Opeth

Led by frontman Mikael Akerfeldt, Swedish metal group Opeth has been mixing death metal with progressive rock for over 25 years, long-establishing them as one of metal's most eclectic forces. Named after a fictional city in a Wilbur Smith novel, the band was originally formed by DJ David Isberg, but when he left in 1992, Akerfeldt took the reins and penned the songs for debut album 'Orchid' (1995).

The band has toured with the likes of Cradle of Filth, Amorphis and Nevermore, and built a loyal cult following thanks to the raging intensity of albums 'My Arms, Your Hearse' (1998) and 'Still Life' (1999).

They broke into the top ten of the Swedish charts for the first time with their 2005 album 'Ghost Reveries' and in later years gave way to more progressive experimentation on 'Watershed' (2008) and 'Heritage' (2011). It proved a popular evolution and they reached number 19 in the US with 'Pale Communication' in 2014 and went on to play at prestigious venues such as the Royal Albert Hall in London and the Sydney Opera House.

As the band's musical tastes grew beyond the average metal landmarks, they embraced jazz, folk and funk, and in 2017 their twelfth studio album 'Sorceress' featured influences as diverse as Scott Walker, The Zombies, Jethro Tull and John Coltrane. They released their 13th studio album, 'In Cauda Venenum', in September 2019.