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Book of Opeth
This sumptuously illustrated oral history presents Opeth’s unique tale, from their earliest days until the present, and all in glorious dark colour. Told in the first-person by Mikael, the band, their friends, former members and collaborators including designer Travis Smith, it is illustrated throughout with hundreds of previously unseen and rare photos, artworks and memorabilia. Every copy of the first 4,000 books also contain a vinyl record of previously unreleased recordings which is only available with Book of Opeth.Here, for the first time, is the full and complete history of Opeth. Illustrated throughout with early, personal, candid, studio and live photographs, each copy comes with a free seven-inch vinyl record.
- GenresMusicNonfiction
208 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 20, 2022
I've loved Opeth since my metalhead best friend eased me into them with the gorgeous Coil... which then gives way to the brutal Heir Apparent, but it was precisely that musical contrast and the range of Mikael's vocals that hooked me, and to this day, Watershed is still one of my favorite records of theirs. I've seen them several times in the past decade, and am one of those fans who enjoy their post-2007, more prog-oriented output just as much, if not more, than the earlier, more metal-infused catalogue.
Book of Opeth is an official, illustrated (oral) history of the band. This updated, coffee-table sized paperback edition includes new photos and interviews to bring it up-to-date since its original 2016 release, and even came with a 7" single with live performances of Atonement and Demon of the Fall, but even though I bought it immediately upon release in 2020, it sat on my shelf, untouched, until recently. I really enjoyed their latest album In Cauda Venenum, but after several postponements and cancellations, I didn't get to see them support it live until this past week, and that's what it took to rekindle my love not only for Opeth, but also prog, which I'd somewhat turned my back on during the pandemic—it's too melancholy and cerebral to provide escape, which is what I have been desperately craving since March 2020, it seems.
So I finally dived in. There's a lot to like: The cover is gorgeous, as is the printing quality. What bothered me, from a purely visual stand-point, is that the text is not justified, and that it was sometimes printed on backgrounds such as tree branches that made it hard to read—so more care could've been put into the overall look and layout. It also could've used an editor, because there was one instance where a part of a sentence was repeated, as if it was accidentally copy & pasted twice.
Content-wise, I expected a bit more from this. It's an oral history, meaning that it's narrated in the first person by the band (members past and present) and their collaborators (such as their manager and Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson, who produced/mixed some of their albums) by providing quotes that take the reader from the band's beginnings up until the release of ICV. I'm not really a fan of such conversational interview-style memoirs, especially when several people are involved, and even more so when the timeline is not further supported by hard facts... it felt like a lot of the past sort of blends together for everyone involved, so it was definitely superficial in parts, and I'm sure a lot was glossed over, because between the lines it didn't sound as if every parting was quite as amiable as they may want the public to think.
It wasn't just the superficial content itself that was a problem, but also the pacing, which sort of goes hand-in-hand. A big chunk of the book is spent on the band's formation, it takes about forty pages to get to the release of their debut record Orchid, and some thirty pages later we're already up to Blackwater Park, one of their most seminal releases... five albums later. Surely this classic period would've merited more pages? Still Life, another favorite of mine, is hardly even mentioned. The updated, final chapter was also rather crammed and rushed, and I couldn't help but laugh at how ironic one of the very last sentences reads in retrospect... "it's going to be this line-up until the end", Mikael, the only remaining original line-up member, is quoted as saying, yet Axe left the band just a year later. "Updated" also felt like a bit of a stretch because the preceding chapter wasn't adapted, so it reads as if Pale Communion is still their most recent album until you reach the epilogue, which takes you up to the (2020) present.
The most interesting parts were when two quotes directly contradicted each other, such as Mikael's state of mind during the recording of Pale Communion, which his band members seemed to experience quite differently than he did, but I would have wished for a more in-depth look at the inner workings and experiences of the band, both while composing, recording, and on the road—it felt very much like an overview that doesn't dig too deep. I'm not super well-versed in Opeth's history, but still found it frustrating, so I imagine it would be even more so to a hardcore fan. All in all, Book of Opeth is a pretty addition to the shelf for fans or collectors, but I didn't feel like a whole lot of work or care went into the content, so you're not really missing out if you skip buying this.
