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
When
Opeth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The portrait of the jaded dawn who had seen it all before
This day wept on my shoulders
Still the same as yesterday
This path seems endless, body is numb
The soul has lost its flame
Walking in familiar traces to find my way back home
So there I was
A semblance of supernatural winds passing through
The garden sighs, flowers die
The gate was closed that day, but I was bound to carry on
She could not see me through the windows
In dismay, strangest twist upon her lips
Graven face, she said my name
Once inside I heard whispers in the parlour
The gilded faces grin, aware of my final demise
And I cried, I knew she had lied
Her obsession had died, it had died
When can I take you from this place?
When is the word but a sigh?
When is death our lone beholder?
When do we walk the final steps?
When can we scream instead of whisper?
When is the new beginning
The end of this sad Madrigal
The lyrics of the song "When" by Opeth depict the daily struggles of one's journey in life. The opening lines speak of a red sun rising through a dense fog, which represents a new day beginning, but also the uncertainty and confusion that come with it. The jaded dawn in the portrait has seen it all before, indicating how life's struggles and challenges are often repetitive. The singer of the song feels burdened by the weight of the day upon their shoulders, which hasn't changed since yesterday, making their path seem endless while their body feels numb. Their soul has lost its flame, symbolizing the lack of motivation and passion in their lives.
As they try to find their way back home, they end up in a garden where the flowers are dying, and the gate is closed. The singer sees themselves as being in a place of substantial immortals, perhaps a symbolic representation of their desire to let go of their mortal life's struggles. They encounter someone, who they believe to be a loved one who doesn't recognize them, but they realize she has lied about her obsession with them. The singer hears whispers in the parlour, which indicates that they are being watched and judged by others, although they aren't quite sure of who they are or where they are. The final lines of the song ask when people can scream instead of whisper, reflecting the singer's desire to take control of their life and emotions, which have been subdued for far too long.
Line by Line Meaning
Red sun rising somewhere through the dense fog
The sun, obscured by thick fog, is slowly starting to rise in the morning sky.
The portrait of the jaded dawn who had seen it all before
The sunrise is a familiar sight, as if it has happened countless times before.
This day wept on my shoulders
The singer feels the weight of the day's sadness and grief.
Still the same as yesterday
The day feels like a repeat of the previous one, with no change.
This path seems endless, body is numb
The artist feels trapped on a path that seems to go on forever, and they are physically and emotionally drained.
The soul has lost its flame
The singer feels spiritually empty and devoid of passion or desire.
Walking in familiar traces to find my way back home
The singer feels lost and is retracing their steps to find their way home.
So there I was
The artist sets the stage for the next part of the story.
Within the sobriety of the immortals
The artist is in a solemn and serious place, surrounded by beings that are seemingly immortal.
A semblance of supernatural winds passing through
The air around the artist feels eerie and otherworldly, as if supernatural forces are at work.
The garden sighs, flowers die
The garden is dying and decaying, which symbolizes the sadness and decay felt by the singer.
The gate was closed that day, but I was bound to carry on
The artist faced some sort of obstacle, but they were determined to keep moving forward.
She could not see me through the windows
The singer is not able to connect with someone they care about, as they are physically separated from them.
In dismay, strangest twist upon her lips
The person the singer cares about looks upset or disappointed.
Graven face, she said my name
The person the singer cares about looks serious and says the singer's name.
Once inside I heard whispers in the parlour
The artist hears people talking quietly in the next room.
The gilded faces grin, aware of my final demise
The people in the next room seem to know that something bad is going to happen to the artist.
And I cried, I knew she had lied
The singer realizes that the person they care about was not truthful with them, and this causes them to cry.
Her obsession had died, it had died
The person the singer cares about no longer has the same intense feelings for them.
When can I take you from this place?
The artist wants to be with the person they care about and leave the current situation behind.
When is the word but a sigh?
The artist wonders when words will no longer hold any meaning or value.
When is death our lone beholder?
The artist questions when they will be faced with death and no one else will be there to bear witness to it.
When do we walk the final steps?
The singer wonders when they will take their final steps on this earth.
When can we scream instead of whisper?
The artist wants to be able to express themselves freely and without restraint.
When is the new beginning?
The singer is curious about when a new chapter will begin in their life, despite all the hardships and turmoil.
The end of this sad Madrigal
The singer feels like their current situation is like a sad song or poem, and they hope it will come to an end.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MIKAEL LARS AKERFELDT, SVEN PETER MALCOLM LINDGREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind