The Opeth Lyrics Archive [R5 April 2010]

7/27/2019 The Opeth Lyrics Archive [R5 April 2010]

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Revision 5 - April 2010

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Opeth - OrchidReleased: May 15, 1995

Label: Candlelight

Tracks:

1. In Mist She Was Standing2. Under The Weeping Moon

3. Silhouette4. Forest Of October

5. The Twilight Is My Robe6. Requiem

7. The Apostle In Triumph

Various Artists -In Memory Of... Celtic FrostReleased: March 4, 1996

Label: Dwell Records

Tracks:

Circle Of The Tyrants (Celtic Frost cover)


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Opeth - MorningriseReleased: June 24, 1996

Label: Century Media, Candlelight

Tracks:

1. Advent2. The Night And The Silent Water

3. Nectar4. Black Rose Immortal5. To Bid You Farewell

Various Artists -A Call To Irons, A Tribute To IronMaidenReleased: May 5, 1998

Label: Dwell Records

Tracks:

Remember Tomorrow (Iron Maidencover)


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Opeth - My Arms, Your HearseReleased: August 18, 1998


Tracks:

1. Prologue2. April Ethereal

3. When4. Madrigal

5. The Amen Corner6. Demon Of The Fall

7. Credence8. Karma

9. Epilogue

Opeth - Still LifeReleased: October 18, 1999

Label: Peaceville

Tracks:

1. The Moor2. Godheads Lament

3. Benighted4. Moonlapse Vertigo

5. Face Of Melinda6. Serenity Painted Death

7. White Cluster

A limited digipak version was released in 2003


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Opeth - Orchid[Reissue]Released: October 2, 2000

Label: Candlelight

Tracks:

1. In Mist She Was Standing2. Under The Weeping Moon

3. Silhouette4. Forest Of October

5. The Twilight Is My Robe6. Requiem

7. The Apostle In Triumph8. Into The Frost Of Winter (1992 rehearsal)

Opeth - Morningrise[Reissue]Released: October 2, 2000


Tracks:

1. Advent2. The Night And The Silent Water

3. Nectar4. Black Rose Immortal5. To Bid You Farewell

6. Eternal Soul Torture (1992 rehearsal)


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Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse[Reissue]Released: October 2, 2000


Tracks:

1. Prologue2. April Ethereal

3. When4. Madrigal

5. The Amen Corner6. Demon Of The Fall

7. Credence8. Karma

9. Epilogue10. Circle Of The Tyrants (Celtic Frost cover)

11. Remember Tomorrow (Iron Maidencover)

Opeth - Blackwater ParkReleased: February 27, 2001

Label: Music For Nations, Koch

Tracks:

1. The Leper Affinity2. Bleak3. Harvest

4. The Drapery Falls5. Dirge For November6. The Funeral Portrait7. Patterns In The Ivy8. Blackwater Park

The Drapery Falls was released in edited formas a 1 track promotional CD


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Opeth - Blackwater Park[Limited Edition]Released: July 22, 2002


Tracks:



9. Still Day Beneath The Sun10. Patterns In The Ivy II

Also includes a multimedia video of the band inthe studio set to Harvest , and a photo gallery

Opeth - DeliveranceReleased: November 4, 2002


Tracks:

1. Wreath2. Deliverance

3. A Fair Judgment4. For Absent Friends

5. Master's Apprentices6. By The Pain I See In Others

7. [hidden untitled track]

First edition was a limited digipak


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Opeth - Still Day Beneath The Sun[Single]Released: February 1, 2003

Label: Koch

Tracks:

1. Still Day Beneath The Sun2. Patterns In The Ivy II

Limited pressing

Opeth - DamnationReleased: April 14, 2003


Tracks:

1. Windowpane2. In My Time Of Need

3. Death Whispered A Lullaby4. Closure

5. Hope Leaves6. To Rid The Disease

7. Ending Credits8. Weakness

First edition was a limited digipak


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Opeth - Lamentations (Live AtShepherds Bush Empire 2003)[DVD]Released: November 23, 2003

Label: Koch

Tracks:

1. Windowpane (Live)2. In My Time Of Need (Live)

3. Death Whispered A Lullaby (Live)4. Closure (Live)

5. Hope Leaves (Live)6. To Rid The Disease (Live)

7. Ending Credits (Live)8. Harvest (Live)

9. Weakness (Live)10.Master's Apprentices (Live)

11. The Drapery Falls (Live)12. Deliverance (Live)

13. The Leper Affinity (Live)14.A Fair Judgment (Live)

Also includes a documentary on the making ofDeliverance and Damnation

Opeth - Ghost ReveriesReleased: August 30, 2005

Label: Roadrunner

Tracks:

1. Ghost Of Perdition2. The Baying Of The Hounds

3. Beneath The Mire4. Atonement

5. Reverie - Harlequin Forest6. Hours Of Wealth

7. The Grand Conjuration8. Isolation Years


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Alternate no title coverreleased in somecountries

The Grand Conjuration was released in

edited form as a 1 track promotional CD

Opeth - Opeth[Box Set]Released: October 17, 2006

Label: Koch

Contains:

Blackwater Park

Deliverance

Damnation

Lamentations (Live At Shepherds Bush

Empire) [CD]

This is the only release of Lamentations on CD


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Tracks:

CD 1:

1. Windowpane (Live)2. In My Time Of Need (Live)

3. Death Whispered A Lullaby (Live)4. Closure (Live)

5. Hope Leaves (Live)6. To Rid The Disease (Live)

7. Ending Credits (Live)8. Harvest (Live)

9. WeaknessCD2:

10.Master's Apprentices (Live)11. The Drapery Falls (Live)