Book of Opeth is an official, illustrated (oral) history of the band. This updated, coffee-table sized paperback edition includes new photos and interviews to bring it up-to-date since its original 2016 release, and even came with a 7" single with live performances of Atonement and Demon of the Fall, but even though I bought it immediately upon release in 2020, it sat on my shelf, untouched, until recently. I really enjoyed their latest album In Cauda Venenum, but after several postponements and cancellations, I didn't get to see them support it live until this past week, and that's what it took to rekindle my love not only for Opeth, but also prog, which I'd somewhat turned my back on during the pandemic—it's too melancholy and cerebral to provide escape, which is what I have been desperately craving since March 2020, it seems.
So I finally dived in. There's a lot to like: The cover is gorgeous, as is the printing quality. What bothered me, from a purely visual stand-point, is that the text is not justified, and that it was sometimes printed on backgrounds such as tree branches that made it hard to read—so more care could've been put into the overall look and layout. It also could've used an editor, because there was one instance where a part of a sentence was repeated, as if it was accidentally copy & pasted twice.
Content-wise, I expected a bit more from this. It's an oral history, meaning that it's narrated in the first person by the band (members past and present) and their collaborators (such as their manager and Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson, who produced/mixed some of their albums) by providing quotes that take the reader from the band's beginnings up until the release of ICV. I'm not really a fan of such conversational interview-style memoirs, especially when several people are involved, and even more so when the timeline is not further supported by hard facts... it felt like a lot of the past sort of blends together for everyone involved, so it was definitely superficial in parts, and I'm sure a lot was glossed over, because between the lines it didn't sound as if every parting was quite as amiable as they may want the public to think.
It wasn't just the superficial content itself that was a problem, but also the pacing, which sort of goes hand-in-hand. A big chunk of the book is spent on the band's formation, it takes about forty pages to get to the release of their debut record Orchid, and some thirty pages later we're already up to Blackwater Park, one of their most seminal releases... five albums later. Surely this classic period would've merited more pages? Still Life, another favorite of mine, is hardly even mentioned. The updated, final chapter was also rather crammed and rushed, and I couldn't help but laugh at how ironic one of the very last sentences reads in retrospect... "it's going to be this line-up until the end", Mikael, the only remaining original line-up member, is quoted as saying, yet Axe left the band just a year later. "Updated" also felt like a bit of a stretch because the preceding chapter wasn't adapted, so it reads as if Pale Communion is still their most recent album until you reach the epilogue, which takes you up to the (2020) present.
The most interesting parts were when two quotes directly contradicted each other, such as Mikael's state of mind during the recording of Pale Communion, which his band members seemed to experience quite differently than he did, but I would have wished for a more in-depth look at the inner workings and experiences of the band, both while composing, recording, and on the road—it felt very much like an overview that doesn't dig too deep. I'm not super well-versed in Opeth's history, but still found it frustrating, so I imagine it would be even more so to a hardcore fan. All in all, Book of Opeth is a pretty addition to the shelf for fans or collectors, but I didn't feel like a whole lot of work or care went into the content, so you're not really missing out if you skip buying this.
May 15, 2018
A beautifully illustrated biography of Opeth. While it gives some extra detail of the very beginnings, and the workings within the band itself and the recording process, I would have hoped for way more detailed information overall. For example, the concept of Still Life isn't even mentioned, and the collaborations with Steven Wilson are only brushed over. However, it was great to see some pages dedicated to the designer, Travis Smith, and the collector, Alex.
The inclusion of the 7" vinyl is awesome as well, the performances are great.
The inclusion of the 7" vinyl is awesome as well, the performances are great.
December 29, 2024
The first 25 years of one of my favorite bands in this beautiful coffee table book, along with some heartfelt and humorous commentary. With a special hidden vinyl with only two songs. It is probably not a hyperbole to claim that Opeth is probably the band with the most twists and style changes in the history of music.
I will never become a death metal fan, but what Opeth did with Blackwater Park crossed so many lines for me, that just demanded respect. Deliverance is a force and then you get hit with a acoustic emotional hook from the left field that is Damnation. These along with Ghost Reveries and Watershed are golden standard I measure all other music against. Including their latest. It has been a bumpy ride, but Sorceress and The Last Will and Testament are looking up again.
What follows, are some quotes I picked up about the hard life of a starting musician and fun connections made along the way.
