It's well known at this point that Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt doesn't really care what you think about the band's new direction, but did you know that co-guitarist Fredrik Åkesson also doesn't give a crap? In an interview with Guided By Metal (which you can check out below), Åkesson says he was initially a little weirded out by the band's motion to change their sound but ultimately ended up really enjoying it.
“I got to do the death metal thing before the change. But when we took that decision to change it up a bit on Heritage, it took me a while to get used to. But I think it was a cool thing that we did that, because it's kind of bold.
“Not many bands can experiment as much as we do, and we're a bit fortunate in that way."
He also makes mention of fans who call them non-metal now, saying the group still plays all the heavy stuff live and it shouldn't really be a big deal. I totally agree with Åkesson- I think Opeth is absolutely fortunate in how versatile they are. Do you really want Blackwater Park, Pt. 6: Uh… It's Heavy! Hooray! coming out next year? I think the band is amazing at being heavy, but moving on from that isn't a bad thing at all.
[via Metal Hammer]
