistics of that wouldn't fit with the rest of Sweden (in the south the percentage of people that like metal is MUCH smaller), or the rest of the world for that matter.
 
Jim LotFP said:
A million people in a world of over six billion is essentially nothing, and Opeth hasn't sold a million records, yet I'm sure this place would be confused if Mikael complained that "Nobody likes us right now."



Maybe. Maybe not. Can't say without the numbers for the last few albums. Anybody got those numbers?
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dont be an idiot jim, seriously. youre twisting the bands' words and being a jackass.
 
Stilgar said:
Most of my friends that I had when Orchid and Morningrise were released liked Opeth. But then again, they were all northern swedes (you need music like that to cope in the harsh winters up there), so I guess the statistics of that wouldn't fit with the rest of Sweden (in the south the percentage of people that like metal is MUCH smaller), or the rest of the world for that matter.
Click to expand...

Location probably does make a pretty substantial difference. Here in western canada, it wasn't until 3 or 4 years ago i met a single person in real life who liked Opeth. My only contact with fans was the internet. Now it's pretty easy to find local fans though. There was a pretty substantial turnout for their show in calgary a few months ago.
 
there is always this issue of opeth getting bigger and earning more money...im not blaming anyone on this thread, but why is that always the case? is it because even the most open-minded, generous, giving and caring metal music listener has a voice in him that says "i discovered that band first...MINE!"?
 
Mike talked about how old fans often don't like new albums in an interview I saw (or maybe just heard). That they like to keep bands in their pocket. Lots of truth in that.
 
soundave said:
Mike talked about how old fans often don't like new albums in an interview I saw (or maybe just heard). That they like to keep bands in their pocket. Lots of truth in that.
Click to expand...

fuck yes. its not so bad until they take a stance on it and hold it against opposing opinions. its understandable if they simply don't dig the new albums.
 
Mikael &#197 said:
Come on Jim, you got more sense than that...
It's not like I'm calling the people who bought our first 4 records "nobodies", like you make it seem. Hey, I never expected to get a deal at all period. But before BWP we didn't get tours, between 1990 (start) and 2001 (BWP) we did ONE tour, and that's it. Lee fixed us that tour. We also did 2 shows with Morbid Angel in the UK, a few Swedish shows, one German show...and then Milwaukee metalfest.

You're making it sound like I can't be bothered to be happy about our success until we hit a million sales. Hell yeah, I was happy then, and I'm happy now, but it's a fact that we didn't sell in comparison to most other bands, we didn't tour a lot in comparison to other bands, we didn't do anything "a lot" in comparison. Nobody called us up for gigs, Lee fixed us pretty much everything. Hammy and Peaceville didn't do shit as far as touring goes, and yes, true, I didn't want to sign to MFN cause I loved Hammy and I like personal relations with our labels etc...but in retrospect that deal with MFN was the best thing that could happen.

We all know that sales and quality don't go hand in hand but no-sales and quality don't go hand in hand either.

Mike
Click to expand...

I think my iPod, my cd player, and my fiance are all sick of Opeth, but I am not. It is amazing I did not discover Opeth until 2005. Oh the years of music that I missed. I guess I am cramming six years of Opeth into nine months of listening time. I saw your shows in Detroit (Sounds of the Underground and at Harpos), Cleveland, Fort Lauderdale at the Culture Room, and in Grand Rapids at the Orbit Room.

I just want to thank the members of the band for five wonderful shows, and endless hours of musical nirvana.

Leon
 
I first heard Opeth when My Arms Your Hearse came out, they were already pretty big in the metal community by word of mouth, but I can understand Mikael's point. For the band it is important to tour and have good label support, for the fan its all about the music.
 
I like the old era of opeth.. i knew them with orchid and i like it. Morningrise i like more than Orchid... MAYH i like too, even SL is a great album... but BWP ... i don't like it. (deliverance is a great album, but GR for me ... really bad)

I prefer to remember the good times of opeth...when nobody knows them and opeth did really good music with a real feeling and essence without pressure from the labels or the extra big tour to accomplish ... not like GR
 
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