12. Deliverance (Live)13. The Leper Affinity (Live)

14.A Fair Judgment

Opeth - Ghost Reveries[Limited Edition]Released: October 31, 2006

Label: Roadrunner

Tracks:

1. Ghost Of Perdition2. The Baying Of The Hounds

3. Beneath The Mire4. Atonement

5. Reverie - Harlequin Forest6. Hours Of Wealth

7. The Grand Conjuration8. Isolation Years

9. Soldier Of Fortune (Deep Purple cover)

Also includes revised cover art, a 5.1 surroundmix of the album, a documentary of the

making of the album, and the music video forThe Grand Conjuration


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Opeth - The Roundhouse Tapes[CD]Released: November 5, 2007

Label: Peaceville

Tracks:

CD 1:

1. When (Live)2. Ghost Of Perdition (Live)

3. Under The Weeping Moon (Live)4. Bleak (Live)

5. Face Of Melinda (Live)6. The Night And The Silent Water (Live)

CD 2:

7. Windowpane (Live)8. Blackwater Park (Live)

9. Demon Of The Fall (Live)

Opeth - Still Life[Reissue]Released: March 31, 2008

Label: Peaceville

Tracks:

1. The Moor2. Godheads Lament

3. Benighted4. Moonlapse Vertigo

5. Face Of Melinda6. Serenity Painted Death

7. White Cluster

The album is remastered

Also contains revised artwork, a 5.1 surroundmix of the whole album, and a video of Face

Of Melinda (from The Roundhouse Tapes)


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Opeth - Porcelain Heart[Single]Released: April 19, 2008

Label: Roadrunner

Tracks:

1. Porcelain Heart2. The Lotus Eater

Limited release

Porcelain Heart was also released in editedform as a 1 track promotional CD

Opeth - WatershedReleased: June 3, 2008

Label: Roadrunner

Tracks:

1. Coil2. Heir Apparent3. The Lotus Eater

4. Burden5. Porcelain Heart

6. Hessian Peel7. Hex Omega


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Limited edition first pressing alsoincludes different cover artwork, a 5.1

surround mix of the album,documentary footage, and 3 bonus

tracks:

1. Derelict Herds2. Bridge Of Sighs (Robin Trower cover)

3. Den Stndiga Resan (Marie Fredrikssoncover)

A bonus CD (limited to 750 copies) ofMellotron Heart was issued with the first

edition

Opeth - The Candlelight Years[Box Set]Released: June 26, 2008

Label: Candlelight

Contains:

Orchid

Morningrise

My Arms, Your Hearse

All 3 albums are the 2000 reissues with bonustracks


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Opeth - The Roundhouse Tapes[DVD]Released: October 27, 2008

Label: Peaceville

Tracks:

1. When (Live)2. Ghost Of Perdition (Live)

3. Under The Weeping Moon (Live)4. Bleak (Live)

5. Face Of Melinda (Live)6. The Night And The Silent Water (Live)

7. Windowpane (Live)8. Blackwater Park (Live)

9. Demon Of The Fall (Live)

Also features interviews, soundcheck footage,and a photo gallery

Opeth - Burdon[Single]Released: December 6, 2008

Label: Roadrunner

Tracks:

1. Burden [Edit]2. Mellotron Heart

3. Would? (Alice In Chains cover)

Available via download only

Burden was also released in edited form as a1 track promotional CD


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Opeth - The Wooden Box[Box Set]Released: February 26, 2009

Label: Via Hate Records

Contains:

Orchid

Morningrise

My Arms, Your Hearse

Limited edition (200 copies) hand craftedwooden box, 6x 180g vinyl records, Opeth logo

stencil, and t-shirt

All 3 albums are the 2000 reissues with bonustracks

Various Artists - God Of War,Blood & Metal[E.P.]Released: March 22, 2010

Label: Roadrunner

Tracks:

The Throat Of Winter

Available via download only


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Opeth - Blackwater Park[Legacy Edition}Released: March 29, 2001Label: Music For Nations

Tracks:



9. The Leper Affinity (Live)

Also includes a 5.0 surround mix of the album,and a documentary of the making of the

album

If you enjoy Opeths music it is stronglyencouraged that you seek out other Mikaelkerfeldt recordings. The best of these are asfollows -

With KatatoniaBrave Murder Day (1996) - providesdeath vocals on all but one track.

Sounds Of Decay EP (1997) - providesdeath vocals on all tracks.

With Bloodbath

Breeding Death EP (2000) - providesdeath vocals on all tracks.

Resurrection Through Carnage (2002) -provides death vocals on all tracks.

Unblessing The Purity EP (2008) -provides death vocals on all tracks.

The Wacken Carnage [Live] (2008) -provides death vocals on all tracks.

The Fathomless Mastery (2008) -provides death vocals on all tracks.

With Edge Of Sanity

Crimson (1996) - provides clean vocalsand guitar parts on the one trackalbum.

With Roadrunner United

Roadrunner United: The All-Star Sessions(2005) - provides clean vocals on thesong "Roads" alongside Type ONegative keyboardist Josh Silver on theRoadrunner Records 25th Anniversaryalbum.

With Srskogen

kerfeldt sings in Swedish and plays guitars onthe lone track "Mordet I Grottan"


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Formation (1990-1993)Opeth was formed as a death metal band inthe autumn of 1990 in Stockholm, Sweden byvocalist David Isberg. Isberg asked formerEruption band member Mikael kerfeldt to joinOpeth as a bassist. When kerfeldt showed upto practice the day after Isberg invited him, itbecame clear that Isberg had not told theband members, including the band's currentbassist, that kerfeldt would be joining. Anensuing argument led to all members but Isbergand kerfeldt leaving to form a new project.

