Culture
Opeth guitarist Fredrik Åkesson discusses new album, music genre adventurism, enduring life setbacks
By: Ian Saint
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STOCKHOLM, Sweden (WOUB) — “Progressive death metal” may seem paradoxical, but Opeth launched a career as the classification’s standard-bearer. Although front-man Mikael Åkerfeldt is wary of labels, the distinction sprang from Åkerfeldt’s ability to deliver both guttural “death growls” and melodic “clean singing,” complimenting Opeth seamlessly weaving death metal fury with lush balladry.
That fusion resonated in our region, from Opeth’s beginning. 2001’s Blackwater Park inaugural American tour even booked dates in both Cleveland and Lorain — 30 miles apart. Last month’s mini-tour included sold-out shows at The Agora in Cleveland and Pittsburgh’s Stage AE.
Today, Opeth release their fourteenth volume: The Last Will and Testament. A concept album about an aristocratic family reviewing their sordid patriarch’s bombshell will, all songs but the last bear numbered paragraphs for titles. The plot’s unexpected twists are matched by Opeth’s time signature swings, and wide sonic ranges from pummeling blast-beats to glacial orchestra overtures. Guests include Jethro Tull and Europe front-men, Ian Anderson and Joey Tempest.
Opeth guitarist Fredrik Åkesson spoke to WOUB’s Ian Saint from Stockholm this week. A transcript of their conversation, edited for length and clarity, is below.
Ian Saint:
I first saw you perform during Megadeth’s 2006 Gigantour — Opeth and Arch Enemy supported, but you played in Arch Enemy.
Fredrik Åkesson:
That was a great tour. That gig was kind of overwhelming for me, playing arenas — that was the first year I toured the States. I hung out a lot with (my future Opeth bandmates) and we’d play Guitar Hero on the bus. So that was a very important tour; that bonding was good for me joining Opeth, after leaving Arch Enemy.
Can you expound on your Arch Enemy dismissal, and joining Opeth? There could be important takeaways for anyone facing career setbacks.
Åkesson:
Yeah, definitely. My last Arch Enemy shows were in Brazil; I’d done 150 shows in 1½ years, all around the world. On the flight home, the vibe wasn’t cool. Then, I get an email: “sorry, Chris Amott is coming back,” and of course you feel like “oh, ugh, okay.” Then, like a fairytale, Mikael Åkerfeldt called; wondering if I want to come over and play guitar — asking me to give him guitar lessons. Dude, are you kidding? Perhaps you can give me some. But that was kind of a secret audition. We jammed; I showed him some licks, and I think he showed me the Deliverance riff, checking if I was able to play it. There’s all the acoustic finger-picking parts, a big (component) of Opeth’s sound, that I had to put a lot of time into practicing. I was a big Opeth fan, so it was unbelievable that that transition happened within a couple months.
I think you should never give up. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger; that’s a bit cliché, but it’s really true. The setback shouldn’t put you off your goal. Long as you do your best and you’re ambitious, eventually, new stuff will come to you.
This is Opeth’s third album recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales. What draws you there?
Åkesson:
That studio has so much history. It opened in 1968. Queen recorded Killer Queen and Bohemian Rhapsody there. Rush recorded A Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres; Black Sabbath’s last album with Ronnie James Dio, right before he passed away, was there.
It’s an old farm, basically. When you look out the window, you see lots of sheep and horses. The scenery is beautiful — Wales has beautiful mountains — and it’s good for the band’s focus.
How did you and Mikael divide guitar duties? Do you have favorite solos?
Åkesson:
When it comes to heavy rhythm riffs, we play one on each side — we want an old-school approach, like the early Judas Priest albums, so you hear a bit of different characters. The heavier lead guitar-playing, it’s me. The calmer leads, it’s Mikael and his cool melodies; but the last track, A Story Never Told, is a ballad where I played that more emotional type of solo — like (Deep Purple’s) Ritchie Blackmore meets (Pink Floyd’s) David Gilmour.
I’m very happy about all the solos; my goal was to make them all very different from one another. On §5, I was trying for Indian-inspired, sitar-type leads.
Any other musical “Easter eggs” on the album?
Åkesson:
§1’s lead is a chaotic, chromatic tapping thing; I was thinking about a spider. I used a Fernandez sustainer pick-up; you get kind of an e-bow tone, that goes up in this crying, squealing pitch.
I don’t try to think about other guitarists when I record; I try to do something unique. But, of course, your early influences are in your DNA. §4 and §5, I used a wah for getting those crying notes out. I was a massive fan of Michael Schenker — he was a big influence when I started out, his crying wah playing is to die for. That’s, subconsciously, a big influence. I grew up listening to Eddie Van Halen, Gary Moore, Yngwie Malmsteen, Frank Marino, Randy Rhoads, Ritchie Blackmore, Shawn Lane, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. A bit more extreme fusion guys later on.
What styles of music, beyond metal, enhance your playing of heavier material? Likewise, has playing metal enhanced how you play other styles of music, that are softer or slower?
Åkesson:
I’m always trying to get better at playing blues. It’s good to take inspiration from other genres, and you can transform that into a metal context to broaden your playing. For a while, I was into Chicken Pickin’ licks and banjo rolls. This morning, I was trying to figure out these kinds of Frank Marino, jazz blues licks. I still really enjoy trying to get better as a guitar-player. Being home from the road, you have time for trying to learn new stuff — I think it’s super important to listen a bit to jazz or folk tunes, for instance.
Bluegrass high-tech players are mind-blowing. Recently, I played Guitar Summit in Germany. Andy Wood was there. He’s a shredder, like Eddie Van Halen; but he played banjo and bluegrass before he got into the shred stuff, and he’s into both now. It’s very cool.
Any stand-out memories of Ohio?
Åkesson:
We had an almost paranormal experience in this Cleveland hotel; might’ve been on the (2008) Watershed Tour. Our drummer, Martin Axenrot, called me and said “somebody’s in my room.” He apparently saw footprints walking on his bed. I had to go in and grab his bags, because he didn’t dare go into the room, and it was super cold. It was so weird.