http://www.fourteeng.net/opeth.html
Erika: But you guys had a record deal without even cutting a demo, is that correct?
Mikael: Yeah, because our first label was UK based label called Candlelight Records, still running you know. [I agree] And at the time we didnt have any demos or anything but we recorded rehearsal tapes. And there was a band on Candlelight records called Emperor, they had a few albums. The guitar player made compilation tapes of unsigned bands that he found good, ya know. He squeezed in ten seconds of an Opeth rehearsal tape just at the end of the tape and we were the only band from that cassette tape who got signed. [Chuckles]
of course, the way he answered the question, he could've been referring to samoth, but i do believe it was ihsahn in this case.
plus, if you look at the credits in orchid, they give special thanks to ihsahn.