I will never become a death metal fan, but what Opeth did with Blackwater Park crossed so many lines for me, that just demanded respect. Deliverance is a force and then you get hit with a acoustic emotional hook from the left field that is Damnation. These along with Ghost Reveries and Watershed are golden standard I measure all other music against. Including their latest. It has been a bumpy ride, but Sorceress and The Last Will and Testament are looking up again.
What follows, are some quotes I picked up about the hard life of a starting musician and fun connections made along the way.
If I wasn't going to be a musician I'd have to either get an education or a shit job, and I didn't want to do either of those things. I'd rather live in poverty and do something I love, even if I'm the only person in the world who values what it is I am doing.
I was financially broke at this point, but I had finally somehow managed to find a flat. I'd been sleeping on Jonas's couch for about six months or a year before I got a phone call from a friend of mine who had a flat available, a second-hand lease - it was in a nice area and was cheap, so I couldn't say no really. I knew it might be a struggle to pay the rent but thought that, if things got really bad, my mother could help out. I had a bowl that contained small change - like a tramp - and when I had enough in there I would go down to the local store and buy canned meat for 9 krona. It was meat in a can with aspic and dill, and I still eat it today sometimes as it left such an imprint on my soul.
Still Life - our contemporaries stuck rigidly to their death metal roots whereas we, despite having death metal at the centre, went into a lot of other areas that we felt were worth exploring. This album was the first one where we took that leap to not limit ourselves in any way, and do exactly what we wanted and not worry about the consequences.
Peter: Blackwater Park was important for us because Steven Wilson opened our eyes to the possibilities of what we could achieve in the studio, and that changed our attitude. I think, for Mike, working with Steve was a really big deal, and we were big fans of Porcupine Tree so he was an idol to us. It's funny, as I think we influenced him a lot, too. The next album he made after working with us was In Absentia, and that was easily the heaviest album he'd made up to that point - so I think there was a mutual influence there, which is a good thing.
Steve Wilson: I felt an immediate artistic connection with Mikael. In many ways he's my exact double, in that he has the same role in Opeth that I have in Porcupine Tree - and, without being melodramatic about it, it can be a lonely role.
Another point that we both agree on is that we find writing incredibly hard because there is a sense of not wanting to disappoint and repeat oneself: the fear, pressure, and terror, of the blank page.
The step up was easy, as we'd been standing in the trenches for 10 years. We'd been waiting to become a band for real, because, even though we were a real band, it didn't feel like that because we were not working. We just made records and that was about it. Going out on tour was everything that we had been waiting for, so we just welcomed it with open arms, even though it was hard going. We had no days off - 20 shows in a row - and no hotels, no showers. We played every shithole on this planet and we played all the time, and we loved it.
If somebody squashes my plan for something creative, I become crazy. I refused to stand down, but Andy Black is also hard-headed, so I had to do something in order to get this through. So I suggested that we record two records for Music For Nations for the price of one; it would count as one record in the contract, so we'd only get money for one record, but they would get two records that they could sell separately. So that was a very, very good business deal for them but not so much for us - but it was a very good creative decision for me and the band. It showed that we're a very honest band.
Andy Farrow: Ironically, Damnation actually sold more than Deliverance in America and, as a result, I came up with the Shepherd's Bush Empire Lamentations idea, which was a significant gig for the band... The Lamentations DVD got a gold award in Canada, which in terms of sales was not huge but a very proud moment for us, but what it didn't get us was a tour with Slipknot in America as they only watched the first set which was Damnation and thought Opeth were too soft!
Peter: Then we played a show in Vancouver and Devin Townsend and his band lived there, so we asked his drummer Gene Hoglan if he wanted to play with us on the tour. He was into it, so he came to rehearsals and played a song and corrected us - apparently we'd been playing it wrong for years. We listened to the album, and he was right!
Steven Wilson: (Watershed) That was the record where Mike had out-produced me; it was full of wacky and bizarre ideas and it seemed, at that point, that he was fearless - an example being the de-tuned guitar at the end of Burden. Without wanting to sound pretentious, it was then that Mike started to become an artist.
September 4, 2021
The book of Opeth! A Christmas present that has been staring at me for months, and I finally got the chance to get into it.
This is a strange one, because the format of the book is an amalgamation of coffee table photobook and autobiography, and it does seem to hit the spot on both fronts. However, from a personal perspective I could have done with more in depth tales from the studio and/or the road. It’s very much an overview that fails to dig below the surface.
