After last year’s triumphant and sad return for the final lap with Porcupine Tree, Prog music’s King, Steve Wilson was already planning his new solo album. After releasing an astounding album and a brief world tour to say goodbye, he is back to assert his dominance as a solo artist. While his signature sound is all over The Harmony Codex (Virgin Music Group), he has enlisted a bevy of conspirators to create his next epic musical adventure. Continue reading
The Masonic Temple is one of the most outstanding buildings in Midtown Detroit. The regal Neo-Gothic architecture and cathedral-like design makes it a prime tourist attraction for Motor City. Part of this historic building’s appeal is the theatre and its massive stage. The stateliness of this structure and the 55 by 100 foot theatre platform made it the perfect pick for Mastodon and Opeth to bring their co-headline tour. The bands rolled into town on a cool Spring evening last week and brought Denver’s own Khemmis with them. Having three currently hot and popular bands under one roof is every modern metalhead’s dream.Continue reading
It has been thirty years since drummer / vocalist Jonas Renske and Anders “Blackheim” Nyström began a musical journey that would see them evolve from a studio-only project exploring their darker musical tastes to becoming one of the most respected purveyors of melancholic and post-Gothic music; always evolving with each album, embracing Gothic and progressive metal, and always distinctively Katatonia.
Opeth frontman Mikaël Åkerfeldt, paid tribute to legendary Heavy Metal drummer Lee Kerslake, who died this past weekend at age 73. In a post on social media, Akerfelt talked lovingly about Lee, less so for his work in Ozzy Osbourne’s Blizzard of Ozz band, but specifically for his work in Uriah Heap’s classic 1970s era, from which the Opeth leader draws considerable influence. The Opeth leader worships the band, as told to Ghost Cult in our 2019 interview. Read Mikael’s thoughts on Lee below.
Alice In Chains saw their stellar 1990 debut album Facelift turned 30 today, August 21st. The band themselves will be honoring the outing with a thirty-day look back at the album which will eventually culminate in a deluxe 30th-anniversary edition deluxe box set for the record. The band commented:Continue reading
Opeth is now on a North American Tour supporting last year’s stellar album In Cauda Venenum, released last year via Moderbolaget / Nuclear Blast Records, with Graveyard as direct support. Frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt and is being forced to cancel tonight’s performance in Worcester Massachusetts, followed by the next two shows. The band will hopefully resume this Friday in New York for their two landmark shows at The famed Apollo Theater in Harlem. Åkerfeldt broke the news of the cancellation earlier today in a social media post. He wrote: “I regret to inform you that we have to cancel the following shows on the North American run: Worcester, Toronto and Montreal. The reason being ‘acute laryngitis,’ according to the doc.Continue reading
When Axl Rose waxed romantically about cold November rain in back in 1992, he clearly wasn’t singing about Leeds on a Saturday morning. A cold, depressing day darkened by oppressive black clouds showering their misery relentlessly from above, there is nothing romantic about Leeds city centre. However, above the sound of rain pelting against umbrella canopies, and cars splashing through ankle-high lakes of dirty water, there is hope. Somewhere out there is Damnation Festival.Continue reading
Events Center, Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV 8/18/19
Progressive Metal legends Opeth have finally booked a US tour in support of their acclaimed new album In Cauda Venenum, out now via Moderbolaget / Nuclear Blast. Fellow Swedish band Graveyard will open! The dates include two nights at the legendary Apollo Theater in New York and performances at the renowned Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and at the famed Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. Tickets will sell fast, beginning 10:00AM Local Time Friday, October 4th at the link below. Opeth mastermind Mikael Åkerfeldt recently spoke to Ghost Cult about the album.Continue reading
If you still haven’t reconciled the fact that Opeth moved away from death metal years ago – that these days they owe more to the likes of Camel and Gentle Giant than to Morbid Angel – then you might as well stop reading now. Uncross your fingers and stay your optimism for an unlikely return to roaring brutality because the Opeth prog train just keeps on rolling and shows no signs of slowing down. However, for those of you happy with the Swedish progsters’ change of direction almost a decade ago, climb back on board, take a window seat and relax. Continue reading
Ghost Cult had the distinct pleasure of chatting with the one and only Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth recently. In a wide-ranging chat with our Chief Editor Keefy, Mikael discussed the new album, In Cauda Venenum, due out September 27th via Moderbolaget Records / Nuclear Blast Entertainment. We discussed his creating both English and Swedish language versions of the album, using an orchestra and choir, concept records, progressive rock artists he likes such as Pink Floyd, King Crimson and Peter Gabriel, working at Park Studios, philosophical lyrics, and why he treated this album like it was the final Opeth album. Continue reading
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