There has never been – and never will be – another band like Opeth. Formed in Stockholm, Sweden around 1989, their thirty-year career showcases a melding of diverse influences. They demonstrate a commitment to both songwriting and instrumental excellence, not to mention stylistic diversity – no matter what the cost – that's unmatched by any of their stylistic peers. Whether it be their unashamedly brutal early LPs, their near-faultless mid-period opuses, or their somewhat polarizing recent glimpses into macabre 1970s-esque prog/jazz rock eccentricity, mastermind Mikael Åkerfeldt and company continuously create records that push themselves, their audience, and progressive music as a whole, forward. The result is among the most extraordinary, dependable, and laudable legacies in modern metal.
Using a meticulously crafted mixture of original analysis and behind-the-scenes research, this book digs into all facets of Opeth's output to discover how they innovated and evolved with practically every release. After all, each 'observation' – from their 1990s black metal classics (Morningrise and My Arms, Your Hearse) and 2000s progressive death metal masterpieces (Blackwater Park and Ghost Reveries) to their stunning progressive rock/jazz fusion excursions of the 2010s (Pale Communion and In Cauda Venenum) – found Opeth ceaselessly harvesting a one-of-a-kind catalogue that remains remarkably influential and impressive.
Jordan Blum is an Associate Editor at PopMatters, holds an MFA in Creative Writing, and is the founder/Editor-in-Chief of The Bookends Review, an independent creative arts journal. He focuses mostly on progressive rock/metal and has contributed to many other publications, including Sonic Perspectives, Paste, Progression, Metal Injection, Rebel Noise, PROG and Sea of Tranquility. He is the author of Jethro Tull On Track and Dream Theater on track, published by Sonicbond. He records his own crazy ideas under the pseudonym Neglected Spoon. When he's not focused on any of that, he teaches English courses at various colleges. He lives in Philadelphia, PA, USA.