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
In Mist She Was Standing
Opeth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Under a watching autumn eye
Contorted trees are spreading forth
The message of the wind
With frozen hands I rode with the stars
With anger the wind blew
Giving wings to my stallion
Blazing, the white light
Passing the lake I know so well
I am near, yet so far away
Arrival...
I saw her shadow (standing) in the darkness
Awaiting me like the night
Awaits the day
Standing silent smiling at my presence
A black candle holds the only light
Darkness encloses
And the candle seems to expire
In her cold, cold hand
And as a forlorn soul
It will fade away
Touching her flesh in this night
My blood froze forever
Embraced before the dawn
A kiss brought total eclipse
And she spoke
Once and forever
I am sol cold
In mist enrobed the twilight
She was standing...
The first stanza of Opeth's "In The Mist She Was Standing" describes a setting in nature, specifically during fall. The trees are twisted, and the wind sends its message through them. The singer then describes their journey to this place, riding a horse and with frozen hands. The white light that blazes across the moon is most likely a metaphor for some intense moment about to occur, either in the music or the story being told.
The second stanza portrays the singer's arrival at their destination, where they see a shadowy figure waiting for them, smiling silently. The black candle held by the figure seems extinguished in their cold hand. The singer is drawn further towards the figure, touching their flesh and experiencing something so intense that it freezes their blood forever. The kiss described seems to be the culmination of all the tension, hinted at by the white light from the previous verse.
The third and last stanza involves the figure, who speaks to the singer, indicating she exists in a perpetual state of darkness and mist. We're left to ponder the significance of this, but it's clear that despite the shadow and coldness that surrounds her, she was standing.
Line by Line Meaning
Seven milestones...
I see the signs of autumn (a time of change), and the trees seem to be twisting in the wind, perhaps conveying the message that change is coming.
Under a watching autumn eye
As I look around, I see signs of autumn (a time of change), and I feel like something or someone is watching me.
Contorted trees are spreading forth
The trees are bent and twisted in strange ways, as if they are reaching out or trying to tell me something.
The message of the wind
The wind seems to be carrying a message, a warning, or perhaps even a prophecy.
With frozen hands I rode with the stars
I am riding through the cold night air, feeling the chill in my hands and the stars above me guiding the way.
With anger the wind blew
The wind is becoming more aggressive and fierce, conveying a sense of danger or urgency.
Giving wings to my stallion
The wind is so strong that my horse is galloping faster and more fiercely than ever before.
Clouds gathered across the moon
The clouds are blocking the moon, creating a sense of foreboding and darkness.
Blazing, the white light
Suddenly, a bright light pierces through the darkness, illuminating everything around me.
Passing the lake I know so well
As I ride past a familiar lake, I feel a sense of being close to my destination and yet still far away.
I am near, yet so far away
As I approach my destination, I feel both close and far away, as if I am caught between two worlds.
Arrival...
I have finally arrived at my destination, but I am not sure what to expect or what I will find.
I saw her shadow (standing) in the darkness
As I look around, I see a figure standing in the darkness, but all I can make out is its shadow.
Awaiting me like the night
The figure seems to be waiting for me, like the darkness itself.
Awaits the day
Just as the night awaits the day, the figure seems to be waiting for something to happen.
Standing silent smiling at my presence
The figure stands silently, smiling as I approach, as if it has been expecting me.
A black candle holds the only light
The only light comes from a black candle held by the figure, creating an eerie atmosphere and sense of gloom.
Darkness encloses
The darkness around me seems to be closing in, making me feel trapped or isolated.
And the candle seems to expire
The flame of the candle is flickering and struggling to stay alive, conveying a sense of danger or finality.
In her cold, cold hand
The figure is holding the candle in a cold and lifeless hand, adding to the eerie atmosphere and sense of other-worldliness.
And as a forlorn soul
I feel like a lonely and abandoned soul, caught in a strange and dangerous place.
It will fade away
The darkness and danger around me will eventually fade away, but I am not sure when or how.
Touching her flesh in this night
As I reach out and touch the figure, I am filled with a sense of dread and uncertainty.
My blood froze forever
The touch fills me with horror, as if my very blood has been frozen and will never be the same again.
Embraced before the dawn
As the night wears on, I feel like I am being embraced by the darkness itself, and I am filled with a sense of both fear and despair.
A kiss brought total eclipse
As the figure leans in to kiss me, everything goes dark, and I feel like I am being consumed by the darkness itself.
And she spoke
The figure speaks, finally breaking the eerie silence.
Once and forever
The words spoken are final and eternal, conveying a sense of permanence and inevitability.
I am so cold
The figure is cold and lifeless, conveying a sense of other-worldliness and danger.
In mist enrobed the twilight
The figure is shrouded in mist, as if it is not fully real or present.
She was standing...
The figure remains standing, filling me with a sense of both dread and fascination.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MIKAEL LARS AKERFELDT, SVEN PETER MALCOLM LINDGREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind