History
Opeth was formed in Stockholm, Södermanland, Sweden in 1990 by David Isberg. Isberg invited Mikael Åkerfeldt to join the band at a practice session as a bass player, but failed to inform the current bass player or any of the other members of the band. Because of this, all band members except for Isberg quit, and Åkerfeldt soon joined Opeth after his band, Eruption, faltered. With Åkerfeldt on guitar and David Isberg on vocals, Opeth still lacked members and needing more, they were soon joined by long-time friend of Åkerfeldt and former Eruption drummer Anders Nordin and Nick Döring on bass. Andreas Dimeo was recruited as a second guitarist. Rehearsing in an elementary school with old equipment they had found, this lineup lasted less than a year and only played one show. In 1991 they spent the summer rehearsing on the island of Hamnholmen outside Stockholm with their old school friend and bass player Max Jaderberg, who suggested a more prominent bass sound.
After their first performance, Andreas Dimeo and Nick Döring quit the band. For the second performance, guitarist Kim Pettersson and bassist Johan DeFarfalla joined the group. After the show, DeFarfalla left to spend time with his girlfriend and did not return until 1994. Pettersson stuck with the band for another show before leaving in late 1991. DaFarfall was replaced by Peter Lindgren, playing the bass. However, once Pettersson left, Lindgren returned to the guitar, his original instrument. Isberg left the band in early 1992 due to creative differences and boredom. Since Mikael had previous experience as a vocalist from fronting Eruption, he became the new vocalist and immediately began writing material with Peter Lindgren. They rehearsed as a 3-piece for more than a year but eventually found a new bass player, Stefan Guteklint, who was dismissed by the band before they signed their record contract with Candlelight Records.
Impressed by their originality, Candlelight Records released their debut full-length Orchid in 1995. It featured a rhythm section of bassist Johan DeFarfalla and drummer Anders Nordin. Dan Swanö, of Edge of Sanity fame, produced the band's ambitious second album Morningrise in 1996. After this Opeth embarked on a brief tour with Morbid Angel. Century Media took notice and not only licensed Opeth's first two albums for the United States, but also planned on releasing their next album on both sides of the Atlantic.
The next album would introduce a change in style as well as line-up. With the recruitment of bassist Martin Mendez to replace DeFarfalla and drummer Martin Lopez (ex-Amon Amarth) replacing Nordin, Opeth's third album, entitled My Arms, Your Hearse, was released in 1998 to glowing reviews, establishing the band as a leading force in progressive metal with death roots. The album is conceptually based on a character who dies and returns to Earth as a ghost.
1999's Still Life displayed even more of the band's progressive rock influences, and the following year the band played its first U.S. concert at the Milwaukee Metalfest. This was the first album on which Martin Mendez contributed. Like My Arms, Your Hearse before it, Still Life is also a concept album, revolving around a man who is banished from his village for dissenting religious beliefs. The album then then regals the tale of his courtship of the character Melinda.
Their next album, Blackwater Park, was released in early 2001 and was titled after an obscure psychedelic progressive rock band from the '70s. Blackwater Park is considered to be Opeth's magnum opus and the defining document of their career. The album created a huge buzz among progressive metal fans, who had begun to lump the band in with other experimental metal bands like Tiamat. It was the first of three albums that Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree fame would produce. Wilson also contributed backing vocals and guitar.
Instead of waiting until the buzz died down, the band released Deliverance (also known as D1) in the fall of 2002, which was intended to be a double album, Damnation (or D2) comprising the other half. Deliverance presented the typical death metal aspect of Opeth while Damnation presented a new side of Opeth: the album that was almost completely devoid of any heavy metal trappings and focused instead on acoustic instruments and traditional songwriting. Steven Wilson again contributed by co-authoring one song, Death Whispered a Lullaby, and by providing backing vocals and playing mellotron, piano, electric piano, keyboards, and guitar.
Opeth then released a DVD, "Lamentations", filmed in England during the Damnation Tour, in fall of '03. It featured the Damnation album in its entirety along with some highlights from the previous two albums. Now signed to the major label Roadrunner Records, Opeth's next album Ghost Reveries arrived in 2005 and proved to be a return to form for the band. Shortly before the recordings of this album, Per Wiberg (Spiritual Beggars) officially joined the band to play keyboards, as he did on the tour that supported Damnation. He can also be seen on the "Lamentations" DVD. More lineup changes followed in May of 2006, when long time drummer Martin Lopez left the band due to complications from a rare disease he has. After a short delay, he was replaced by Martin Axe Axenrot, former drummer of Bloodbath.
On May 17th, 2007, an open letter from Peter Lindgren was posted on the official Opeth website where he wrote that he had decided to leave the band. He said that he had lost some of the enthusiasm and inspiration needed to participate in a band that has grown to become a world-wide industry. It was especially the massive amount of touring, and being away from home for long periods of time that caused this decision. "I have come to a point where I realise I won't be able to give the band 100%, and from both sides this will not be good enough for what Opeth stands for." On the same day Fredrik Åkesson (ex-Arch Enemy, Krux) was announced as the new guitar-player and full-time member of Opeth.
