Video interview Mikael

[Metalstrm]

hi people, one thing i would like to say about mikael being so open about peter leaving, is that he said in the interview that peter also commented on his departure in swedish media.

That is very very interesting. Maybe something Peter said justifies what Mike said in your interview. Anybody have any information on what Pete said?

 

[Korlich]

That is very very interesting. Maybe something Peter said justifies what Mike said in your interview.

WTF are you talking about Mike is just being honest about the whole thing, he obviously needed to get some things of his chest. The thing is every band has to have a leader who makes the tough decisions, defend the other members when they get shit, take the credit or blame for how the album sounds. It´s natural that Mike take this position as he is both lead singer as well as lead guitarist.
This does not mean others cant contribute, but if five different guys drag in five different directions you´ll end up with a shitty outcome.
Watershed to me sounds awesome and it´s the best Opeth´s done in a long time, maybe even since Still Life which is my fav. I honestly love 7 out 8 songs (inc. Derelict heards), so thank you Mike, Martin, Per, Axe and Frederik.

 

[Metalstrm]

WTF are you talking about Mike is just being honest about the whole thing, he obviously needed to get some things of his chest. The thing is every band has to have a leader who makes the tough decisions, defend the other members when they get shit, take the credit or blame for how the album sounds. It´s natural that Mike take this position as he is both lead singer as well as lead guitarist.
This does not mean others cant contribute, but if five different guys drag in five different directions you´ll end up with a shitty outcome.
Watershed to me sounds awesome and it´s the best Opeth´s done in a long time, maybe even since Still Life which is my fav. I honestly love 7 out 8 songs (inc. Derelict heards), so thank you Mike, Martin, Per, Axe and Frederik.

I don't want to repeat what I said above, but I dont feel that what he said is 100% justified.

 

[Mikael Åkerfeldt]

Yeah I was real tired doing this. We'd just flown into Amsterdam from the US and I was insanely tired. And yes, it is uncomfortable talking about Peter because there's a lot of emotions. However, I don't think I said anything negative about him. The whole tape thing obviously was something that the 3 of us, myself, Lopez and Mendez all agreed on. I don't think it's unjust to dislike a musical idea. Look at you lot, complaining all the time (haha!).

What I do regret though was not mentioning it to him right away. I guess I was avoiding some arguments or whatever, but with that said, Peter never brought it up either.

Peter never wrote as much as I did, and never delivered a whole song to the band. After "MAYH" Peter didn't contribute muscially again until Blackwater Park where he had 2 riffs (2 first in "Dirge for November"), and that was it. I think it's fair to say he wasn't really involved in the creative process that much, no? It's not something mean to say. I'd never diss him in public no matter what, he's my friend, so regardless how you percieve this interview it's not shit-talk. I'm sure Peter would agree....

Take care
Mike

 

[soundave]

I think that pretty much says it all.

 

[Metalstrm]

Thanks for talking about that Mike. Yeah of course it's not unjust to not like his musical ideas. It's just that I felt that he could be a bit hurt after what you said. Really though, you obviously know him better than we do, so if you say he's ok with something like that, I believe you.

 

[Arjen W.]

After "MAYH" Peter didn't contribute muscially again until Blackwater Park where he had 2 riffs (2 first in "Dirge for November"), and that was it.

The first two heavy riffs in Dirge For November, eh? That's pretty interesting, really nice part too.

But indeed, when you are working in a band you must accept the fact that not every creative idea is going to be accepted. I work with musicians who are good friends too, but you still have to be honest when your goal is to create good music, especially when you're the main songwriter.

 

[Metalstrm]

The first two heavy riffs in Dirge For November, eh? That's pretty interesting, really nice part too.

But indeed, when you are working in a band you must accept the fact that not every creative idea is going to be accepted. I work with musicians who are good friends too, but you still have to be honest when your goal is to create good music, especially when you're the main songwriter.

Yes indeed, those two riffs are actually my favourite of the whole song.

