Opeth

Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. While the band was founded by vocalist David Isberg, it has been led since 1992 by Mikael Akerfeldt - guitarist, vocalist, and primary songwriter - who remains the sole constant across more than three decades and fourteen studio albums. Opeth's sound is one of the most distinctive in modern metal, weaving together death metal aggression, progressive rock complexity, folk and classical acoustic passages, jazz influences, and dynamic shifts between Akerfeldt's thunderous death growls and his warm, melodic clean singing. Their 1995 debut Orchid established the template but it was 2001's Blackwater Park, co-produced with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson, that broke them to a worldwide audience and remains their most celebrated record. The following years saw them release the ambitious twin albums Deliverance (2002) and Damnation (2003) - one crushingly heavy, one entirely acoustic and mellow - demonstrating a range few metal bands could match. Ghost Reveries (2005) and Watershed (2008) brought their highest chart positions, with Watershed reaching number 23 on the US Billboard 200. With Heritage (2011) Opeth abandoned death metal entirely in favor of 1970s-influenced progressive rock, a move that divided longtime fans but opened new creative territory they have explored ever since. Their 14th album The Last Will and Testament (2024), a concept record featuring guest appearances from Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson, returned to heavier territory and won the Swedish Grammis Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal.