Latest about Mikael Åkerfeldt
The Opeth mastermind on being robbed as they made Blackwater Park, what he hated about Kurt Cobain’s ’53 Martin D-18 and loved about Hank Williams’ ’40s D-18, the ’90s band he still adores and the ’70s guitarist he still worships
This 1970s player is an influence to many, he says, but doesn’t get the credit he deserves
Mixing the old and the new, the front porch and campfire with devil's horns, the limited-edition model is luxurious from top to bottom
Åkerfeldt was decidedly more moved when handed a 19th century Martin, a guitar so pristine he was scared to play it
![Opeth's Fredrik Åkesson [left] and Mikael Åkerfeldt sit on an old sofa with their PRS electric guitars. Åkesson looks off into the distance while Åkerfeldt stares into the camera.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mBjBAxu9jXG82RYpeGpuUX-840-80.jpg.webp)
Opeth may have returned in a way to their sonic roots on their new album, The Last Will and Testament, but – with appearances from a Neal Schon signature model and a “not very metal” trick picked up from Eddie Van Halen – there are still plenty of quirks to go 'round
Åkerfeldt had secretly used a Tele when he recorded the soundtrack to Netflix's 2022 miniseries Clark, but never wielded one with Opeth before recording The Last Will and Testament
The Swedish progressive metal icon pays homage to the dark lord of rock
20 years on, Mikael Åkerfeldt looks back at Opeth’s evolution from death metal heavyweights to prog mainstays on landmark 2003 album Damnation
The new edition of the progressive Swedes' latest album arrives May 13, and will feature three additional tracks
The Swedish prog vet reflects on the gear picks, hybrid techniques and creative vision that led to the band's boundary-smashing landmark album
