Sorceress (2016)
Opeth
A Flying V, and
other whims of Mikael Åkerfeldt
(with Paul Reed
Smith's say so)
Opeth has become one of the symbols
of contemporary metal with their fusion of progressive rock and heavy metal of
the 80s. Camel, Jethro Tull and a long swig of Judas Priest
- the ‘Judas’ of Sad Wings of Destiny- are a point of departure for one of the
most interesting guitarists at the moment, the Swede Mikael Åkerfeldt (Stockholm, 1974), to
shake up the arrangement of a genre which not only exists in Dream
Theater. He began, like a good Scandinavian, branded by ‘death’ , now
almost a memory on his twelfth record Sorceress, released recently at
the end of September 2016, and nearly as good as Pale Communion (2014)
or Heritage (2011).
At 42, Åkerfeldt has unabashedly finished a progressive rock journey without resigning
himself to becoming a mere rival. But for the guitarist does not live for death
metal alone, he is also a composer with a vision of the future. His work and
his wager have seen rewards this year with his contract for Nuclear Blast; Sorceress,
his first release in these new times, has far exceeded expectations.
Åkerfeldt is also a guitarist that his mates don't want to lose sight of. He's a
‘trendsetter’, not just for his technique, but also his ability to invent a new
guitar on almost every note, turning even the ‘kits’ they sell at the
corner shop into wonders.
The
do-it-yourself-project of course, has nothing to do with his favourite, the PRS
Custom 24, well portrayed in his cabinet full of Paul Reed Smith delicacies.
When playing live, it is by contract, the only guitar on the stage.
To record Sorceress,
however, he was able to use a few 6-string ‘cravings’ he allowed himself of
late. A Gibson Flying V from ´79 -a tribute to the Scorpions- and a
couple of Strats in which he claims he made ‘a few’ changes: a Custom Shop Acrylic from '68 ‘ that sounds glorious’ and one from '62, which the pundit
press says is only same in shape as the original. That's what Åkerfeldt is like, a maniac, right up to choosing an amp. His, is a
Marshall, a signature Yngwie Malmsteen.
His ‘helper’ Fredrik
Åkesson, by contrast, never takes off
his Gibson Junior p90 except to pick up a PRS Angelus, like his boss’ for the
acoustic bits. When it comes to the rest of the band, it responds to the
technical mastery that progressive rock demands. A stand-out is bassist
Martin Mendez, who has switched his Fender Jazz Bass’ for some 4 and
5-string Sandberg Californias, and makes up a combo with drummer Martin Axenrot and keyboardist Joakim Svalberg, whose piano lends a
special touch to this essential album.
(All images: ©CordonPress)