Tag Archive: Opeth


As much as we all love Mastodon, we almost cower when there is mention of the phrase “live video” when it comes to songs as high in melodic vocals as ‘Dry Bone Valley.’ However, as it is shown in the above video recorded in Brixton, UK, they’re getting better at nailing these live performances of newer, more melodic tracks. This is a relief, especially in this case, where ‘Dry Bone Valley’ is one of my favorite tracks from The Hunter. Good work guys!

Speaking of Mastodon, we’re still giving away a pair of tickets to see them in Vancouver, BC on May 1st with Opeth and Ghost. Enter here for your chance to win!

- JR

Seeing as how Amazon UK spilled the beans yesterday, Ihsahn‘s camp decided to confirm and elaborate on the details behind Ihsahn’s upcoming fourth solo album Eremita. The opening paragraph of the press release contains the biggest news in my opinion, and will cause nerdy excitement across the metal blogosphere:

Recorded and produced at Telemark’s Ivory Shoulder Studios, with additional tracking completed at Notodden’s Juke Joint Studio and Seattle’s Envisage Audio, Eremita was mixed by Jens Bogren (Opeth) at Fascination Street Studios in Orebo, Sweden. Alongside IHSAHN, the album features performances from drummer Tobias Ornes Andersen (Leprous), saxophonist Jorgen Munkeby (SHINING), guitarist Jeff Loomis (ex-Nevermore), and vocalists Devin Townsend, Einar Solberg (Leprous), and Heidi S. Tveitan (Star of Ash). The album’s packaging has been created by award-winning Spanish designer Ritxi Ostariz.

Sweet Jesus! Heavy Blog favorite Devin Townsend will be lending his vocal work on a track, which should really be something excellent. The duo’s teaming on Devin Townsend Project’s ‘Juular’ was awesome enough as it is, but it’s great to hear they’ve been working together again. Also confirmed are Tobias Andersen (drums) and Einar Solberg (vocals) of Leprous, who have been performing as his live band during shows. This album suddenly became too hot to handle. There’s no way Eremita won’t crack best-of lists this year.

Eremita is due out June 19th on Candlelight Records. Get stoked!

- JR

 

Good news, everyone! Live Nation hooked us up with a free pair of tickets to the May 1st stop of the Heritage Hunter Tour featuring Mastodon, Opeth, and Ghost in Vancouver, BC. This is easily going to be one of 2012′s best tours, so you don’t want to miss out. To win, all you have to do is email us with the subject “Heritage Hunter BC” along with your name and cell phone number to mail(at)heavyblogisheavy(dot)com. One winner will be randomly selected Monday morning at midnight, EST. If you don’t win, don’t fret; tickets to the Vancouver date are still on sale at this location. Full tour dates are available after the jump! Good luck!

- JR

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Sporting a new lineup, The Faceless hit the road for The Metal Alliance Tour late last week. It seems that they’re getting into the new album groove of things, breaking out a currently unidentified new track. Footage of the new track can be seen above, and holy shit does it sound awesome. The band’s sound is certainly getting much more progressive, and Michael is getting more daring and confident as a vocalist, having more singing parts. There’s certainly an Opeth vibe to this new track, and there’s even a saxophone solo!

This new album is bound to be nuts. It’ll be out later this year on Sumerian Records!

[via The PRP]

- JR

So the prog nerd dream team collaboration of Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth) and Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) was pushed back to May, but to compensate, Roadrunner released all sorts of details about the release, including the cover art (above) and tracklist, which is as follows:

01. Drag Ropes (9:52)
02. Storm Corrosion (10:12)
03. Hag (6:28)
04. Happy (4:53)
05. Lock Howl (6:09)
06. Ljudet Innan (10:20)

Also accompanying the press release is a trade-off of quotes between Mike and Steve (sounds like a radio DJ duo, doesn’t it?) that describes the album. Check it out:

The sound of STORM CORROSION can best be described as enchanting, orchestral, ambient, epic (half the album’s tracks clock in around the 10-minute mark) and nothing short of surprising to the new ear. However, the musicians’ respective fanbases will be primed to appreciate the new output, with Wilson’s recent solo album, “Grace For Drowning”, and OPETH’s “Heritage” having brought them to a logical place to understand STORM CORROSION. This eponymous collection is almost viewed as one side of a musical triangle.

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Soen – Cognitive

Soen

Cognitive

01. Fraktal
02. Fraccions
03. Delenda
04. Last Light
05. Oscillation
06. Canvas
07. Ideate
08. Purpose
09. Slithering
10. Savia

[02/14/12]
[Spinefarm Records]

Supergroups are often looked at in the high hopes that they turn out to be more than the sum of their parts in a perfect blend on influences from past works. As we’ve seen in the past, this isn’t usually the case. Expectations are always quite high and the end result is never really what everyone was hoping it would be. Enter Soen, a semi-supergroup of sorts featuring two high profile musicians, drummer Martin Lopez (ex-Opeth, ex-Amon Amarth) and bassist Steve DiGiorgio (ex-Death, ex-Testament, Charred Walls of the Damned). Rounded out by the lesser known Joel Ekelöf and guitarist Kim Platbarzdis, Soen are a progressive rock band that aren’t exactly simply the sum of their parts, but an almost direct carbon-copy of the collective work of others.

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I find it a bit disconcerting that very few people are as excited about Arjen Lucassen‘s newest release as much as I am. So in order to help drum up a bit more enthusiasm, I thought I would discuss the first album I heard from the mind of Mr. Lucassen. For those unaware Ayreon is the epic saga of rock-operas penned by Arjen Lucassen. Each album in the discography, with the exception of Actual Fantasy, follows a loose narrative that is interconnected to the previous albums. It’s very tenuous at times, and not always that well fleshed out, but these discs hold a special place in my heart, especially The Human Equation. Not only was this the first release from Lucassen that I had heard, it was also my first foray into progressive music. It’s a sprawling, epic, evolving sort of musical landscape that spans the course of nearly two hours, across twenty tracks. Each song represents an individual day in a consecutive narrative that all builds and culminates into a beautiful story of struggle and emotional perseverance.

The variety on display here is something that has and will continually amaze me as I keep coming back to this record. Each and every song feels distinct, with layers of beautiful and exotic instrumental arrangements and vocal melodies that soar and rip through any given song. It’s a masterpiece that features 10 various instrumentalists, and 12 vocalists, each one unique, honest, and epic. I will be using that word quite a bit with this record. Epic.  From cellos and violins all the way to didgeridoos, panpipes, and flutes, the music on here runs the gamut of folk, and progressive styles, and nothing feels bloated or pretentious. It feels lighthearted and purposeful, and it’s all so well done. Almost every instance is memorable and distinctly recognizable, no matter how small or fleeting it may seem.

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It’s kind of mind-boggling to me that none of us at HBIH have mentioned this legendary duo, but allow me to remedy that mistake. For those who do not know Storm Corrosion is the upcoming musical project between Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth and Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree.

Their upcoming album is said to be some sort of conclusion to a loose trilogy of albums that began with Opeth’s latest release, Heritage, and Wilson’s latest solo album Grace for Drowning. Neither of those albums were particularly metal, and both were a pretty big departure for the musicians involved, so you can expect the same sort of experimentation to seep into the sound of Storm Corrosion. I personally loved both of those releases, being two of my favorites of 2011, so I’m expecting nothing but the best from these two.

Anywho, today the star duo finally announced their official signing to Roadrunner Records. In the press release the two talked about their excitment for this project, and Åkerfeldt went so far as to say it will be one of the most beautiful pieces of music he’s ever been involved with:

“Some of the music on this record I think is the most beautiful music I have participated on ever… There’s some magical sections on there. Musically I think we’ve created something earthy, a bit frightening, exhausting, profound and rather intense. All at the same time. I can safely say I don’t know any other band or artist that sounds anything like Storm Corrosion. I guess that was also one of our goals, so to speak.”

That’s a big promise there. Let’s hope he can follow through with that statement. Storm Corrosion’s self-titled album will be released April 24th on Roadrunner Records. You can read the full press release regarding the duo’s signing below. Cheers!

- EC

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Who’s excited for some new Scooby Doom? The Satanic songbirds Ghost are hard at work on a new album, hopefully to be released in time for the pending apocalypse!

Blistering.com recently did an interview with one of the Nameless Ghouls, and asked about the follow up to Opus Eponymous:

The Nameless Ghoul: Most of the material has been written already. Throughout the production and writing, we’ve been using the word “divine” a lot. Whereas with the first album, the sound was slightly “wooden,” we want the new album to be stone and golden in terms of being lavished and divine. So we are trying to paint an even more solemn religion and there’s all sorts of dramatic steps forward. The first album is about the arrival of the anti-Christ, about a coming darkness. The new album will about a current darkness, the presence of the devil, how it relates to divinity and how it’s futile you grasp whatever is divine.

Excellent news! Opus Eponymous really made waves since its release, and hopefully they can keep up with their strong forward momentum. While we’re waiting for the new tunes to take shape, you can catch Ghost supporting Opeth and Mastodon this Spring on the Heritage Hunter tour.

- JR

It’s finally here; Opeth and Mastodon have announced their co-headlining North American ‘Heritage Hunter Tour’ featuring the loveable Swedish Satanists Ghost. The tour is rather extensive, going from April 4th through May 12th and will see Mastodon and Opeth swapping out closing spots.

Without further ado, here are the dates!

* Denotes Opeth closing show
** Denotes Mastodon closing show

04 Apr – Portland, ME @ State Theater**
05 Apr – Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theater*
06 Apr – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis*
07 Apr – Toronto, ON @ The Sony Centre For The Performing Arts*
09 Apr – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory**
10 Apr – Wallingford, CT @ The Dome**
11 Apr – New York, NY @ Roseland**
13 Apr – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theater**
14 Apr – Grand Rapids, MI @ Intersection**
15 Apr – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE**
16 Apr – Knoxville, TN @ TN Theater*
18 Apr – Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom**
19 Apr – Dallas, TX @ Palladium*
20 Apr – San Antonio @ Back Stage Live*
21 Apr – Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street*
23 Apr – Denver, CO @ Fillmore*
25 Apr – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues**
26 Apr – Hollywood, CA @ Gibson*
27 Apr – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theatre*
28 Apr – Reno, NV @ Grand Sierra Resort**
30 Apr – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theater*
01 May – Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum*
03 May – Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Events Ctr*
04 May – Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall**
05 May – Saskatoon @ The Odeon**
06 May – Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings*
09 May – Washington DC @ The Fillmore*
10 May – Charlotte, NC @ Fillmore**
11 May – Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues*
12 May – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade Music Park**

Tickets go on sale February 3rd, but presales will be available starting February 1st at this location.

I am beyond excited for this. Anyone else making the trip out to Knoxville?

- JR

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