OPETH: Video Interview With MIKAEL ÅKERFELDT Available

October 3, 2009

Germany's PowerMetal.de recently conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH. Watch the chat below. Also available is fan-filmed video footage of OPETH's September 30, 2009 performance in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Åkerfeldt recently revealed to Holland's FaceCulture that he is contemplating recording a singer-songwriter acoustic solo album.

"My views [regarding songwriting] have broadened a little bit," Mikael said. "I guess when I discovered Nick Drake, that's when I really got into that whole simplistic type of music that really needs something strong — strong material in order to make it come across with so little."

He continued, "I've always been wanting to do a thing like that. I've got a bunch of lovely acoustic guitars back I wanna use more. Even though OPETH could probably do an album like that, I wanna do it on my own, and in that sense, I wanna record it on my own — in my house, basically. I think I can do it well. I think I can do a good album like that.

"I'd like to maybe simplify it even more [than the OPETH acoustic stuff], and have it just chords playing, and maybe some finger-picking stuff, so I could be able to perform it if I would wanna do that. So I don't want it to be lots of tracks, like overdubbing guitars with lots of melodies; I want it to be fairly simplistic so if I wanted to, I could play it live on my own... on a stool. [laughs]"

For now, the plans only exist in Åkerfeldt's head. No songs have been written or recorded yet, but Mikael is certain the singer/songwriter solo album will see the light of day. "I'm getting ready to write because every time I sit down and play, I come up with something that I like," he said.

OPETH is currently taking part in the European installment of DREAM THEATER's Progressive Nation tour alongside UNEXPECT and BIGELF.

Interview:

Live in Bydgoszcz, Poland (September 30, 2009):

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