The band name was derived from the word"Opet," taken from the Wilbur Smith novel TheSunbird. In this novel, Opet is the name of afictional Phoenician city in South Africa whosename is translated as "City Of The Moon"; thename might be a reference to Opet Festival orthe Egyptian goddess Taweret, also known asOpet.

Isberg and kerfeldt recruited drummer AndersNordin, bassist Nick Dring, and guitaristAndreas Dimeo. Unsatisfied with Opeth's slowprogress, Dring and Dimeo left the band aftertheir first performance, and were replaced byguitarist Kim Pettersson and bassist JohanDeFarfalla. After the next show, DeFarfalla leftOpeth to spend time with his girlfriend inGermany, and was replaced by kerfeldt'sfriend, bassist Peter Lindgren. Lead guitaristPettersson left following the band's nextperformance, and Lindgren switched to guitar.After losing interest in the band, Isberg quit in1992 because of creative differences.

With three members in the band, kerfeldt tookover vocal duties and the trio spent the nextyear writing and rehearsing new material. Thegroup began to rely less on the blast beats andaggression typical of death metal, andincorporated acoustic guitars and guitarharmonies into their music; developing the coresound of Opeth. Stefan Guteklint joined on bassin 1993. With this line-up they recorded a demo,which led to the bands first record label

contract; Candlelight Records signed the bandin early 1994. Guteklint but was dismissed by theband after signing the deal.

Orchid (1994-1995)Opeth recorded its debut album, Orchid, withproducer Dan Swan in April 1994. The bandinitially employed former member DeFarfalla asa session bassist for the recording, and he wenton to join on a full-time basis following therelease of the album. Because of distributionproblems with the newly formed CandlelightRecords, the album was not released until May15, 1995, and only in Europe. Orchid testedthe boundaries of traditional death metal,featuring acoustic guitars, piano, and cleanvocals. Allmusic.com called Orchid "brilliant,""startlingly unique," and "a far-beyond-epicprog/death monstrosity exuding equal partsbeauty and brutality."

Morningrise (1996-1997)After a few live shows in the United Kingdom,Opeth returned to the studio in March 1996 tobegin work on a second album, againproduced by Dan Swan. Morningrise was

released in Europe on June 24, 1996. With onlyfive songs and lasting 66 minutes, the albumfeatured Opeth's longest song, the twenty-


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minute "Black Rose Immortal." Morningrise wasa huge success, with Allmusic.com giving thealbum four stars. Opeth toured the UK in supportof Morningrise, followed by a 26-dateScandinavian tour with Cradle Of Filth. While on

tour, Opeth attracted the attention of CenturyMedia records, who signed the band andreleased the first two albums internationally in1997.

After the tour, kerfeldt and Lindgren dismissedDeFarfalla for personal reasons, without theconsent of Nordin. When kerfeldt informedNordin, who was on a vacation in Brazil, Nordinleft the band and remained in Brazil. FormerAmon Amarth drummer Martin Lopezresponded to a newspaper ad placed bykerfeldt and joined Opeth in 1997. Lopezmade his debut with Opeth playing on a cover

version of Iron Maiden's "Remember Tomorrow,"which was included on the album A Call ToIrons: A Tribute To Iron Maiden.

My Arms, Your Hearse (1998)With a larger recording budget from CenturyMedia, Opeth began work on its third album,with noted Swedish producer Fredrik Nordstrm,at Studio Fredman in August 1997. The bandadded bassist Martin Mendez shortly beforerecording, but due to time constraints kerfeldt

played bass on the album. My Arms, YourHearse was released to critical acclaim onAugust 18, 1998. As Opeth's first internationalrelease, the album exposed the band to awider global audience. My Arms, Your Hearsemarked the beginning of a shift in the band'ssound, focusing less on guitar harmonies andmore heavily on progressive metal riffs.

Still Life (1999-2000)In 1999, the ownership of Candlelight Recordschanged hands, with owner and friend of the

band Lee Barrett leaving the company. Opethsigned with UK label Peaceville Records inEurope, which was distributed by Music ForNations. Opeth reserved time at StudioFredman to begin work on its next album, butrecording was postponed while the studio wasrelocated. Due to time constraints, the bandwas able to rehearse only twice beforeentering the studio. Delays with the album'sartwork pushed the release back an additionalmonth and Still Life was released on October18, 1999. Due to problems with the band's newdistribution network, the album was notreleased in the United States until February2001. Still Life was the first album recorded withMendez, and also the first Opeth album to bear

any kind of caption on the front cover upon itsinitial release, including the band's logo.Allmusic.com called Still Life a "formidablesplicing of harsh, often jagged guitar riffs withgraceful melodies." As explained by kerfeldt,Still Life is a concept album, "The maincharacter is kind of banished from hishometown because he hasn't got the samefaith as the rest of the inhabitants there. Thealbum pretty much starts off when he isreturning after several years to hook up with hisold "babe." The big bosses of the town knowthat he's back... A lot of bad things starthappening."

Blackwater Park (2001)Following a few live dates in Europe, Opethreturned to Studio Fredman to begin work on itsnext album, with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilsonproducing. The band sought to recreate therecording experience of Still Life, and againentered the studio with minimal rehearsals, andno lyrics written. "This time it was tough,"kerfeldt said, "I feel pleasantly blown away bythe immense result, though. It was indeed worththe effort." Wilson also pushed the band toexpand its sound, incorporating new soundsand production techniques. "Steve guided usinto the realms of 'strange' noises for guitars andvoice," kerfeldt said.

