Opeth Sorceress

Nuclear Blast Entertainment has announced the signing of Swedish progressive legends OPETH.

Always an unstoppable force for uniqueness amid a sea of generic swill, OPETH has been setting the rulebook ablaze, and ploughing a uniquely progressive and exploratory furrow for over 25 years now. Neither conforming nor exhibiting any desire to be restricted to a single genre, OPETH, quite simply, has a time honored tradition of blowing our minds with both class and forward thinking. All these years later, nothing and everything has changed once again with their forthcoming album, "Sorceress".

"We're happy to confirm that we have indeed signed a deal with Nuclear Blast Entertainment and will be putting out our twelfth studio album, 'Sorceress', via our own imprint, Moderbolaget Records," states OPETH guitarist/vocalist and main songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt. "The decision was made in Markus Staiger's [Nuclear Blast kingpin] ridiculously potent Porsche going at 150 mph somewhere in the south of Germany. We're happy to be part of the NB team and look forward to a fruitful relationship."

Nuclear Blast owner Markus Staiger adds: "I am honored that OPETH has joined the Nuclear Blast family. Mikael Åkerfeldt and his fellow bandmates have demonstrated time and time again that OPETH are a band that never releases an album that sounds the same. You never know what their new music will sound like! Nuclear Blast has been following the musical journey of OPETH from the beginning with 'Orchid' to landmark albums like 'Still Life', 'Deliverance', 'Damnation' and 'Blackwater Park', right up to 2014's 'Pale Communion'. The band has become one of the most challenging artists in rock music today. It is not often that we get to work with musicians of their caliber and I am thrilled to have such a unique genre-leader on the label. The future for OPETH and Nuclear Blast looks very bright."

Monte Conner, Nuclear Blast Entertainment president, says: "OPETH are a band that has continually evolved and moved forward at every stage. Always innovating and always continuing to challenge themselves as players and writers. They are simply fearless. I can't wait to hear what they come up with next! It's an amazing feeling to be reunited with one of my favorite bands and I look forward to my colleagues here at Nuclear Blast being able to have their own OPETH experience and role in the band's continuing journey. I want to thank Mikael Åkerfeldt and OPETH for putting their faith and trust in everyone here at Nuclear Blast."

OPETH is currently in the studio with Tom Dalgety putting the finishing touches on "Sorceress". A fall release is expected.

1. Persephone
2. Sorceress
3. The Wilde Flowers
4. Will O The Wisp
5. Chrysalis
6. Sorceress 2
7. The Seventh Sojourn
8. Strange Brew
9. A Fleeting Glance
10. Era
11. Persephone (Slight Return)

2016 marks the monumental 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. Today, OPETH announces their 12th album, »Sorceress«, will be released on September 30th and have unveiled the artwork and track list for their imminent masterpiece.

OPETH’s new album, »Sorceress«, their first for Nuclear Blast via the band’s imprint labelModerbolaget Records, 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 5-6 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 12 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 live:

30.07. FIN Oulu - Qstock Festival .

05.08. P Corroios - Vagos Open Air Festival

19.08. B Hasselt - Pukkelpop Festival

European headline shows:

05.11. S Stockholm - Annexet

06.11. N Oslo - Konserthus

07.11. DK Copenhagen - DR Koncerthuset, Koncertsalen

08.11. D Hamburg - Docks

10.11. A Vienna - Arena

11.11. D Stuttgart - LKA Longhorn

12.11. D Munich - Theaterfabrik

13.11. CH Zurich - Volkshaus

14.11. I Milan - Alcatraz

16.11. D Cologne - E-Werk

17.11. B Brussels - AB

18.11. NL Tilburg - 013

19.11. UK London - SSE Arena Wembley

21.11. F Paris - Le Trianon

23.11. LUX Luxemburg - Den Atelier

24.11. D Berlin - Astra Kulturhaus

Catch the band on the following festival or on the US headline tour:

24.09. USA San Bernardino, CA - Ozzfest

w/ THE SWORD

29.09. USA Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE

30.09. USA Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore

01.10. USA New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall

02.10. USA Boston, MA - House Of Blues

04.10. CDN Montreal, QC - Metropolis

05.10. CDN Toronto, ON - Massey Hall

07.10. USA Detroit, MI - The Fillmore

08.10. USA Akron, OH - Good Year Theater @ East End

09.10. USA Chicago, IL - Riviera Theater

10.10. USA Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue

12.10. USA Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom

13.10. USA Houston, TX - Warehouse Live

14.10. USA Austin, TX - Emo‘s

15.10. USA Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Live!

18.10. USA Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl

19.10. USA Tempe, AZ - The Marquee

21.10. USA Sacramento, CA - Ace Of Spades

22.10. USA San Francisco, CA - The Warfield

24.10. USA Portland, OR - Roseland Theater

25.10. USA Seattle, WA - The Moore

26.10. CDN Vancouver, BC - Orpheum

"Sorceress" 2LP pink vinyl (180 gram) track listing:
Side A
01. Persephone
02. Sorceress 
03. The Wilde Flowers
04. Will O The Wisp

Side B
05. Chrysalis 
06. Sorceress 2 
07. The Seventh Sojourn 

Side C
08. Strange Brew 
09. A Fleeting Glance 
10. Era 
11. Persephone (Slight Return) 

Side D
12. The Ward (Bonus Track) 
13. Spring MCMLXXIV (Bonus Track)