Opeth

Founded in Stockholm in the late 1980s, Opeth first emerged from the Swedish death metal scene before gradually steering their music toward a blend of extreme metal and progressive rock. Led by singer‑guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt, Opeth established with albums like Orchid (1995), Morningrise (1996) and My Arms, Your Hearse (1998) a style built on long compositions, alternating growled and clean vocals, acoustic passages, folk influences and song structures indebted to 1970s prog. Still Life (1999) and Blackwater Park (2001), produced with Steven Wilson, marked a shift to a more atmospheric songwriting approach, continued on Deliverance (2002) and Damnation (2003), the latter entirely focused on a calmer, more melodic sound. With Ghost Reveries (2005) and Watershed (2008) the band further balanced technical metal with keyboards and vocal harmonies. From Heritage (2011) onward, Opeth moved more decisively toward vintage‑tinged progressive rock, a course continued on Pale Communion (2014), Sorceress (2016) and In Cauda Venenum (2019), the last released in both English and Swedish versions. Regularly appearing at festivals and touring internationally, Opeth remains identified with an approach that pairs metal roots with a detailed progressive aesthetic.