Opeth released its fifth studio album,Blackwater Park, on February 21, 2001.Allmusic.com called Blackwater Park"astounding, a work of breathtaking creativebreadth," noting that the album "keeps withOpeth's tradition by transcending the limits ofdeath/black metal and repeatedly shatteringthe foundations of conventional song writing."In support of Blackwater Park, Opethembarked on its first world tour, headlinedEurope for the first time, and made anappearance at the 2001 Wacken Open Airfestival in Germany, playing to a crowd of

60,000.

Deliverance and Damnation(2002-2004)Opeth returned home after touring in support ofBlackwater Park, and began writing for thenext album. At first, kerfeldt had troubleputting together new material: "I wanted towrite something heavier than we'd ever done,still I had all these great mellow parts andarrangements which I didn't want to go to

waste." Jonas Renkse of Katatonia, a long-time


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friend of kerfeldt, suggested writing music fortwo separate albumsone heavy and one soft.

Excited at the prospect, kerfeldt agreedwithout consulting his band mates or record

label. While his band mates liked the idea ofrecording two separate albums, kerfeldt hadto convince the label: "I had to lie somewhat...saying that we could do this recording verysoon, it won't cost more than a regular singlealbum." With most of the material written, theband rehearsed just once before enteringNacksving Studios in 2002, and again withproducer Steven Wilson in Studio Fredman.Under pressure to complete both albumssimultaneously, kerfeldt said the recordingprocess was "the toughest test of our history."After recording basic tracks, the band movedproduction to England to first mix the heavy

album, Deliverance, with Andy Sneap atBackstage Studios. "Deliverance was so poorlyrecorded, without any organisationwhatsoever," kerfeldt claimed, that Sneap "iscredited as a 'saviour' in the sleeve, as he surelysaved much of the recording."

Deliverance was released on November 4,2002, and debuted at number 19 on the US TopIndependent Albums chart, marking the band'sfirst US chart appearance. Allmusic.com stated,"Deliverance is altogether more subtle thanany of its predecessors, approaching listenerswith haunting nuances and masterful dynamicsrather than overwhelming them with sheer massand complexity."

Opeth performed a one-off concert inStockholm, then returned to the UK to finishrecording vocals for the second of the twoalbums, Damnation, at Steven Wilson's NoMan's Land Studios. Although kerfeldtbelieved the band could not finish bothalbums, Opeth completed Deliverance andDamnation in just seven weeks of studio time,which was the same amount spent onBlackwater Park alone. Damnation wasreleased on April 14, 2003, and garnered theband its first appearance on the US Billboard200 at number 192. The album also won the2003 Swedish Grammy Award for Best HardRock Performance.

The band embarked on its biggest tour yet,playing nearly 200 shows in 2003 and 2004.Opeth performed three special shows in Europewith two song lists each - one acoustic set andone heavy set. The band recorded its first DVD,Lamentations (Live at Shepherd's Bush Empire2003), at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London,England. The DVD features a two-hourperformance, including the entire Damnationalbum, several songs from Deliverance andBlackwater Park, and a one-hour

documentary about the recording ofDeliverance and Damnation. Lamentationswas certified Gold in Canada.

Opeth was scheduled to perform in Jordan

without a crew due to the fear of terroristattacks in the Middle East. Opeth's tourmanager distributed 6,000 tickets for theconcert, but before the band left for Jordan,drummer Lopez called kerfeldt stating he washaving a anxiety attack and could not perform,forcing the band to cancel the show. In early2004, Lopez was sent home from Canada aftermore anxiety attacks on tour. Opeth decidedagainst cancelling the remainder of the tourwith Lopez's drum technician filling in for twoconcerts. Lopez promised that he would returnto the tour as soon as he could, but two showslaterOpeth asked Strapping Young Lad

drummer Gene Hoglan to fill in. Lopez returnedto Opeth for the Seattle show on the final leg ofthe Deliverance and Damnation tour. PerWiberg also joined the band on tour to performkeyboards, and after more than a year on tour,Opeth returned home to start writing newmaterial in 2004.

Ghost Reveries (2005-2007)Opeth's European label, Music for Nations,closed its doors in 2005 and after negotiations

with various labels, the band signed withRoadrunner Records. kerfeldt said the primaryreason for signing with Roadrunner was thelabel's wide distribution, ensuring the albumwould be available at larger-chain retailers.When news leaked that the band was signedto Roadrunner, who predominantly worked withtrend-oriented rock and metal, some fansaccused the band of selling out. "To be honest,"kerfeldt said, "that's such an insult after 15years as a band and 8 records. I can't believewe haven't earned each and every Opeth fan'scredibility after all these years. I mean, oursongs are 10 minutes long!"

Opeth finished writing material for its eighthalbum in late 2004. The band rehearsed forthree weeks before entering the studio, the firsttime the band rehearsed since the 1998 album,My Arms, Your Hearse. During rehearsal,touring keyboardist Wiberg joined Opeth as afull-time member. Opeth recorded atFascination Street Studios in rebro, Sweden,from March 18 to June 1, 2005, and releasedthe resulting Ghost Reveries on August 30,2005, to critical and commercial acclaim. Thealbum debuted at number 64 in the US, andnumber nine in Sweden, higher than any

previous Opeth release. Keith Bergman ofBlabbermouth.net gave the album ten out of


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ten, one of only 17 albums to achieve a perfectrating from the site. Rod Smith of Decibelmagazine called Ghost Reveries "achinglybeautiful, sometimes unabashedly brutal, oftena combination of both."

