Mikael Akerfeldt + Devin Townsend LEAD VOCALS Project?

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/opeths_akerfeldt_working_on_project_with_devin_townsend_every_band_member_must_be_a_lead_vocalist.html

Opeth's Akerfeldt Working on Project With Devin Townsend: Every Band Member Must Be a Lead Vocalist

"That's been missing in music now, I think - people comfortable with singing lead vocals."

Sounds intriguing. I wonder if Portnoy could be involved, although he's not really a lead singer in the traditional sense.

Steven Wilson, Daniel Gildenlow, Tommy Rogers, and others? who knows.

Steven Wilson: Question and Answer (Early August 2016)

http://stevenwilsonhq.com/sw/for-those-that-missed-it-steven-wilson-facebook-live-qa-session/

I actually haven't finished the entire thing, but a lot of it. And and I'm up against the clock. But I'll try and include a few points:

-New album..will include more electronic elements, but still be Rock. Also feature the female vocalist Ninet Tayeb? from HCE and 4 1/2 (+ at many live shows)

-he doesn't hate Auto-Tune, just how it's used, lol.

-he doesn't foresee a SW cruise, but also he might be up for a 1-off festival of all his projects and bands.

-there may be another Storm Corrosion album, but maybe not. Him and Mikael may work together again but may never share what they do, while hanging out, drinking wine and making some kind of music.

-He would like to look into doing music for movies, perhaps after the current record he's making right now.....Deadwing movie? (a question I would love to pose to him, although his answer probably wouldn't be all that different than what he says in this video).

edit: the whole thing is here on YouTube as well.

Into the Machine Ep 1: OPETH (new modern prog doc)

So here's the debut episode of this new series done by Freqs TV (or Frequency TV?), which is a feature on Opeth. It's only a 5+ minute piece, which may be standard length for these, I dunno. Pluses and minuses to that, in that to get the YouTube and Social Media audience, as I have come to learn and struggle with still, the shorter length videos work.

I also don't know if all of these will feature interviews as it seems this one does. Time, resources, etc with said artists. I could see interviews being done per Google Hangout or just on Skype, but then again, those are rarely short.

Anyway, great to see the 1st one up; although it probably is worth adding how Freqs TV's YouTube channel has a lot of docs and footage of many musicians, including people like Steven Wilson and God is an Astronaut, so perhaps this is just a new style of video for them, but just focusing on modern progressive rock exclusively.

Edit: also cool to look forward to Between the Buried and Me next week!

Opeth - Pale Communion (2014)

7/1/14 8:11PM

Another new track "Eternal Rains Will Come."



5/27/14 8:08PM-11:52PM

apparently this is real. Even more of a departure from Heritage?

edit: PULLED not surprised. I'm sure another link or 2 will surface (of course the RR reps will try and report those, and eventually give up if enough of them are put up, and not necessarily on YouTube).

edit 2: back, even with the low bitrate. A link on Reddit has a link with a much better sounding rip, but for those looking, use Google.






Preorders available Tuesday June 3rd

Sorry for lack of updates. This album has been pushed back until August 26th (I know it's old news, but still worth including with the artwork and news now).


5/27/14 8:00PM

June 17th, 1st single May 6th. Steven Wilson is mixing (and singing some harmonies).

edit: From Steven Wilson on FB

For the first part of the year I’ve been doing a lot of mixing work for other artists, something I always find very inspiring.

The new Opeth album Pale Communion was mixed into stereo and 5.1 at my studio in February. I also sang harmony vocals. It’s by no stretch of the imagination a metal record but it’s still plenty heavy and a great piece of work - for me the epic orchestrated ballad “Faith in Others” that closes the album is Mikael Åkerfeldt's finest achievement to date. Pale Communion is released by Roadrunner Records on 17th June. It’s also the first Opeth album to be recorded and mixed in higher resolution 96/24. I hope Roadrunner will release a high res format, but I don't know their plans on that.

At the start of the year I mixed the new solo album by my long term friend and collaborator Tim Bowness. Abandoned Dancehall Dreams mainly consists of songs Tim wrote with a no-man record in mind, and was recorded with members of the touring band, so the material definitely has that DNA. The album is released by Inside Out Music on 23rd June.

Other mixes I have done recently are 4 songs on the forthcoming ANATHEMA - official band page album Distant Satellites, released by Kscope on 9th June, and one song on John Wesley’s fantastic new album Disconnect, which was just released by InsideOut. 

