Opeth Streaming New Album, 'Heritage,' Online

In case you either haven't been paying attention, or are just completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of amazing metal releases due out this month, Opeth will release their new studio album, Heritage, next Tuesday, September 20. Thanks to NPR, you can now stream the album in full at this location.

The follow-up to 2008's Watershed, Heritage was recorded at Atlantis/Metronome Studios in Stockholm earlier this year.

Opeth mainman Mikael Åkerfeldt commented on the album's change in direction for the band, saying: "It will be our 10th album/observation. I dig it; we all do. In fact, it feels like I've been building up to write for and participate on an album like this since I was 19."

"It's quite intense at times in some 'old' murky way, and quite beautiful and stark at times, if I may say so myself. It's obvious I'm going to say nice things about it since I wrote, basically, the whole piece, but I guess it will raise a few eyebrows and it certainly is an acquired taste. I think you'll need a slightly deeper understanding of our music as a whole to be able to appreciate this record. I've realized my influences for this album are so diverse that I can't really say what it sounds like. If I can compare it to any other band, it would have to be Opeth, but it's different from the stuff we've done before."

What do you think of the new Opeth record? Tell us in the comments!