Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt has expressed some annoyance over the reaction to his screamed vocals returning.
Åkerfeldt, who joined Opeth in 1990 and has become its frontman and main songwriter, recently growled on a song for the first time in 15 years with the release of single §1. The track preempts the release of Opeth’s next album, The Last Will And Testament, next month.
Talking to Youtuber and guitarist Ola Englund, Åkerfeldt admits he’s found the widespread joy over death metal re-entering Opeth’s sound to be a bit much.
“I don’t have social media,” he says (via Ultimate Guitar). “Obviously, the record is not out yet. I haven’t read any reviews, but I’ve seen some like – I’m on Youtube, believe it or not, every now and then – so I’ve seen some comments and videos [saying], ‘Oh, my God, Opeth’s back, Mikael's back,’ that type of thing. Yeah, there’s some screams on there. It’s cool that they appreciate it. It’s also a bit slightly annoying.”
Åkerfeldt continues, expressing mixed response to the fans’ relationship with Opeth’s death metal side. While he’s happy they enjoy the band’s work, he also shares his frustration with it being a focal point for so many.
“I choose not to get upset. I’m an old guy. I decide I’m just going to take in like, ‘You love it. You love that I do that stuff,’ fine. I’m going to be happy about it. But it’s also, is that all we are?”
He later adds: “I almost feel like I want to troll, just do a shit record, like, really shit, obvious shit with great screams, and see what they think, see what happens.”
Nonetheless, Åkerfeldt finishes by saying how happy he is with the new album and his use of growling on it.
“I’m really happy with the record. The screams sound really good. They fit this music and the concept of the record. So all in all, I’m… whatever. I’m happy.”
Opeth will release The Last Will And Testament on October 11 via Moderbolaget and Reigning Phoenix Music. The band will start a North American tour with Tribulation on the same day. They’ve also scheduled a tour of the UK and Europe for February. See the full list of dates and get tickets via the Opeth website.