From here on I'm focusing on writing more material for my next album, which I plan to record with my band in the Summer. More news soon…


http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/opeth-pale-communion-20140408

Opeth has announced the release of their hugely anticipated eleventh studio album. Pale Communion arrives everywhere June 17.

Pale Communion, which was produced by bandleader Mikael Åkerfeldt and mixed by longtime collaborator and Porcupine Tree frontman/guitarist Steven Wilson, will be heralded by the lead single, “Cusp of Eternity,” and available for pre-order starting Tuesday, May 6. Pre-orders made via the iTunes Store will receive an instant download of “Cusp of Eternity,” with multiple configurations also available via both the Roadrunner Records Webstore and O Merch.

The new material finds Opeth once again challenging the boundaries of extreme music. In a recent interview with VICE’s Noisey, Åkerfeldt stated, “I wanted to do something more melodic with this album…there’s stronger vocal melodies and more melodies overall…I was pretty consistent with that frame of mind throughout the writing process.” Recently, Metal Injection’s Greg Kennelty broke down Pale Communion in a track-by-track review, exclaiming, “This record knows exactly what it's doing and nails it through and through…one of my favorite records of 2014. If not my favorite record of 2014.”

The track listing for Pale Communion is as follows:


1. Eternal Rains Will Come
2. Cusp of Eternity
3. Moon Above, Sun Below
4. Elysian Woes
5. Goblin
6. River
7. Voice of Treason
8. Faith in Others

Previously posted info about it

Opeth: A Biography coming

http://opethbook.com/

I am interested in this, certainly. A lot of members in and out, stylistic changes and their influence on Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Metal and swedish music, etc.



To celebrate 25 years of making glorious music, Mikael and the band have teamed up with Rocket 88 to create the first official Opeth book.For the first time the whole band have told their story – and they’ve included the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of life in Opeth – in their own words. There are also contributions from former members, label bosses, management, producers and the people who’ve been there with Opeth during their amazing career.Opeth’s long and winding story is illustrated throughout with rare and previously unseen images of life on the road, on stage, in the studio and hanging out at various locations around the world. You couldn’t get closer to Opeth than in the pages of this book.

Some quotes about Opeth's upcoming 2014 LP from MA

3/28/14 9:51PM
Early Review many details, but no specific track title info, not even "Goblin." The no growling or death metal vocals continues in the way Mikael has been heading from album to album.

Not necessarily the track order in terms of song to song.

1. 6:46
2. 5:36
3. 10:53
4. 4:36
5. 4:32
6. 7:31
7. 7:47
8. 8:02



3/21/14 6:27PM
2 new interviews:
http://www.prog-sphere.com/news/opeth-plan-release-new-album-june/
http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/interview-opeth-talk-new-album/10902424

the 2nd link ix with guitarist Fredrik Akesson who talks about a strong late 70's/early 80's Hard Rock element to this album. Dio, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd among others in the influences.

And it's expected to come out in June via RoadRunner Records.

1/5/14 8:40PM
The Goblin track naturally has me and many curious. Also some of the quotes talking about an actual string section and recording at the studio Queen recorded "Bohemian Rhapsody," and how much money they will be spending to make this record.

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/opeths-mikael-akerfeldt-on-next-album-its-time-to-go-all-in-with-string-instrumentation/

From 1/4/14
Guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH spoke to Decibel magazine about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2011's "Heritage".

"I have about six songs done and another two or three just started," he said, "plus a million ideas that I haven't processed yet. Some songs are simple and stripped-down, while others are epic in the true sense of the word. Business as usual, hopefully with unusual music."

Åkerfeldt also revealed that he plans to enrich at least a few of the new OPETH tracks with strings.

"Some of these things could easily be done with synthetic sounds or effects," he said, "but recording the STORM CORROSION LP with Steven Wilson made me realize what a massive difference it can mean to incorporate the real shit. I'm semi-pretentious in my songwriting and sometimes I go all in. I think it's time for 'all in' with strings and the full monty. Hopefully it won't be a mess."

One of the songs that will appear on OPETH's forthcoming album was previously described by Åkerfeldt as a "crazy rip-off" of Italian prog outfit GOBLIN, which formed in 1972 and ran for ten years before splitting (the band has since reformed).