On May 12, 2006, Martin Lopez announced thathe had officially parted ways with Opeth due tohealth problems, and was replaced by MartinAxenrot. Opeth toured on the main stage ofGigantour in 2006, alongside Megadeth. GhostReveries was re-released on October 31, 2006,with a bonus cover song (Deep Purple's SoldierOf Fortune) and a DVD documenting themaking of the album. A recording of Opeth'slive performance at the Camden Roundhouse,in London, on November 9, 2006, was releasedas the double live album The RoundhouseTapes.

On May 17, 2007, Peter Lindgren announced hewas leaving Opeth after 16 years. "The decisionhas been the toughest I've ever made but it isthe right one to make at this point in my life,"Lindgren said. "I feel that I simply have lost someof the enthusiasm and inspiration needed toparticipate in a band that has grown from afew guys playing the music we love to aworldwide industry." Ex-Arch Enemy guitaristFredrik kesson replaced Lindgren, as kerfeldtexplained: Fredrik was the only name thatpopped up thinking about a replacement forPeter. In my opinion he's one of the top threeguitar players out of Sweden. We all get alonggreat as we've known each other for maybefour years and he already has the experienceto take on the circus-like lifestyle we lead asmembers of Opeth.

Watershed (2008 onward)Opeth entered Fascination Street Studios withkerfeldt producing, in November 2007. ByJanuary 2008, Opeth had recorded 13 songs,including three cover songs. The finished album,

Watershed, features seven tracks, with coversongs used as bonus tracks on different versions

of the album. Watershed was released onJune 3, 2008. kerfeldt described the songs onthe album as "a bit more energetic."Watershed was Opeth's highest-chartingalbum to date, debuting at number 23 on the

US Billboard 200. Watershed debuted on theAustralian ARIA album charts at number sevenand at number one on Finland's official albumchart.

Opeth planned tours in support of Watershed,including headlining the UK tour Defenders OfThe Faith with Arch Enemy, an appearance atWacken Open Air, and the Progressive Nationtour with headlinerDream Theater. They thenwent on a worldwide tour in support of thealbum. However, gigs in Spain and Portugalwere cancelled due to the Burning Live Festivalbeing cancelled, and four concerts from June

26 to June 29 had to be cancelled due toMikael kerfeldt having chicken pox. Two ofthe festivals Opeth were supposed to play atwere Hovefestivalen and Metaltown in Sweden.Their replacement for both the absences wasSatyricon. From September to October, Opethtoured North America again backed by HighOn Fire, Baroness, and Nachtmystium. Theyreturned to tour Europe for the rest of the yearwith Cynic and The Ocean.

Opeth recently wrote and recorded the newtrack, "The Throat Of Winter", which appearedon the digital EP soundtrack to the upcomingvideo game, God Of War III. kerfeldtdescribed the song as "odd" and "not verymetal."

To celebrate their 20th anniversary, Opethperformed a six-show, worldwide tour calledEvolution XX: An Opeth Anthology, from March30 through April 9, 2010. Blackwater Park wasperformed in its entirety, along with severalsongs never before performed. kerfeldtstated, "I cant believe it, but, fuck, were

celebrating 20 years. Ive been in this band

ever since I was 16. Its insane." A special edition

of Blackwater Park was released in March2010, to coincide with the tour.


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Musical style and InfluencesAs Opeth's primary songwriter and lyricist,vocalist-guitarist Mikael kerfeldt's influencedominates the sound of the band. kerfeldt isthe only member to appear on every release.Influenced at a young age by heavy metalbands such as Slayer, Death, Black Sabbath,Celtic Frost, King Diamond and Morbid Angel,kerfeldt later discovered progressive rock andfolk music, both of which had a profoundimpact on the sound of the band. Opeth'sdistinct sound mixes heavy metal with acousticpassages, while also incorporating elements ofprogressive metal and progressive rock. In hisreview of Blackwater Park, Allmusic.com's

Eduardo Rivadavia wrote, "Tracks start and

finish in seemingly arbitrary fashion, usuallytraversing ample musical terrain, includingacoustic guitar and solo piano passages,ambient soundscapes, stoner rock grooves,and Eastern-tinged melodiesany of which aresubject to savage punctuations of death metalfury at any given moment."

kerfeldt commented on the diversity ofOpeth's music: I don't see the point of playingin a band and going just one way when youcan do everything. It would be impossible for usto play just death metal; that is our roots, butwe are now a mishmash of everything, and not

purists to any form of music. It's impossible for usto do that, and quite frankly I would think of itas boring to be in a band that plays just metalmusic. We're not afraid to experiment, or to becaught with our pants down, so to speak. That'swhat keeps us going.

Opeth's earlier works often made use of twin-guitar harmonies, although they were phasedout on later releases. "I got tired of it, the wholeharmony guitar thing", kerfeldt said. "It got outof hand in the mid-90s. Every band was doingthat thing." kerfeldt noted that the song "FaceOf Melinda" from the band's fourth release "wasmy first rhyming lyric". Many of the band's songsexceed 10 minutes in length, which AaronBurgess of Alternative Press magazine criticized,stating "you can't really be a casual Opeth fan.It takes enough as a listener just to get past theband's epic song lengths."

Vocally, kerfeldt shifts between growlingdeath metal vocals for heavy sections, andclean, sometimes whispered vocals overacoustic passages. While death growls weredominant on early releases, later effortsincorporate more clean vocals, with the 2003release Damnation featuring only clean

singing. Rivadavia noted that "kerfeldt's vocalsrun the gamut from bowel-churning grunts tomelodies of chilling beautydepending oneach movement section's mood."

kerfeldt's lyrics are often poetic andmetaphorical, focusing on the bleak side ofhuman nature. In albums such as Blackwater

Park, Still Life and My Arms, Your Hearse, allof the songs are unified under a single theme.In My Arms Your Hearse, the last lyric of eachsong is the title of the next song on the record,providing a sense of fluidity and cohesivenessto the album.