 

[Mikael Åkerfeldt]

Well, me and Peter obviously talked about this before...
Both him and me would be totally happy not talking about this at all, but people will ask and sometimes I guess I just feel obliged to answer.

Oh, and I meant the 2 first heavy riffs. I'd forgotten about the acoustic stuff in the beginning, those parts were mine.

M

 

[Hedon-]

first heavy riffs slay, really depressing
every part of that song seems to give me shivers except for the ending for some reason
especially that wall of sound (growling).. so depressing once i read the lyrics

 

[Mr Samsara]

:sigh:

I didn't call you any of those things. I said some could draw that conclusion from what you said, just as some people are drawing conclusions regarding a situation they know SOME details of.

Fact is it doesn't matter what Mike says, or how much detail he gives, or explanation, or re-hashing of the explanation and details he has already given.... people are going to speculate and draw their own conclusions of what they think or feel happened, and how they think everyone feels, and how they think the situation should be or should have been handled. Everyone knows better than Mike. He's a tyrant, he has a big ego, he takes the band in the wrong direction, he tours them into the ground, he signs them to a label that is shit, he... he... he.....He's in a lose/lose situation with you guys. Much like my explanation here. Most of you probably don't have any idea what I'm talking about. .... Ooops... there I go slipping into my misanthropic moderation style again.

 

[Metalstrm]

^ Don't get too high Mr. Sam.

 

[Metalstrm]

Oh, and I meant the 2 first heavy riffs. I'd forgotten about the acoustic stuff in the beginning, those parts were mine.

M

What haunts me the most is actually the change from the first to the second riff, especially the lead, rather than the riffs themselves, i.e. 2:41. It's cold, depressing, dark, dreamy, whatever you can call it. It never fails to give me the goosebumps. Music at its best.

 

[Mr Samsara]

^ Don't get too high Mr. Sam.

I have no idea what that means.

 

[Metalstrm]

It's what that guy in your avatar is doing. After eating some 'rooms.

 

[Nailed Reaper]

Whoa, Mike has replied about "Dirge for November" and I became hugely curious. Mike answer please!

1. Had ever Mendez and Lopez came up with any ideas?

2. Does this mean that you wrote the whole "Still Life" and all "Blackwater Park" except these two DfN riffs on your own?

3. In the interview you mentioned that you co-wrote "Beneath the Mire" and "The Grand Conjuration" with Per. Does this mean that all other songs from "Ghost Reveries" you wrote on your own?

I'm curious because in the "Still Life" booklet there is credit "All music and lyrics by Opeth"; in the "Ghost Reveries" booklet there is "All music by M. Akerfeldt and Opeth"; and on "Blackwater Park" booklet (I have both regular and deluxe edition) there is no any word about authors. It would be nice if Mike told us who wrote exact songs as it mentioned in the "Watershed" booklet. PLEASE ANSWER MIKE!

 

[Metalstrm]

^ If you shout a bit louder I'm pretty sure he'll hear ya better, Comrad.

 

[Mikael Åkerfeldt]

1. They've never delivered a riff no, but we've always worked together on their respective instruments.

2. Basically I have been writing most of the music since the beginning. I guess around 80% of the music on the 2 first and more on the rest. "Still life" was only written by me, as was "Blackwater park" (apart from the 2 riffs), "Deliverance" and "Damnation"

3. Per did the fusion sounding rhythm in "Beneath the mire" where we do a unison solo. He also did the "Whispered conjuration..." riff in "The grand conjuration". The rest of the record was written by me I guess.

We always put "Music by Opeth" to avoid any confusion I guess, but all we got in the end was confusion over the actual writing credits, haha.

 

[Metalstrm]

Were those leads on those two beginning riffs of Dirge for November also done by you Mike? Or did Pete come up with the whole structure at that point?

 

[Crepuscularia]

3. Per also did the "Whispered conjuration..." riff in "The grand conjuration". QUOTE]


Wow; I didn't know Per was capable of writing such bowel-loosening riffage.