"It's a jam I came up with during the MASTODON/GHOST tour," he told Decibel, "that we ended up soundchecking. After a few days, you'd hear people in the corridors humming it. It's a fucking hit! But basically it's a not-so-subtle headbanging-type nod in GOBLIN's direction. And to avoid confusion, the song is even called 'Goblin'. My rip-off deteriorates mid-song and becomes fusion-esque darkened prog rock like MAHAVISHNU or ELP (yikes!). But it swings! It really does."

Speaking to the Swedish newspaper Expressen in September, Åkerfeldt stated about OPETH's plans for the upcoming CD: "We've been looking at [tracking the next album at] Rockfield Studios in Wales where QUEEN recorded 'Bohemian Rhapsody', but we haven't made a decision yet. But it will be an expensive album. There's a lot going on, lots of string arrangements that we haven't had in the past."

Asked if the forthcoming effort will be heavier or softer than 2011's "Heritage", Mikael said: "Maybe a little bit heavier. Not death metal heavy, but hard rock/heavy metal heavy. There's also lots of progressive elements and acoustic guitars, but also more sinister-sounding riffs."

Åkerfeldt also revealed that he was going to produce the new OPETH album himself, explaining: "I love the way DIO's 'Holy Diver' sounds, this early-'80s sound where you can still hear the '70s, but the production is heavier. Right now I'm into having a similar production that isn't retro but it still sounds like real instruments and it's heavier than 'Heritage'."

"Heritage" sold 19,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous studio CD, 2008's "Watershed", opened with more than 19,000 units to land at No. 23.

from 12/4/12

http://blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=183164

Asked about the progress of the songwriting sessions for OPETH's follow-up to 2011's "Heritage" album, Mikael said (see video below): "I have one new song, which I really like, a new song. It's the most miserable song I ever wrote, and it's beautiful, I think. And then I have a song that we jammed, actually, on tour. I came up with a little lick and became a bit of a director and just told everyone to play this and that, and we started jamming on something. And it sounded, immediately from the beginning, which was also my idea, it sounded like the band GOBLIN, if you heard them, the Italian [progressive rock] band. So it's a crazy riff, a GOBLIN rip-off, and the song is called 'Goblin', which is a good title, I think. And we're gonna record it. I'm not sure if that will be too much of a fucked up song to be on the record, because there will definitely only be one song ever we do that is gonna sound like that. So maybe it'll just be some extra thing that we have. But it's really good; I love it. But then again, it's just because of the closeness to GOBLIN."

Mike Portnoy with Steven Wilson

Just a pic. Not much more to say, but perhaps any rivalry or conflicting feelings between the two (which there may not ever have been much if any, just more about the whole project with Mikael Akerfeldt and why Portnoy was not involved)., may not exist now.

I.e. perhaps the 2 guys could either work together in some capacity, or even just be seen together, like in a Prog trivia thing or something else. I do find it odd or ironic how both of them are not with the bands they are (and always will be) known for. Which suggests working together might be even a better possibility. But that's likely just fanboy wishfiul thinking.



oh and it is Mike's birthday today, by the way.

Opeth News : GOBLIN (new song title)

http://www.progrockmag.com/news/opeth-channel-goblin-on-new-track/

Opeth mainman Mikael Akerfeldt says the band have worked up two tracks for their next album – and one of them is a “crazy rip-off” that might just be too weird to appear on the follow-up to 2011′s Heritage.

The band started jamming with an idea while on tour, and the results are so similar to Italian prog outfit Goblin that Akerfeldt decided to name the track after the band.

He tells Uppsala Student Radio 98.9: “I came up with a little lick, and became a bit of a director. I just told everyone to play this and that and we started jamming.

“Immediately from the beginning, it sounded like the band Goblin. It’s a crazy riff. I’m not sure if it will be too much of a fucked-up song to be on the record. There will definitely only be one song that’s going to sound like that.

“The song is called Goblin, which is a good title. It’s really good – I love it because of the closeness to Goblin.”

The Italian band formed in 1972 and ran for ten years before splitting. They reformed briefly in 2000 then got back together in 2005, and continue working today. In the late 1970s they worked on a series of notably dark movie soundtracks.

Akerfeldt reveals less about the other Opeth piece he’s created, except to say: “I have a song I really like. It’s the most miserable song I ever wrote, and it’s beautiful, I think.” He says he has some other ideas for the record, which the band will start working on seriously next year.

Opeth guitarist Fredrik Akesson recently discussed fans’ reactions to their change of direction on Heritage, saying that one angry follower had challenged Akerfeldt to a duel during a concert.

