hy everyone!
i'm new to this forum, so i though i'd give you all a little present
here's an interview with mikael i did when they played in zurich last december - have fun!
btw: i saw opeth three times live, last time was at the heitere open-air in zofingen - they slayed!!!
- as for what i've heard and read about the last couple of shows, you really seem to be in a very good mood generally, you joke a lot and tell funny things between the songs - are you a happy person?
i guess so, yes. you know, my life is good. I have a daughter, the band's doing well, i have a wife, i have a house, i have a volvo, records - you know, i don't have anything to complain about. the thing with me being onstage, it's just that i didn't use to talk so much in between songs, i don't really know why i talk so much now. somedays i don't, but i just started somewhere, talkin', crackin' jokes. for us, playing live and having a crowd there to see you is supposed to be having a good time. i personally like (when i go to gigs) to see the frontman talking - whatever he's saying. it gives you an insight into their persona. and then there's the dispute wheter i'm funny or not - i'm not a comedian, it's just whatever comes out, it's only about sarcasm and irony, that's my sense of humor. so if you don't get that, you gonna think i'm a prick. but most people luckily understand that i'm not serious?â
- so if you are that happy, where do all these satanic and depressive themes come from?
i don't think that goes hand in hand. that's the classic, kinda romantic picture of the songwriter, drinking wine, drowning in his sorrows - you know, the type of melancholic guy. obviously, i had my share of hard times. but i think that it's hyped up anyway, that type of image. it's just more likely for me to write sad and depressive music, when i'm feeling good. and when i'm feeling bad i just don't write at all.
- so this is just a natural way?
i think so. i can't talk for everybody else, but for me it's always been like that and the whole sad themes in the lyrics are just my taste, it's what i like. it's not what i am - if i would be what my songs are, then i would be dead.
- after reading your online-biography, it didn't seem to me like you've ever been struggling with the typical «musicians-lifestyle», is that right?
no, not me. i'm clean as a whistle. i drink occasionally - i've cut that down as well. i even try to quit smoking, and i'm doing quite good, but i don't do any drugs. i smoked weed and hash and stuff like that, mushrooms - but i was like trying it out. if i'm drunk, i might have some weed or whatever, but it's not something i do on a regular base, i'm only doing it when i'm fucked up and i'm on tour. i don't drink while i'm at work with the band in the studio. obviously i used to drink much more. but i don't do any drugs - i hate drugs, but it's all over. even with this band. everyday, drugs somewhere, somebody wants to sell, somebody takes it. that's the lifestyle, that's the way it works. a lot of people are taking it, because they're supposed to, because they are fucking rockstars - and a lot of people take it, because they want the day to pass faster, or to feel more awake. it's a big hyped-up lie the whole drug-thing. i hate drugs and i hate druggies.
after gigs i'll have a beer, a glass or two of red wine, but i don't get fucked up the way i used to. when i was younger and we were on tour (not so long a go), it was party all night long, just hammered. but i got to the point where my vocals couldn't handle it anymore, especially the booze - i used to drink vodka and scotch, we even had scotch on the rider, we drank a lot of that. plus, i always got sick on tour, my immune-system got affected by the whole smoking and drinking and not sleeping.
so now i cut down drinking hard booze, cut down smoking and i sleep a lot. i haven't been sick on this tour so far, and that's the first time ever. we still have a few gigs to go, but - i haven't been sick.
- it is proven that the people of today loose their focus pretty quick, they aren't able to concentrate a long time. so why do you think people actually do come to your shows and listen to all those 10-minute-monsters?
i don't know. i wouldn't pay to go to a show, if i wouldn't be interested in the songs. obviously, people get bored. to be honest, when i go to gigs, even if it's my favourite band, a 2 hour show - that's quite long, you'll feel but tired. that's also one of the reasons why i talk much more now. it makes it more rememberable, so i interact a lot more with the crowd now. i understand that i'm asking too much, when i think that everybody's going to be 100 percent with us. so i tend to break it up.