Sadly, the book of Opeth also falls into the trap that a good amount of autobiographies do, poor pacing. We get a massive chunk about the formation of the band and their childhood, up til the first album, and then they skip through albums and recording processes really quickly. The first 40 pages are the story up until the release of their debut album, Orchid, and by page 70 we are already at the point in their career where they have released Blackwater Park, five albums later. Surely they had more to talk about during these time periods?
As the career span progresses, they do go into a bit more depth. Maybe they remember more about these eras and album cycles. It’s sad to see members come and go but every time it happens it’s relatively amicable (Per Wilberg excluded!) - and it’s great to hear how happy everyone is in the current lineup.
A nice overview of the career of one of the greatest prog metal bands of all time!
This is a strange one, because the format of the book is an amalgamation of coffee table photobook and autobiography, and it does seem to hit the spot on both fronts. However, from a personal perspective I could have done with more in depth tales from the studio and/or the road. It’s very much an overview that fails to dig below the surface.
Sadly, the book of Opeth also falls into the trap that a good amount of autobiographies do, poor pacing. We get a massive chunk about the formation of the band and their childhood, up til the first album, and then they skip through albums and recording processes really quickly. The first 40 pages are the story up until the release of their debut album, Orchid, and by page 70 we are already at the point in their career where they have released Blackwater Park, five albums later. Surely they had more to talk about during these time periods?
As the career span progresses, they do go into a bit more depth. Maybe they remember more about these eras and album cycles. It’s sad to see members come and go but every time it happens it’s relatively amicable (Per Wilberg excluded!) - and it’s great to hear how happy everyone is in the current lineup.
A nice overview of the career of one of the greatest prog metal bands of all time!
May 19, 2019
A nice little coffee table book and a well-crafted collector's item detailing the history of the band. Only for Opeth fans, of course.
November 22, 2023
It is a history and encyclopaedic guide to Opeth.
June 5, 2016
Great book, and a great collector's item.
It was put together well, with images, quotes and backgrounds to break up the writing. The prose was somewhat of a speech form, like members were interviewed live, making it an easy read.
As an avid Opeth fan and bookworm this was a necessary item to add to a personal collection. There's something that feels quite holy, divinely special about holding it in your hands. It is a beautiful book aesthetically. They hired a good bunch of people to put it together. Oh yeah and there's a 7" EP with some songs but that doesn't interest me much to be honest... I'll listen eventually.
It was great to read about the progression of the band from personal perspectives and from all the members bar a few. Also great to hear perspectives from S Wilson and their manager. It's great hearing some members describe the same events in different ways, that gives away their personality. There are things I learned that I hadn't previously known about, which having said that would be pretty shitty if it wasn't the case. Also there were some funny parts as expected when Akerfelt is speaking.
This book seems to somewhat be just be another physical culmination of the personal sentimentality I feel for and in their music. It has changed my life. So anything Opeth related will seem pretty holy. My only regret is that it can't account for the future...
It was put together well, with images, quotes and backgrounds to break up the writing. The prose was somewhat of a speech form, like members were interviewed live, making it an easy read.
As an avid Opeth fan and bookworm this was a necessary item to add to a personal collection. There's something that feels quite holy, divinely special about holding it in your hands. It is a beautiful book aesthetically. They hired a good bunch of people to put it together. Oh yeah and there's a 7" EP with some songs but that doesn't interest me much to be honest... I'll listen eventually.
It was great to read about the progression of the band from personal perspectives and from all the members bar a few. Also great to hear perspectives from S Wilson and their manager. It's great hearing some members describe the same events in different ways, that gives away their personality. There are things I learned that I hadn't previously known about, which having said that would be pretty shitty if it wasn't the case. Also there were some funny parts as expected when Akerfelt is speaking.
This book seems to somewhat be just be another physical culmination of the personal sentimentality I feel for and in their music. It has changed my life. So anything Opeth related will seem pretty holy. My only regret is that it can't account for the future...
June 21, 2016
I went back and forth about buying this pricey "coffee table" style book, but I'm glad I did. The book itself is beautiful, and once you hold it in your hands you can understand the hefty price tag. The text itself is a quick read (a couple of hours) but gives a complete history of the band in their own words. If you are a fan of the band (and who else would buy this) I don't think you will be disappointed. Of course, there is also the exclusive 7" included which no Opeth nerd can live without!
May 9, 2016
Love Opeth - Love the book.
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