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Released May 15, 1995

Recorded at Unisound March - April 1994

Label Candlelight (EU) / Century Black (US)

Producer Opeth, Dan Swan, Pontus Norgren

PersonnelMikael kerfeldt- Vocals / Guitar

Peter Lindgren - Guitar

Johan DeFarfalla - Bass

Anders Nordin - Drums / Piano

TracksIn Mist She Was Standing (14:07)

[Mikael kerfeld / Peter Lindgren]

Under The Weeping Moon (9:52)

[Mikael kerfeld]

Silhouette (3:07)

[Anders Nordin]

Forest Of October(13:04)


The Twilight Is My Robe (11:00)


Requiem (2:41)

[Mikael kerfeld / Anders Nordin]

The Apostle In Triumph (11:30)


Into The Frost Of Winter(Rehearsal 1992) [BonusTrack] (6:19)

[Mikael kerfeld / Peter Lindgren / David Isberg]

(Time: 65:36 / 71:40 with bonus track)

Orchid was released in Europe on Candlelight Records in 1995 and in the United States on Century

Black, Century Media Records' black metal off-shoot in 1997. It was reissued by Candlelight in 2000 with"Into The Frost Of Winter", an early recording of the band during a 1992 rehearsal. It was reissued againin 2003 with the same bonus track in a limited edition tin box. In 2008, the album was added on TheCandlelight Years 3 album compilation box set.

Due to a mix-up in Orchid's mastering process, the end of "Requiem" was placed at the beginning of"The Apostle In Triumph". The band has expressed regret for this, and says it was of no fault of their own.Later reissues have never fixed this error.


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1. In Mist She Was StandingSeven milestones

Under a watching Autumn eyeContorted trees are spreading forth

The message of the wind

With frozen hands I rode with the stars

With anger the wind blewGiving wings to my stallion

Clouds gathered across the moonBlazing the white light

Passing the lake I know so wellI am near, yet so far away

ArrivalI saw her shadow (standing) in the darknessAwaiting me like the night

Awaits the dayStanding silent smiling at my

presenceA black candle holds the only

light

Darkness enclosesAnd the candle seem to

expireIn her cold, cold handAnd as a forlorn soul

It will fade away

Touching her flesh in this nightMy blood froze forever

Embraced before the dawnA kiss brought total eclipse

And she spokeOnce and forever

I am so coldIn mist enrobed the twilight

She was standing

2. Under The Weeping MoonOnce again I've cried

Unto the moonThat burning flame

That has guided meThrough all these years

The lake from which you flow

With eyes of fireOnce unlit but now alive

This energy, sparklingLike a morning star

The morning star

Riding the fires ofThe northern gold

I've searched the eyeI laugh under the weeping moon

I am the watcher in the skiesNor the emeralds know my mark

Glisten to mark their presenceSet the enigma ablaze

SearchingFinding

Burn the winter landmarksThat said I was thereBurn the spirit of cold

That travel through my soul

3. Silhouette[Instrumental]

4. Forest Of OctoberThe memories that now rest in this forest

Forever shadowing the sunrise of my heartWings leave their nest at my coming

Swaying away unto the cold glowing sky

Dreaming away for a whileMy spirit sighs in peace

Gazing unto the starsPlease, take me there

I am so alone, so coldMy heart is to scarred to glow


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I wish the sunrise to comeTake my soul (away)

From this cold, lonely shellI am free

From the eternal sea I roseVeiled in darkness on either shore

Lost my pride, lost its glowFor me the sun rose no more

The Forest Of OctoberSleeps silent when I depart

The web of timeHides my last trace

My blaze travel the last universeLike the sights of magic

Wrapped in aeons

My mind is one with my soulI fall aloneWhile leaves fall from the weeping trees

5. The Twilight Is My RobeUnto you I whisperThe wildest dreams

In the coldness of night

Shrouded in crystals

Through a frosty duskSouls of the full moon awaits

Their shadows ablaze

We are all bendingOur tired leaves over your empty shell

In the sign of true esteemAre you beloved lord

Sighing deep under these waterfalls?

The birds of the sunSeparates these dark clouds

While the winds of winter sleeps gently around

I am sworn to the oathTo breathe

At the waters I dwellThe waves are still whispering

Ancient lullabiesI die

While our mystic brothers still seek

Under your command I will obeyIn my vision

You are the embodiment of pure freedomBut through my eyes you are made of stone

6. Requiem[Instrumental]

7. The Apostle In TriumphIn solitude I wander

Through the vast enchanted forest

The surrounding skies are oneTorn apart by the phenomenon of lightning

Rain is pouring down my (now) shiveringshoulders

In the rain my tears are forever lost

The darkened oaks are my only shelterRed leaves are blown by the wind

An ebony raven now catches my eyeSitting in calmness

Before spreading his black wingsReaching for the skies

In this forestWhere wolves cry their agony unto the moon

My spirit is hiddenIn the form of wisdomCarved on a black stone

The only way to followOpen your soul

Redeem, I am immortal

Blinded by a lightMy soul is held up in glory

I engulf the skiesThe apostle in triumph

Through the eternal flame I travelAs the rain keeps falling

8. Into The Frost Of Winter(Rehearsal 1992)[Bonus Track - Lyrics Unavailable]


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Released March 4, 1996Label Dwell Records