Äì opeth-songs seem to have their own worlds and rules, how do you consider a song to be finished - just by feeling?
it's just something i feel - i know it. usually i have a finish and a first riff. those two are very important. and even if they don't cary the songs, the show certain directions. i don't like to finish songs, before i feel like they are finished. i don't like to think about a song being to long. if it sounds good, then that's the way it's gonna be. obviously i made mistakes before. songs got too long, and they got boring. on the last record i tried more to think in terms like when i'm listening to the song. instantly, when i got a slight bad feeling, we edited it. all the riffs serve a purpose, we try not to overdo it, as we have done it in the past. we always had a riff played either four or six times, but now i work more in the interest of the songs, so if i have a bad feeling about certain things, we cut it.
Äì how do you paint all those soundscapes without losing the target? is there even a target?
pretty much. i start looking for somekind of theme or lead for the song. and as soon as i have that type of theme or special event, i try to build everything around it. as long as i come up with something rememberable, then i feel like i have something going, and then i just work from there.
i can even work in both ways, in retrospective to the beginning, and forward.
- so you actually build your songs around riffs, and not around lyrics?
no, never around lyrics. i usually start up with a riff, and it turns into an arrangement by it's own. three, four riffs, a couple of bridges inbetween, a chorus, or whatever, and then i record demos. that's basically how it works these days. before, it was more riffs. we tried to piece fifteen riffs togetherĶ
Äì could you pick one song that captures the spirit of opeth at its best?
from all the albums?
Äì yeah.
the first song on the new album is a good one («ghost of perdition»). it has everything, it's like fireworks - things happening all the times. i remember listening to it the first time, and i was like «whoa!». that's what i like. if you don't get interested into this band after listening to that song, you will not get interested into it all.
Äì did you ever realize that one part of ¬´ghost of perdition¬ª sounds like ¬´the grudge¬ª by tool?
yeah, it's pretty obvious. i really like ¬´lateralus¬ª and ¬´aenima¬ª¬and ¬´undertow¬ª, and it's just one of those bands that really influenced me. so on this record, i worked a lot with rhythms and drums. the main thing in that part are the vocals, they are really major.
- but did you notice it, when you recorded it?
well, it was called «the tool-part». you name every riff in the computer, and that riff was actually called «tool-part». it's some sort of hommage. some people state it as a rip off, but then again, it's not the first time, i rip bands off, even it usually very subtle.
- speaking of writing - how is like to work with you, are you more of a dictator, since you wrote most parts of the songs?
sometimes, if they play it wrong (laughter). it is in my interest as the songwriter to make the band to play it the way i want it to sound. but i am not a dictator - if they would change something, and make it sound better, then that's fine, i'm not bigheaded in that way, i just want it to sound good. and i reley on the other guys to make it sound better.
- did the band had to drop their egos first, in order to be able to perform together?
there were no egos left in this band, everybody is quite comfortable as far as i know - with the fact that i write most of the songs. that doesn't mean that this will always be the way it's got the be! if somebody comes up with a song, fine - it just never happened, they don't write. it's quite easy. i think it's very rare for bands to have several songwriters, and make it actually sound good.
- there are some bands, where you more or less instantly notice who wrote which songsĶ
yeah, for me, there's only one band like that, the beatles - they had four songwriters. all the songs that sucked, they were ringo's songs (grins). george harrison was the bigheaded one, who tried to get into john lennon-territory, but he also did some fantastic songs. the best songs were obviously from john lennon and paul maccartney. but you just see what happened to that band: it was egos from day one, and eventually hate.
so i think, it's both good and bad.
- how was it with per, did he just add his keys when everything was done, or were parts specifically written for him?
no, i had written some of the key-parts for my demos. and he came on to my place and listened to them, and then rerecorded some demos the way he wanted to play them. but the keys were written together with the demos. we didn't want any children of bodom-type keys like «dudeldudeldu», that wasn't really what we were looking for. we worked more with sounds, like, «what are we going to use here?».
- i was actually really impressed, how well the hammond-sound turned out with the heavy guitars!
yeah, much of the time, the hammond-sound is very close to the guitar-sound.
- when you first heard about martin lopez' illness, what was it like for you?
you know, he has been playing in this band for a long time. he's been ill, more or less, since we started writing deliverance and damnation. and it was just horrible to me. obviously we were worried, but we thought, that he'll snap out of it, and going to be back the other day - but it escalated. and on the last tour we did, which was a festival-tour, he looked really bad, and we were fighting. he was just sick, he was like a skeleton. and, basically, his playing was shit - we did a few shows that were horrible. he knew this, and we knew it. he woke up one day, and he was so bad and so sick, he went outside the bus, and he couldn't find his way back inside - his brain didn't work. so we took him to the hospital, we talked with him, and told him he's got to go home now, to recover. and he was like «yes». so basically he went home, and we had to keep it going, we had a new record out. so we had to find replacement drummers. there was no chance that we are going to wait for him and stop touring. we were waiting for him, and continued touring. the last time i talked to him, which was a week before this tour, he sounded much better. but, i have to meet up with him, we have to jam to see what it's like, before we can come to the decision that he's back in the band. he's still in the band, he is not fired, but we want it 100 percent sure, we can't be in that situation anymore, where he can't play a show.
- wasn't it a pain in the ass to write and record for a certain drummer and to know at the same time that you'll have to play it with someone other who'll bring his elements to the table?
we saw it coming, it turned more and more difficult to work with him, he was just not up for it.
but i was just so focused on the work, that i basically didn't want to spend any time talking about any problems, because we had to do a job. but he recorded the album, and it went very well. we were basically waiting for him, to feel in the mood to play. he just sat around, and then he went «ok, i want to play now!», and we were like, «ok!». it was boring. but there was never any thought about firing.
- a last question: you said once that you're a bit unhappy with the deliverance-recordings - why is that so?
no, i was happy with the recording, but i have bad memories about the recording. and obviously, some of the material wasn't as good as it could have been, but some other songs are the best ones we have, like «deliverance» - i like this song really much, and «fair judgement». but the last song (By the pain i see in the others) is a clear case of stress and bad arrangement - it should have been cut out, or maybe ormitted (?) from the record. i don't really like that song.
- alright, that's all for now, i wish you a good show!
thanks!
i'm new to this forum, so i though i'd give you all a little present
here's an interview with mikael i did when they played in zurich last december - have fun!
btw: i saw opeth three times live, last time was at the heitere open-air in zofingen - they slayed!!!
- as for what i've heard and read about the last couple of shows, you really seem to be in a very good mood generally, you joke a lot and tell funny things between the songs - are you a happy person?
i guess so, yes. you know, my life is good. I have a daughter, the band's doing well, i have a wife, i have a house, i have a volvo, records - you know, i don't have anything to complain about. the thing with me being onstage, it's just that i didn't use to talk so much in between songs, i don't really know why i talk so much now. somedays i don't, but i just started somewhere, talkin', crackin' jokes. for us, playing live and having a crowd there to see you is supposed to be having a good time. i personally like (when i go to gigs) to see the frontman talking - whatever he's saying. it gives you an insight into their persona. and then there's the dispute wheter i'm funny or not - i'm not a comedian, it's just whatever comes out, it's only about sarcasm and irony, that's my sense of humor. so if you don't get that, you gonna think i'm a prick. but most people luckily understand that i'm not serious?â
- so if you are that happy, where do all these satanic and depressive themes come from?
i don't think that goes hand in hand. that's the classic, kinda romantic picture of the songwriter, drinking wine, drowning in his sorrows - you know, the type of melancholic guy. obviously, i had my share of hard times. but i think that it's hyped up anyway, that type of image. it's just more likely for me to write sad and depressive music, when i'm feeling good. and when i'm feeling bad i just don't write at all.
- so this is just a natural way?
i think so. i can't talk for everybody else, but for me it's always been like that and the whole sad themes in the lyrics are just my taste, it's what i like. it's not what i am - if i would be what my songs are, then i would be dead.
