OPETH's MIKAEL ÅKERFELDT: 'It's Become Less Important To Be Labeled Progressive Because I Don't Know What It Means Anymore'

In a new interview with Japan's Prog Project, OPETH guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt was asked if it is a "challenge" for him "to stay progressive or to keep evolving" when he is writing music for his band. Mikael responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, good question. I'm not sure if it's so important for me to feel that we are progressive, because I don't really know what it means anymore. Back in the day, I think that it was easier to define a progressive band because they were mixing styles and stuff like that, but now progressive means fast guitar solos, and it's become a sound and maybe not so progressive. I think progressive music, especially in rock and metal, has become a bit regressive. And it's also, I don't know if I can decide if we are progressive or not. I think it's up to the audience to decide, but for me, it's become less and less important to be labeled progressive because I don't know what it means anymore. But when I write music, it's easy to, I think, make progress for our own music, because I have so many different kind of influences and I'm very passionate about my music and stuff like that. So I try, but at the end of the day, I just wanna write emotional music."

Asked to clarify that he doesn't "think about trying to be progressive" when composing music for OPETH, Mikael said: "No. I don't wanna repeat myself. Many of our fans want us to maybe repeat what we did in the early 2000s, but I'm not really interested in that. I like for us to progress, but not necessarily just so we fit into the progressive rock/metal genre."

Åkerfeldt also addressed the fact that his listening preferences tend toward the retro, acknowledging that OPETH's music incorporates influences from classic death metal and earlier bands like '80s metal and '70s prog. Asked why there aren't many new bands who capture his interest, Mikael said: "I don't know. Maybe because I don't really listen. I don't search for new bands. I don't know what's going on in the music scene. I don't know what's popular or what's happening or original or progressive, to be honest. I'm stuck with my old records. And I still have so much music to listen to. So I have no idea what's happening."

Back in 2017, Åkerfeldt told Rolling Stone magazine about his lack of interest in newer metal bands: "I'm born in 1974, so I grew up with the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and the German scene and the U.S. scene of the '80s and that kind of stuff, so I think today's metal scene is a bit too sterile for my own taste. I'm not excited about a new metal band or a new metal record because I've tried, and most of the time, I just feel it's just too un-metal-sounding — too polished and too streamlined to fit the genre. It's just not interesting enough for me, you know?"

OPETH was honored in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal" category at this year's edition of the Swedish Grammis awards (Swedish Grammy equivalent),which was held on March 27 at Annexet in Stockholm.

"The Last Will And Testament", OPETH's fourteenth studio album, was released in November 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music/Moderbolaget. The LP was written by Åkerfeldt, with lyrics conferred with Klara Rönnqvist Fors (THE HEARD, ex-CRUCIFIED BARBARA). "The Last Will And Testament" was co-produced by Åkerfeldt and Stefan Boman (GHOST, THE HELLACOPTERS),engineered by Boman, Joe Jones (KILLING JOKE, ROBERT PLANT) and OPETH, with Boman, Åkerfeldt and the rest of OPETH mixing at Atlantis and Hammerthorpe Studios in Stockholm. The strings on "The Last Will And Testament" were arranged by Åkerfeldt and returning prog friend Dave Stewart (EGG, KHAN) and conducted by Stewart at Angel Studios in London. Visual artist Travis Smith returned to the fold, crafting his 11th cover, a haunting "photograph" reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's infamous "Overlook Hotel" photograph. Miles Showell (ABBA, QUEEN) also revisited mastering and vinyl lacquer cutting at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Åkerfeldt rolled out the red carpet for storied flautist and JETHRO TULL mainman Ian Anderson. Not only do Anderson's signature notes fly on "§4" and "§7", he narrates on "§1", "§2", "§4", and "§7". Joining Anderson, EUROPE's Joey Tempest lends a backing vocal hand on "§2", while Åkerfeldt's youngest daughter, Mirjam Åkerfeldt, is the disembodied voice in "§1".

Making his recorded debut alongside OPETH's long-established lineup of Mikael Åkerfeldt, guitarist Fredrik Åkesson, bassist Martin Mendez and keyboard maestro Joakim Svalberg on "The Last Will And Testament" is new drummer Waltteri Väyrynen, who joined the band in 2022.