TracksCircle Of The Tyrants (5:12)

[Thomas Gabriel Fischer]

(Time: 5:12)

Circle Of The Tyrants[Celtic Frost cover]

After the battle is overAnd the sands drunken the blood

All what there remainsIs the bitterness of delusion

The immortality of the godsSits at their side

As they leave the walls behindTo reach the jewels gleam

The days have comeWhen the steel will rule

And upon his headA crown of gold

Your hand wields the might

The tyrant's the precursorYou carry the will

As the morning is near

I sing the balladsOf victory and defeat

I hear the talesOf frozen mystery

The new kingdoms riseBy the circle of the tyrantsIn the land of darkness

The warrior that was meGrotesque glory

None will ever see them fallAnd hunts and war

Are like everlasting shadows

Where the winds cannot reachThe tyrant's might was born

And often I look backWith tears in my eyes

Grotesque gloryNone will ever see them fall

And hunts and wars


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Recorded at Unisound, Winter 1996

Label Candlelight (EU) / Century Black (US)

Producer Opeth, Dan Swan





TracksAdvent(13:46)


The Night And The Silent Water(10:58)


Nectar(10:10)


Black Rose Immortal (20:16)


To Bid You Farewell (10:57)


Eternal Soul Torture (Rehearsal 1992) [BonusTrack] (8:35)

[Mikael kerfeld / Peter Lindgren / David Isberg]


Morningrise is the Opeth's second studio album. The album exemplifies Opeth's signature style, exploringthe dynamics between the combination of heavy death metal vocals and guitar parts with lighter

progressive and acoustic elements. The bridge depicted on the album cover is a Palladian bridge,located in Prior Park in Bath, England.

The song "The Night And The Silent Water", is about the grandfather of vocalist/guitarist Mikael kerfeldt,who had died shortly before the recording of the album. For this reason, kerfeldt was nevercomfortable with playing the song live, and even stated in interviews that he did not like it. Later on, hehad admitted a change of heart, stating that he believed the song to be a "masterpiece."

"To Bid You Farewell," the album's final and least heavy song, was notable at the time for featuring nodeath metal vocals, something that was considered standard to employ in the rising contemporaryScandinavian death metal scene.

This album also features Opeth's longest ever recorded song: "Black Rose Immortal", which lasts over 20minutes. To date, this remains the only Opeth album where each song exceeds 10 mins (excluding thedemo bonus track).

In interviews for the Lamentations DVD, Mikael kerfeldt stated that following the success of this album,he got tired of its style and the number of 'copycat' bands using the counterpoint melodies which litter


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this album and its predecessor. He goes so far as to say that he finds certain sections of Morningrise"unlistenable" and was compelled to change Opeth's sound for My Arms, Your Hearse accordingly.

The album was released in Europe by Candlelight Records in 1996 with a sticker on a jewel case, and inthe United States by Century Black, Century Media Records' black metal off-shoot a year later. It was

reissued by Candlelight Records in 2000. The 2000 reissue contains a bonus track for both normal andvinyl editions released by Displeased Records. It is the demo "Eternal Soul Torture", an early recording ofthe band during a 1992 rehearsal. The bonus track was also released on the limited edition tin box in2003.

1. AdventIt was all true

A parlour strode, and the night setsforever

I stray in the quiet cold

And you gird me when I dare tolisten

Elastic meadow, endless arms ofsorrow

Lips try to form becauseTrying to adapt to the wildernessWhere even foes close their eyes

and leave

We are inside the gladeEvery now and then I wipe the dust

asideTo remember

How I drape my face with my barehands

The same that brought me hereBut you were beyond all helpThe folded message that wept my name

Shadows skulk at my comingWe survey the slopes

In search for the words to write the missingpage

The tainted dogma

Time grows shortAs the piper plays his timeWe are almost there

You are beyond all helpDancing into the voidWe are almost there

2. The Night And The Silent WaterAnd so you left us

Jaded and gaunt, some September

Wilted with the seasonsBut hidden inside the delusionI saw you eyes, somewhere

Devoid of deathThe aura poises amidst (the storm)

In solid tears I lingerA parlour glade, moonlit sorrow

Lonely resting poolsRelics of the moon-dogged lake

Whisper: All your words are misgiven

Am I like them?Those who mourn and turn awayThose who would give anything

To see you againIf only for another second

Your face was, like the photographPainted white

We did not speak very often about itWhat does it matter now?

Cloak of autumn shroudI gaze, dim ricochet of stars

I reckon it is time for me to leave


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You sleep in the lightYet the night and the silent water

Still so dark

3. NectarI arose from the lullaby

Enduring yet another taleYou tempt me again

With your embrace, so taintedWithin the night you beckon

Cursing me with every glance

Bring me throughCarry my empty shadow

And guide me inside your warped labyrinthTo the well of sin

I swear I will always love you

Leave me speechlessRelease my yearning

The soil I walk is clad with l ightDrifting moons thrust me with their rays

And I fall inside

I lament this heritageCannot bid farewell

The pale face...you went as far as you couldAnd from that moment

I witnessed your beauty, felt your death

Mine is yours, mine is yours

In the wake of dawnThe mist of morning linger before it leaves

Invisible eyes, red reflectionIt is you

Smiling in the midst of the moor

4. Black Rose ImmortalIn the name of desperation

I call your nameA lamentation I sigh

Again and again

Spiritual eclipseThe gateways are closed for me to seek

The night...A veil of stars, watching

My shadow is born from lightThe light of the eye, in darkness

Over troubled waters memories soar

Endlessly, searching night and dayThe moonlight caresses a lonely hillWith the calmness of a whisper

