Video interview Mikael
- Thread starter FaceCulture
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Lothlorien
Towards the Great Sky
- Jan 28, 2006
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since he basically controls the band he knows not everyone will be happy with what he does. no matter decisions he makes, whether he looks back and says "maybe i shouldn't have done that," they're his decisions and we are not to judge.
somewhat off-topic but i feel like i should discuss this. i kind of have a hard time with fans of opeth who say that they've loved everything opeth has done since orchid, but they feel watershed is shit and they will stop listening to the band in general. imo, whether opeth's next album is a black metal concept album, or 13 jazz-fusion songs, i feel you have to at least tip your hat to mikael and appreciate and respect the fact that he lives for the music of opeth, and the music he creates brings him enjoyment, whether it'd be smiles or sadness. so i feel with that being said, the decisions he makes with the band should be his to make, nobody has brought opeth to this point in time but mikael. from a stockholm cellar to selling out venues like the house of blues...
Lothlorien
Towards the Great Sky
- Jan 28, 2006
- 1,853
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Mantraschism
Skáld
Godhead59
Dim Sam
Wow, Mike seems really, really tired in this interview. May I say, he even looks a bit out there and bothered.
When talking about the new album and the picture or Jorge, he seemed really amused and very happy, like his little spiteful grim of making everyone speculating as to the nature of the code and all that. I couldn't, however, shake the feeling of Mike hiding something there. What made me think of that is how after he seems all amused he kind of looks aside to himself as if thinking of what had just been said.
When he answers the question about Peter leaving the band, saying he seems to drift away from the creative process, he seemed uncomfortable, maybe even painful to me. That's where the interview got really interesting.
About the Peter tape - I'm in no position to judge what happened over there but I really don't see what's so wrong about what Mike said. He said so himself - he didn't like them and even though he tried to make something out of it he couldn't, and he should be appreciated for that because he was being honest instead of, like he said, doing favors just to please Peter. And, if he got the same response from Mendez and Lopez then there's gotta be something to it. I know that if I draw something wickedly artistic and people come to me with ideas on how to move it in a special direction and I dislike their ideas, I know I wouldn't use them, so that I stay honest to myself and them, because if I force myself to use them, they come out utter shit. He just wants his art to be the best it can, and I can totally relate to that. That's what happened with Metallica and St. Anger, this atmosphere of using everything, and that album turned out to be a pretty shitty piece of music. You can't be inspired to write something brilliant all the time and a lot of ideas should be screened to make the final product as good as it can be, as subjective as "good" is regarding art of any kind. Speaking of Metallica, this whole thing kind of reminds me of Jason Newsted and how he left feeling he can't get his creativity out enough in Metallica. Gives me the feeling that Opeth is quite similar to Metallica in that it's one mastermind behind most of the music, Mike being Opeth's own Hetfield (something that's heightened by his stating that he demands that everyone stay focused on Opeth, which is understandable. It is, after all, his baby).
The message I get from him is that in Opeth everybody's idea can be accepted or rejected. That's a dynamic that in my opinion is very positive. And of course, being the musical mastermind that he is and the creative force that he is and the leader of the band that he is, it seems pretty natural to me that he's gonna be the one writing most of the stuff, like Hetfield for Metallica or Mustaine for Megadeth. He did, however, seem very uncomfortable, almost... guilty, for not handling Peter's riff tape differently. Perhaps there's something about it that he regrets doing or wishes he did otherwise. The strongest feeling I have is of him being really sad that Peter couldn't contribute anything good because there's obvious appreciation from Mike to the dude. It's as if he really wanted his friend to come up with something amazing (as he said, "I really hope it's fantastic") and then feeling pain for his inability to bring something fantastic to the Opeth table.
About never getting any compliments on Ghost Reveries - there's something about the way he said it that, with that hint of a grin, makes me think he took it harder than he let be seen. He seems to be joking about it but something in me thinks he was way more upset about that than he shows. I know when I was done with my drawing (which was heavily inspired by Opeth's music, by the way), people not responding to it or just giving me the "it's nice" comment really bugged me. I wanted people's honest opinions and when I didn't get them, I was sincerely bugged about it!
Maybe I'm reading too much into this but I always like examining people's movements and expressions as they speak. In any way, this is an amazing interview and I'm very glad I got to watch it. I feel like I know a little bit more about my favorite band and the way this interview is void of any of the regular grinding of the same subject has been refreshing. Very well done to faceculture.
