Opeth is breaking the metal mould

Europe's ties to heavy metal have been around since the birth of the genre, when bands like Black Sabbath welcomed the death of hippy culture, writing songs about despair and suffering.

Their style was accepted immediately amongst the growing numbers of nihilistic youth, angry at both the near-sightedness of the hippy generation and the world in general. Bands started popping up everywhere, from Judas Priest and Iron Maiden in the UK, to Bathory and Celtic Frost in Sweden and Switzerland respectively.


The movement carried over seamlessly to the US, and North America's love affair with the genre has since been unrequited. Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth: all super-powers in metal, born of America in the ‘80s.

Metal is much different than it was a few decades ago, though, and one of the major differences are the sub-genres that have been explored since its creation. Black metal, doom metal, death metal, even folk metal — it's easy to get confused.

But while most bands can easily be compartmentalized today, a few have managed to break the mould. One of them performed at London's Centennial Hall a few weeks ago; they come from Sweden, and are called Opeth.

Critics have tried to label them, throwing around catchphrases and buzzwords, but it seems as though the only thing they can agree on is that Opeth are one hell of a talented group.

In fact, to describe them has been a challenge to many, and while Opeth clearly shows influences from the aforementioned heavy metal bands, lines start to blur when one examines how they've changed over the span of nine albums. From growls and shredding guitars to a one-off acoustic album, they continue to grow with each release.

Even drummer Martin “Axe” Axenrot has seen a lot change in his two years with the band, including the live show.

“We used to play for one hour, and it was 15 songs,” he said over the phone. “Now we play for two hours and it's only nine songs... I like that now, but it was hard in the beginning to feel relaxed during a nine-minute song!”

Axenrot has also seen members come and go. Before the release of Opeth's 2008 record Watershed, 16-year veteran Peter Lindgren chose to part ways with the band. He was replaced soon thereafter by Fredrik Åkesson, but the band's dynamic still shifted.

“We worked [harder] after that,” Axenrot said. “Fredrik [Åkesson] likes to jam more and play covers or other songs in the rehearsal place [so we] jam quite a lot actually... It has helped the spine.”

It's certainly a healthy sign when the band is eager to play together just for fun, but Opeth also hang out when they're at rest in Sweden.

“We're all friends in our spare time as well,” he explained. “You have to spend a lot of time with the people you play with on tour, so it helps if you get along with all the guys for 24 hours every day.”

It doesn't mean the band aren't aware of each others quirks though. In one interview, lead singer and guitarist Mikael Akerfeldt called Axenrot the most confused man he's ever met. When I asked him what Akerfeldt meant, Axe laughed before responding.

“I don't know. Maybe I'm a bit confused in everything that doesn't have to do with music... Like, regular life things. I once washed my clothes in the dryer on tour. I put the clothes in and put some washing powder in the dryer and after one hour I went up and was like ‘oh, it's dry!' and there was all this white stuff coming out of the machine!”

Well, at least he can play drums.

Opeth's latest album Watershed is out now on Roadrunner Records in Canada — check it out if you haven't already.