- after reading your online-biography, it didn't seem to me like you've ever been struggling with the typical «musicians-lifestyle», is that right?
no, not me. i'm clean as a whistle. i drink occasionally - i've cut that down as well. i even try to quit smoking, and i'm doing quite good, but i don't do any drugs. i smoked weed and hash and stuff like that, mushrooms - but i was like trying it out. if i'm drunk, i might have some weed or whatever, but it's not something i do on a regular base, i'm only doing it when i'm fucked up and i'm on tour. i don't drink while i'm at work with the band in the studio. obviously i used to drink much more. but i don't do any drugs - i hate drugs, but it's all over. even with this band. everyday, drugs somewhere, somebody wants to sell, somebody takes it. that's the lifestyle, that's the way it works. a lot of people are taking it, because they're supposed to, because they are fucking rockstars - and a lot of people take it, because they want the day to pass faster, or to feel more awake. it's a big hyped-up lie the whole drug-thing. i hate drugs and i hate druggies.
after gigs i'll have a beer, a glass or two of red wine, but i don't get fucked up the way i used to. when i was younger and we were on tour (not so long a go), it was party all night long, just hammered. but i got to the point where my vocals couldn't handle it anymore, especially the booze - i used to drink vodka and scotch, we even had scotch on the rider, we drank a lot of that. plus, i always got sick on tour, my immune-system got affected by the whole smoking and drinking and not sleeping.
so now i cut down drinking hard booze, cut down smoking and i sleep a lot. i haven't been sick on this tour so far, and that's the first time ever. we still have a few gigs to go, but - i haven't been sick.
- it is proven that the people of today loose their focus pretty quick, they aren't able to concentrate a long time. so why do you think people actually do come to your shows and listen to all those 10-minute-monsters?
i don't know. i wouldn't pay to go to a show, if i wouldn't be interested in the songs. obviously, people get bored. to be honest, when i go to gigs, even if it's my favourite band, a 2 hour show - that's quite long, you'll feel but tired. that's also one of the reasons why i talk much more now. it makes it more rememberable, so i interact a lot more with the crowd now. i understand that i'm asking too much, when i think that everybody's going to be 100 percent with us. so i tend to break it up.
Äì opeth-songs seem to have their own worlds and rules, how do you consider a song to be finished - just by feeling?
it's just something i feel - i know it. usually i have a finish and a first riff. those two are very important. and even if they don't cary the songs, the show certain directions. i don't like to finish songs, before i feel like they are finished. i don't like to think about a song being to long. if it sounds good, then that's the way it's gonna be. obviously i made mistakes before. songs got too long, and they got boring. on the last record i tried more to think in terms like when i'm listening to the song. instantly, when i got a slight bad feeling, we edited it. all the riffs serve a purpose, we try not to overdo it, as we have done it in the past. we always had a riff played either four or six times, but now i work more in the interest of the songs, so if i have a bad feeling about certain things, we cut it.
Äì how do you paint all those soundscapes without losing the target? is there even a target?
pretty much. i start looking for somekind of theme or lead for the song. and as soon as i have that type of theme or special event, i try to build everything around it. as long as i come up with something rememberable, then i feel like i have something going, and then i just work from there.
i can even work in both ways, in retrospective to the beginning, and forward.
- so you actually build your songs around riffs, and not around lyrics?
no, never around lyrics. i usually start up with a riff, and it turns into an arrangement by it's own. three, four riffs, a couple of bridges inbetween, a chorus, or whatever, and then i record demos. that's basically how it works these days. before, it was more riffs. we tried to piece fifteen riffs togetherĶ
Äì could you pick one song that captures the spirit of opeth at its best?
from all the albums?
Äì yeah.
the first song on the new album is a good one («ghost of perdition»). it has everything, it's like fireworks - things happening all the times. i remember listening to it the first time, and i was like «whoa!». that's what i like. if you don't get interested into this band after listening to that song, you will not get interested into it all.
Äì did you ever realize that one part of ¬´ghost of perdition¬ª sounds like ¬´the grudge¬ª by tool?
yeah, it's pretty obvious. i really like ¬´lateralus¬ª and ¬´aenima¬ª¬and ¬´undertow¬ª, and it's just one of those bands that really influenced me. so on this record, i worked a lot with rhythms and drums. the main thing in that part are the vocals, they are really major.