When talking about the new album and the picture or Jorge, he seemed really amused and very happy, like his little spiteful grim of making everyone speculating as to the nature of the code and all that. I couldn't, however, shake the feeling of Mike hiding something there. What made me think of that is how after he seems all amused he kind of looks aside to himself as if thinking of what had just been said.
When he answers the question about Peter leaving the band, saying he seems to drift away from the creative process, he seemed uncomfortable, maybe even painful to me. That's where the interview got really interesting.
About the Peter tape - I'm in no position to judge what happened over there but I really don't see what's so wrong about what Mike said. He said so himself - he didn't like them and even though he tried to make something out of it he couldn't, and he should be appreciated for that because he was being honest instead of, like he said, doing favors just to please Peter. And, if he got the same response from Mendez and Lopez then there's gotta be something to it. I know that if I draw something wickedly artistic and people come to me with ideas on how to move it in a special direction and I dislike their ideas, I know I wouldn't use them, so that I stay honest to myself and them, because if I force myself to use them, they come out utter shit. He just wants his art to be the best it can, and I can totally relate to that. That's what happened with Metallica and St. Anger, this atmosphere of using everything, and that album turned out to be a pretty shitty piece of music. You can't be inspired to write something brilliant all the time and a lot of ideas should be screened to make the final product as good as it can be, as subjective as "good" is regarding art of any kind. Speaking of Metallica, this whole thing kind of reminds me of Jason Newsted and how he left feeling he can't get his creativity out enough in Metallica. Gives me the feeling that Opeth is quite similar to Metallica in that it's one mastermind behind most of the music, Mike being Opeth's own Hetfield (something that's heightened by his stating that he demands that everyone stay focused on Opeth, which is understandable. It is, after all, his baby).
The message I get from him is that in Opeth everybody's idea can be accepted or rejected. That's a dynamic that in my opinion is very positive. And of course, being the musical mastermind that he is and the creative force that he is and the leader of the band that he is, it seems pretty natural to me that he's gonna be the one writing most of the stuff, like Hetfield for Metallica or Mustaine for Megadeth. He did, however, seem very uncomfortable, almost... guilty, for not handling Peter's riff tape differently. Perhaps there's something about it that he regrets doing or wishes he did otherwise. The strongest feeling I have is of him being really sad that Peter couldn't contribute anything good because there's obvious appreciation from Mike to the dude. It's as if he really wanted his friend to come up with something amazing (as he said, "I really hope it's fantastic") and then feeling pain for his inability to bring something fantastic to the Opeth table.
About never getting any compliments on Ghost Reveries - there's something about the way he said it that, with that hint of a grin, makes me think he took it harder than he let be seen. He seems to be joking about it but something in me thinks he was way more upset about that than he shows. I know when I was done with my drawing (which was heavily inspired by Opeth's music, by the way), people not responding to it or just giving me the "it's nice" comment really bugged me. I wanted people's honest opinions and when I didn't get them, I was sincerely bugged about it!
Maybe I'm reading too much into this but I always like examining people's movements and expressions as they speak. In any way, this is an amazing interview and I'm very glad I got to watch it. I feel like I know a little bit more about my favorite band and the way this interview is void of any of the regular grinding of the same subject has been refreshing. Very well done to faceculture.
affinityband
Member
its an interesting interview. Probably one of the best ive seen, Just because the interviewer pushes that little bit more and while mike clearly is sensitive about the subject. he is clearly answering it honestly and compassionately. Its although rather sad in a way, but i suppose thats the way alot of bands work.
Mr Samsara
Misanthropic Moderator
Why doesn't anyone say "Excellent Post" or "Great Job" when I post? I am a feeling person with emotions....
Godhead59
Dim Sam
No you are a Moderator. With little moderator gears and moderator wheels and moderator circuitry.
Like a Transformer.
Hedon-
vic firth 2b
- Apr 24, 2008
- 1,684
- 0
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Carta's
Carta's > Sex
nizzon
f.k.a Qth
Best interview ive seen with him i think, deep personal stuff.
Good job getting all that out of him.
And you can see how much he enjoys that we dont get the clues and stuff, yet, funny.
Good job getting all that out of him.
And you can see how much he enjoys that we dont get the clues and stuff, yet, funny.
Mr Samsara
Misanthropic Moderator
That wasn't me actually. Sorry, I guess I'm not as good as you think.
Wait a sec, how many people here actually have banning abilities??
Carta's
Carta's > Sex
Wait a sec, how many people here actually have banning abilities??
Probably opeth.com
Or Mr. Moderator's alter self.
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