In Fall 2007, Opeth released their first live album, The Roundhouse Tapes, recorded in the famous Roundhouse concert hall in Great Britain.
The progressive rock/metal band Dream Theater announced in November of 2007 that Opeth would be joining them on the Progressive Nation 2008 tour. Joining these two bands were Between the Buried and Me and 3.
Opeth's ninth studio album, entitled Watershed was released on June 3, 2008. It was well received by most fans and critics. The first single from the album, Porcelain Heart, was released on April 19th, 2008. The track The Lotus Eater is also available on RoadRunner Record's website for free.
Former members:
* David Isberg – Vocals (1990-1992)
* Andreas Dimeo – Guitar (1991)
* Kim Pettersson – Guitar (1991)
* Johan DeFarfalla – Bass (1991,1994-1996)
* Stefan Guteklint – Bass (1992-1993)
* Mattias Ander – Bass (1992)
* Nick Döring – Bass (1990-1991)
* Anders Nordin – Drums (1990-1997)
* Martin Lopez – Drums (1997-2006)
* Peter Lindgren – Guitars (1991-2007)
Discography:
1995 Orchid
1996 Morningrise
1998 My Arms, Your Hearse
1999 Still Life
2001 Blackwater Park
2002 Deliverance
2003 Damnation
2005 Ghost Reveries
2008 Watershed
2011 Heritage
2014 Pale Communion
2016 Sorceress
2019 In cauda venenum
Official site: Opeth.com
Advent
Opeth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A parlor strode, and the night sets forever
I stray in the quiet cold
And you gird me when I dare to listen
Elastic meadow, endless arms of sorrow
Lips try to form "because"
Trying to adapt to the wilderness
We are inside the glade
Every now and then I wipe the dust aside
To remember
How I drape my face with my bare hands
The same that brought me here
But you were beyond all help
The folded message that wept my name
Shadows skulk at my coming
We survey the slopes
In search for the words to write the missing page
The tainted dogma
Time grows short
As the piper plays his time
We are almost there
You are beyond all help
Dancing into the void
We are almost there
The lyrics of Advent by Opeth paint a picture of a lonely and sorrowful individual struggling to come to terms with their emotions and surroundings. The first verse indicates how the person is aware of the truth about their situation as they wander through a cold and quiet night, seeking comfort from an unknown companion who provides some support. The person is struggling to comprehend the wilderness around them, and their lips are trying to form the word "because" but to no avail.
The second verse paints a picture of the individual trying to remember their past as they wipe the dust off, but they are unable to do so. The person's face is covered by their bare hands, which brought them to this situation, and they are filled with a sense of helplessness. They receive a message that brings them to tears, and they are being followed by their shadows as they search for the right words to express their feelings.
The final verse depicts the person as being close to their end, dancing into the void, and being beyond help. The piper's time is almost up, and the individual is beyond all aid. The song's overall message appears to be one that conveys a sense of melancholy, sadness, and despair, as the individual tries to come to terms with their misery.
Line by Line Meaning
It was all true
Everything I believed and experienced was authentic and real.
A parlor strode, and the night sets forever
I am alone in a dark and desolate place, with the night enclosing upon me endlessly.
I stray in the quiet cold
I wander aimlessly through the cold, silent void around me.
And you gird me when I dare to listen
You support and encourage me to keep going, even when I am afraid to confront my inner demons.
Elastic meadow, endless arms of sorrow
I am caught in a vast, elastic field of sadness that stretches on forever.
Lips try to form 'because'
I struggle to understand the reasons behind my suffering and hardships.
Trying to adapt to the wilderness
I am trying to adjust to a wild and unpredictable environment around me.
Where even foes close their eyes and leave
Even my enemies abandon me in this desolate place, closing their eyes to my struggles.
We are inside the glade
We are enclosed within a peaceful forest clearing.
Every now and then I wipe the dust aside
Occasionally, I clear away the dirt and debris that has accumulated, trying to unearth something of value.
To remember
To recall and keep in mind what has been lost.
How I drape my face with my bare hands
I conceal my face with my hands, trying to hide my emotions from the world around me.
The same that brought me here
The same emotions and experiences that led me to this place of sadness and hardship.
But you were beyond all help
You were unable to assist me or provide any relief from my suffering.
The folded message that wept my name
A letter or message that evoked deep emotions and sorrow within me, mentioning my name.
Shadows skulk at my coming
Dark and ominous shadows lurk nearby, anticipating my arrival.
We survey the slopes
We observe the surrounding hills and terrain, trying to plan our course of action.
In search for the words to write the missing page
Trying to find the right words to complete something that is incomplete or missing.
The tainted dogma
A corrupted set of beliefs or principles.
Time grows short
We are running out of time to complete the task at hand.
As the piper plays his time
As time slips away, like the music played by a piper.
You are beyond all help
You are unable to receive any assistance or support, and may be beyond redemption.
Dancing into the void
Moving and swaying through a vast, empty space without purpose or direction.
We are almost there
We are nearing our goal, though the journey has been long and difficult.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MIKAEL LARS AKERFELDT, SVEN PETER MALCOLM LINDGREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind