OPETH (SWE)

Opeth, the band that during the last few years has become one of the most important names in Swedish metal, has always been able to find new and exciting means of expression. The group, founded in 1991 under the influence of such rough death metal mobs as Possessed, Morbid Angel and Mefisto, quickly started conspiring with extraordinary elements. The long, meandering songs with acoustic bridges, taken from rehearsal tapes and promo versions of the band's debut album Orchid, already made the 1990's underground circles startle: here was a band that was capable of bringing something fresh even to the overcrowded death metal environment. In that, however, they differed remarkably even from the previous reformers, the melodic death metal wave.

Since Opeth's early days, the progressive influences in the band's music have became stronger and stronger, thanks to their co-working with such names as Steven Wilson, the front man of the prog rock legend Porcupine Tree. Traces of the band's early love affair with death metal can only be heard in some heavier parts and in Mikael Åkerfield's impressive grunting, whereas Opeth today is much more interested in such unconventional affairs as making half-acoustic prog rock albums (Damnation, 2003) or having a well-known Hammond wizard as their permanent member (Per Wiberg).

Judging by the record sales, Opeth's career has been steadily directed towards great success. Their latest album Ghost Reveries (2005) reached No. 10 in the Finnish charts and a very respectable No. 64 in the US Billboard chart. During the last two years, the band has played a number of gigs, proving their steely live expertise with how fantastic the multifaceted songs of their albums sound in the live occasion. Their Ilosaarirock performance takes place at a very exciting moment, with the band preparing for recording and releasing a new album before the end of 2007, and Mikael Åkerfield working on an unnamed side project at the same time. If we are lucky, we might be hearing some unreleased material played live for the first time at Laulurinne.

www.opeth.com
myspace.com/opeth

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