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
Heir Apparent
Opeth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Slow waste
Sew lies
Sow hate
So many years to clean the slate
Endless despair within its wake
His touch soiling what used to be clean
No more
Cold pace
Slow days (?)
And again he rides in
It's September and he covets the gullible
Skeletal wish, hunter
A thousand lies
Cast from the throne of secrecy
Hear him spewing forth a meaning to miserables lies
See the twisted hand of doubt seal the affair
The insect trust, believer
Your body a vehicle to
Pearls before swine they are nothing but blind
Submit to nothing and swallow my spit of scorn
Invisible king, dying
Procession of woe, struck down by sorrow
A burden so great
Weighs heavy on old and withered beliefs
The swift solution crumbles
Beneath the mock notes of a masterpiece
Death in his eyes, waiting
Spiraling judgement, provoked in the rains
This futile test drowned in the levee of deception
In the year of his sovereign
Rid us of your judgement
Heir apparent
The lyrics of Heir Apparent by Opeth are a complex examination of power, deception, and the consequences of one’s actions. The song begins with a description of a character who has spread lies and hate, causing endless despair and spoiling what used to be clean. The listener can infer that this character is a corrupt leader or ruler, as they ride in each September and covet the gullible. The line “cast from the throne of secrecy” further suggests that this character held a position of power but was cast out. The character is described as spewing forth a meaning to miserable lies and sealing the affair with a twisted hand of doubt. The insect trust and body as a vehicle lines further suggest some form of manipulation and control.
The chorus features a call to those who are blind followers, pearls before swine, to submit to nothing and swallow the singer's spit of scorn. There is an invisible king who is dying, and a procession of woe struck down by sorrow. The burden that weighs heavily on old and withered beliefs is the consequence of the ruler’s actions. Heir Apparent, the ruler who was cast from the throne of secrecy, has caused a spiral of judgment provoked in the rains. The singer declares this a futile test drowned in the levee of deception, indicating that the ruler's actions have led to a deluge of lies that cannot be contained.
Line by Line Meaning
Long days
A significant amount of time that seems to pass slowly
Slow waste
The process of wasting away, but taking a considerable amount of time to do so
Sew lies
To propagate false information and deliberately mislead someone
Sow hate
To actively spread animosity towards someone or something
So many years to clean the slate
Many years have passed, and it's time to start anew and let go of the past
Endless despair within its wake
A feeling of hopelessness that constantly lingers and follows you around
His touch soiling what used to be clean
The actions of someone who used to be pure have tarnished something that was once untainted
His gaze burning on the edge of our dreams
The unsettling feeling of someone watching and influencing your subconscious thoughts
No more
An end to something that was once occurring
Cold pace
A slow and indifferent manner of moving forward
Slow days (?)
Possibly referring to the continuation of slow and uneventful days
And again he rides in
The return of someone we thought was gone
It's September and he covets the gullible
It's September, and this person preys on those who are unsuspecting and easily fooled
Skeletal wish, hunter
A person who seeks out the remains of something they desire
A thousand lies
An exaggerated or unrealistic amount of falsehoods being spread
Cast from the throne of secrecy
Banished from a place of great importance, knowledge or power
Hear him spewing forth a meaning to miserables lies
Someone is verbally expressing false statements to people who are unhappy or wretched
See the twisted hand of doubt seal the affair
The feeling of uncertainty that creates a difficult situation
The insect trust, believer
Someone who is naive and trusts blindly
Your body a vehicle to
Your physical form as a means to carry out a task
Pearls before swine they are nothing but blind
When putting something of value in front of someone who can't appreciate it
Submit to nothing and swallow my spit of scorn
Refusing to accept or bow down to something and the disdain it may bring
Invisible king, dying
A ruler who is hidden from view but is on their last legs and will soon no longer be in power
Procession of woe, struck down by sorrow
A group of people who are depressed and weighed down by a tragic event
A burden so great
An overwhelming weight that must be carried
Weighs heavy on old and withered beliefs
The pressure of something new challenging and straining the established beliefs of the past
The swift solution crumbles
A quick fix is unable to stand the test of time
Beneath the mock notes of a masterpiece
Something that is flawed or fake is hidden beneath the surface of something perfect or revered
Death in his eyes, waiting
A person who is standing by and waiting for someone to perish
Spiraling judgement, provoked in the rains
A harsh critique that is ever-increasing in severity and is brought about by a difficult situation
This futile test drowned in the levee of deception
A pointless challenge that is overcome by a barrage of lies and dishonest behavior
In the year of his sovereign
During the time when someone is in power and has authority over others
Rid us of your judgement
Stop passing down punishment or criticism on us
Heir apparent
Someone who is next in line for a prestigious position or powerful role
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MIKAEL LARS AKERFELDT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TheTribalist
My favorite folk band of all time.
Josué Morán
Opeth Is Death Metal! Swedish Death Metal from Orchid to Ghost Reveries which are the best albums
You’re Okay Boah
@Josué Morán
Very much so,
Progressive death metal.
Saad MAFiA
if you are a musician, look into the music notes and see the amazing mastery of Opeth; they put notes that hate each other together and force them to make love.. i keep falling in love with opeth over and over
Saad MAFiA
nice words past me
Bithon
God, that's the most beautiful description of Opeth I read thus far.
Toprak
What's great about Mikael's writing is that he always uses some "nicer" chords right after dissonant chords so it resolves nicely and you wait for the next attack of dissonance at the end of the musical phrase. This song goes crazier with the dissonance though.
Rob Smeaton
Yeah, there's a transition in Baying of the Hounds that really comes to mind when you say that - with 2 guitars playing in unison, but a minor 2nd apart.
X Y
There’s no such thing as notes that hate each other, there are resonance and dissonance, Opeth knows how to use dissonance, that’s all there is to it.
tiKi
Mikael Åkerfeldt mastered every genre he ever touched, death metal, prog metal, prog rock, folk, etc. He is the ONE