2016 marks the return of one of heavy rock’s most unique, revered and fearless bands of the last three decades, Opeth. Over the years, the experimental, prog veterans have continuously reinvented themselves, pushing the boundaries of their craft and expectations of fans and critics alike. Opeth’s twelfth album, Sorceress, will be released on September 30.
Their first for Nuclear Blast via the band’s imprint label Moderbolaget Records, Sorceress 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 to 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 twelve 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.
Opeth will return to North America this fall for a headline tour, which will kick off with a performance at Ozzfest/Knotfest on September 24 in San Bernardino, CA. The excursion will continue with special guest The Sword through the following month before wrapping up on October 26th in Vancouver, BC.
Sorceress Track List:
Persephone
Sorceress
The Wilde Flowers
Will O The Wisp
Chrysalis
Sorceress 2
The Seventh Sojourn
Strange Brew
A Fleeting Glance
Era
Persephone (Slight Return)
Tour Dates:
09/24 – San Bernardino, CA – Ozzfest/Knotfest @ San Manual Amphitheater
09/29 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
09/30 – Silver Spring, MD – Fillmore
10/01 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall
10/02 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
10/04 – Montreal, QC – Metropolis
10/05 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
10/07 – Detroit, MI – Fillmore
10/08 – Akron, OH – Good Year Theater at East End
10/09 – Chicago, IL – Riviera Theater
10/10 – Minneapolis, MN – First Ave
10/12 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom
10/13 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
10/14 – Austin, TX – Emo’s
10/15 – Dallas, TX – Gas Monkey Live
10/18 – Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl
10/19 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theater
10/21 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
10/22 – San Francisco, CA – Warfield
10/24 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
10/25 – Seattle, WA – Moore Theater
10/26 – Vancouver, BC – Orpheum
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