- but did you notice it, when you recorded it?
well, it was called «the tool-part». you name every riff in the computer, and that riff was actually called «tool-part». it's some sort of hommage. some people state it as a rip off, but then again, it's not the first time, i rip bands off, even it usually very subtle.
- speaking of writing - how is like to work with you, are you more of a dictator, since you wrote most parts of the songs?
sometimes, if they play it wrong (laughter). it is in my interest as the songwriter to make the band to play it the way i want it to sound. but i am not a dictator - if they would change something, and make it sound better, then that's fine, i'm not bigheaded in that way, i just want it to sound good. and i reley on the other guys to make it sound better.
- did the band had to drop their egos first, in order to be able to perform together?
there were no egos left in this band, everybody is quite comfortable as far as i know - with the fact that i write most of the songs. that doesn't mean that this will always be the way it's got the be! if somebody comes up with a song, fine - it just never happened, they don't write. it's quite easy. i think it's very rare for bands to have several songwriters, and make it actually sound good.
- there are some bands, where you more or less instantly notice who wrote which songsĶ
yeah, for me, there's only one band like that, the beatles - they had four songwriters. all the songs that sucked, they were ringo's songs (grins). george harrison was the bigheaded one, who tried to get into john lennon-territory, but he also did some fantastic songs. the best songs were obviously from john lennon and paul maccartney. but you just see what happened to that band: it was egos from day one, and eventually hate.
so i think, it's both good and bad.
- how was it with per, did he just add his keys when everything was done, or were parts specifically written for him?
no, i had written some of the key-parts for my demos. and he came on to my place and listened to them, and then rerecorded some demos the way he wanted to play them. but the keys were written together with the demos. we didn't want any children of bodom-type keys like «dudeldudeldu», that wasn't really what we were looking for. we worked more with sounds, like, «what are we going to use here?».
- i was actually really impressed, how well the hammond-sound turned out with the heavy guitars!
yeah, much of the time, the hammond-sound is very close to the guitar-sound.
- when you first heard about martin lopez' illness, what was it like for you?
you know, he has been playing in this band for a long time. he's been ill, more or less, since we started writing deliverance and damnation. and it was just horrible to me. obviously we were worried, but we thought, that he'll snap out of it, and going to be back the other day - but it escalated. and on the last tour we did, which was a festival-tour, he looked really bad, and we were fighting. he was just sick, he was like a skeleton. and, basically, his playing was shit - we did a few shows that were horrible. he knew this, and we knew it. he woke up one day, and he was so bad and so sick, he went outside the bus, and he couldn't find his way back inside - his brain didn't work. so we took him to the hospital, we talked with him, and told him he's got to go home now, to recover. and he was like «yes». so basically he went home, and we had to keep it going, we had a new record out. so we had to find replacement drummers. there was no chance that we are going to wait for him and stop touring. we were waiting for him, and continued touring. the last time i talked to him, which was a week before this tour, he sounded much better. but, i have to meet up with him, we have to jam to see what it's like, before we can come to the decision that he's back in the band. he's still in the band, he is not fired, but we want it 100 percent sure, we can't be in that situation anymore, where he can't play a show.
- wasn't it a pain in the ass to write and record for a certain drummer and to know at the same time that you'll have to play it with someone other who'll bring his elements to the table?
we saw it coming, it turned more and more difficult to work with him, he was just not up for it.
but i was just so focused on the work, that i basically didn't want to spend any time talking about any problems, because we had to do a job. but he recorded the album, and it went very well. we were basically waiting for him, to feel in the mood to play. he just sat around, and then he went «ok, i want to play now!», and we were like, «ok!». it was boring. but there was never any thought about firing.
- a last question: you said once that you're a bit unhappy with the deliverance-recordings - why is that so?
no, i was happy with the recording, but i have bad memories about the recording. and obviously, some of the material wasn't as good as it could have been, but some other songs are the best ones we have, like «deliverance» - i like this song really much, and «fair judgement». but the last song (By the pain i see in the others) is a clear case of stress and bad arrangement - it should have been cut out, or maybe ormitted (?) from the record. i don't really like that song.
- alright, that's all for now, i wish you a good show!
thanks!