I'm kind of impartial, as Heritage was very 70's prog like, but perhaps this next record of Opeth's will just be a little in a different 70's prog vein. Tull and Crimson with Heritage, and the next record Goblin and PFM?

Mikael Åkerfeldt in apparent Accident

5/8/12 11:39AM- 9:02PM

I know it's like 7 hours old, but worth sharing still: I do wonder what the he refers to "rescheduling" this show on their next tour. Perhaps Minneapolis will get a special makeup kind of show, sort of like Bloc Party did a few years ago. Although if it's at Myth, I'm unsure how much I'd want to go still.

 
  Facebook Post from Mikael

  Hi guys! I'm writing from beyond the grave. Seriously, I was not in a car crash and I haven't broken my arm. All that happened is I hit my head in mastodons tour bus as I was getting a new pair of (red) underwear out from my suitcase. Wish the story was more rock and roll, believe me. Anyways I split my head open down to the skullbone and had to be taken to the emergency. They gave me a bunch of shots in the wound, cleaned me up and stapled my head shut with 8 metal staples. Head is sore and if I smile it feels like the wound is gonna burst open again, but I'll be on stage by tomorrow again. I feel extremely disappointed that we couldn't play at the myth in Minneapolis, but paramedics told me I couldn't. We will reschedule the show for our next trip to the USA. So all rumors of me being in a car crash are false. I did crash my head into a car though, well...a bus really. Sorry for disappointing our fans in Minneapolis but I hope you understand. See you next time. Best. Mikael Facebook Post

He was not in an accident with an AUTOMOBILE/CAR, but just an accident. NOT a BROKEN ARM, but a collision to his head (which I worried). This now more specific/detailed account doesn't sound so worrisome, but still, hopefully the effects of this won't be much long term.

Many have already learned that yesterday’s performances at The Myth In St Paul had to be cancelled due to Mikael having an accident. Right before stage time Mike bumped his head on the tour bus which resulted in a pretty deep cut that required urgent medical attention. Mike was taken to hospital which he left a little later with eight stitches and a nasty headache. He’s doing OK now and we expect him to be up and running (though slightly slower) again for tomorrow’s show and onwards. Mike & the band were very disappointed not being able to play yesterday but thank everyone for their understanding and for the tons of get-well-wishes Mike has received since. The band also thanks their friends in Mastodon for playing an extended set that hopefully kept all who attended happy.

5/7/12 11:24PM


I just noticed some posts on some of the forums within the last hour or so. Opeth frontman singer/guitarist etc Mikael Åkerfeldt I guess was in an auto accident earlier today/tonight, Monday May 7th, 2012.
Here's 1 story which confirms Opeth canceled their show at Myth in Maplewood, MN tonight due to this.

OPETH Cancel Tonight's Show Due To Mikael Akerfeldt Being Hospitalized

Tonight's Opeth set at Myth in Minnesota has been canceled. The band's tour manager has just informed the crowd that Mikael Akerfeldt was in a reported car accident of sorts and has been hospitalized with a broken arm. Akerfeldt is said to be doing fine and expected to return to the tour shortly. Both Ghost and Mastodon will play extended sets to fill in. Further details will be posted as they become available.

As that story mentions, he was hospitalized with a BROKEN ARM, which is serious, but not hugely critical long term you'd think. However, if more happened (like something involving his HEAD?), that would be more serious.

But, as of right now, a lot of the details haven't really been released. I suppose by tomorrow sometime they could be.

In the mean time, as a fan of his and Opeth among his other music, I am sincerely hoping the severity of this accident to his health (physical and anything else) is not incredibly high.

Also a little ironic how this happens (or took place?) in my hometown, the venue, MYTH, actually is literally less than a 15 minute drive for me, is kind of eerie. I wasn't going to go due to a number of factors, probably biggest being price and the fact it sold out. But I can only imagine a lot of the speculation that may have been made there tonight. Sucks for those who went hoping to see Opeth. Maybe Mastodon or Ghost did extended sets.

Steven Wilson - Cut Ribbon

http://soundcloud.com/steven-wilson/tracks

CUT RIBBON by Steven Wilson

pretty badass as I remember it. It being the original demo that was on his myspace, that was at least inquired, if not mentioned to be part of the project he was to make with Mikael Akerfeldt. That project, now being Storm Corrosion. But I follow why it (likely) will not.

It's probably best suited for one of his solo records or Porcupine Tree.