OPETH’s new album, Sorceress, their first for Nuclear Blast via the
band’s imprint label
Moderbolaget Records, is proof chief architect Mikael Åkerfeldt has a
near-endless well of greatness inside. From the album’s opener
‘Persephone’ to ‘The Wilde Flowers’ and ‘Strange Brew’ to the
album’s counterpart title tracks ‘Sorceress’ and ‘Sorceress II’,
OPETH’s twelfth full-length is an unparalleled adventure, where visions
cleverly and secretly change, colors mute as if weathered by time, and sounds
challenge profoundly.
“The new album Sorceress is our 12th studio album since our beginnings in
1990,” says
Åkerfeldt. “I find it difficult to understand that we’ve been going on for
26 years, let alone that we’ve made 12 records now, all of which I am very
proud of. “Sorceress” is no exception. I love this album, as does the whole
band. I wrote the music during 5–6 months and we spent only 12 days
recording it at Rockfield studios in Wales. I find that once again we’ve
taken a step forward. Or sideways, Or backwards. Somewhere!? It’s different!
It’s extremely diverse. And if I may say so myself, extremely good. I feel
the right to say that since I like to think I know this band better than
anyone on the planet. Also, I always manage to detach myself from the record
and listen as a fan. It’s a fine little record. My favorite in our
discography right now. Of course. That’s how it should be, right?
It’s both fresh and old, both progressive and rehashed. Heavy and calm. Just
the way we like it. Hopefully there’ll be others around the globe sharing this
opinion. It was a joy to make it. A fucking joy to record it, and a sheer joy
listening to it. So there you have it!”
For Sorceress, OPETH returned to Rockfield Studios in Wales, also home to pivotal releases from Queen, Rush and Judas Priest, where the Swedes had tracked »Pale Communion« in 2014 with Tom Dalgety. The band spent 12 days recording at the countryside venue among its serene and inspiring surroundings. The result is nothing short of a powerful and intriguing record that will add yet another layer to the band’s celebrated career.