I wear a naked soulA blank face in the streaming water

It is cold in hereFrost scar my coat with dust

Eyes attach to your mute portraitWe spoke only through thoughts

Together we gazed, awaitedHours brought thirst and the rising sun

Sunbirds leave their dark recessesShadows glide the archways

Do not turn your face towards meConfronting me with my loneliness

You are in a forest unknownThe secret orchard

And your voice is vast and achromaticBut still so precious

Lullaby of the crescent moon took youMesmerized, its kaleidoscopic face

Granted you a hollow stareAnother soul within the divine herd

I have kept itThe amaranth symbol

Hidden inside the golden shrineUntil we rejoice in the meadow

Of the endWhen we both walk the shadows

It will set ablaze and vanishBlack rose immortal

It is getting dark againDusk shuffle across the fields

The evening trees moan as if they knewAt night I always dream of you

5. To Bid You FarewellI am awaiting the sunrise

Gazing modestly through the coldest morningOnce it came you liedEmbracing us over autumn's proud treetops

I stand motionlessIn a parade of falling rainYou voice I cannot hear

As I am falling again

Devotion eludesAnd in sadness I lumber

In my own ashes I am standing without a soulShe wept and whispered: I know...

We walked into the nightAm I to bid you farewell?


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Why can't you see that I tryWhen every tear is shed

Is for you

6. Eternal Soul Torture (Rehearsal1992)[Bonus Track]

The deceased awake from beyond their sleepSearch for blood and mortal meatMaggots crawl out from their eyes

Feel their pain, its mournful criesPull your veins, tear out your heartConsume the blood, feast on flesh

Torn apart, intestines scattered.

Alimentary canal ripped and shatteredPieces of your body eaten

Painful death as time stands stillWhere your mind bursts in torture

Feel your soul be torn apart

Demons crawling through your systemHell has risen, the gods of painRip your skin, burn your bones

Internal organs torn and drainedSmell of flesh burnt to ashes

Cries of death from hellPain is all you revolve around

Where the souls of Satan's groundsRooms of eternal torture, reveal endurance of

endless painDisintegrating mortals, bodies burn

There you feel the hellish tortureHellish torment, brutal butchering

Demonic creatures revolve in torment


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Label Dwell Records

PersonnelMikael kerfeldt- Vocals / Guitar / Bass



TracksRemember Tomorrow (5:00)

[Paul DiAnno / Steve Harris]

(Time: 5:00)

Remember Tomorrow[Iron Maiden cover]

Unchain the coloursBefore my eyes

Yesterday's sorrows,

Tomorrow's white liesScan the horizon,

The clouds take me higherI shall return

From out of fire

Tears for remembrance,And tears for joy

Tears for somebodyAnd this lonely boyOut in the madness,The all seeing-eyeFlickers above us,To light up the sky

Unchain the coloursBefore my eyesYesterday's sorrows,Tomorrow's white lies

Scan the horizon,The clouds take me higherI shall return from out of fire


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Released August 18, 1998

Recorded at Studio Fredman August-September 1997

Label Candlelight (EU) / Century Black (US)Producer Fredrik Nordstrm / Anders Fridn

PersonnelMikael kerfeldt- Vocals / Guitar / Bass


Martin Lopez - Drums

TracksPrologue (0:59)

[Mikael kerfeld]

April Ethereal (8:41)

[Mikael kerfeld]

When (9:14)

[Mikael kerfeld]

Madrigal (1:26)

[Mikael kerfeld]

The Amen Corner(8:43)

[Mikael kerfeld]

Demon Of The Fall (6:13)

[Mikael kerfeld]

Credence (5:26)

[Mikael kerfeld]

Karma (7:50)

[Mikael kerfeld]

Epilogue (4:02)

[Mikael kerfeld]

Circle Of The Tyrants (Celtic Frost cover) [BonusTrack] (5:12)

[Thomas Gabriel Fischer]

Remember Tomorrow (Iron Maiden cover)[Bonus Track] (4:59)

[Paul DiAnno / Steve Harris]


My Arms, Your Hearse is Opeth's third album, released in 1998. This album marks a large stylistic changefrom their previous release, Morningrise, especially production-wise. All of the songs are shorter than tenminutes, in stark contrast to their prior albums on which most songs exceed this. The album features aheavier overall sound, cleaner production and fewer mellow acoustic parts (although, the albumcontains three instrumental tracks, "Prologue", "Madrigal", and "Epilogue" and one mellow track,"Credence" which is devoid of death metal vocals). This was also Opeth's first concept album.

This was Opeth's first album not to feature bassist Johan DeFarfalla and drummer Anders Nordin, who

were both on the two previous records. Martin Lopez replaced Nordin after answering a newspaper ad,and shortly thereafter the band also brought in Martin Mendez, a friend and previous band mate of


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Lopez, to replace DeFarfalla. However, Mendez did not have enough time to learn the bass parts forthe album, so Mikael kerfeldt played bass at the recording session.

To enhance the flow and continuity of the album, the last word(s) of each song on the album is thename of the following, with the album's final track, "Epilogue", leading back to "Prologue" to complete

the cycle. Since the album has three instrumental tracks, lyrics are included in the jacket to be readduring those parts, fulfilling the naming convention. In some cases, the silent lyrics move the plot along,and in others only serve to comment in a passive fashion. The album concerns a character who diesand becomes a ghost. The narrative on the ghost's existence revolves around the woman he loved.Frustration and suspicion make the character restless as he watches his loved one after his death, hissoul in constant turmoil as he does not believe that she genuinely grieved his passing. Though his ghost'sactual presence remains undetected, she feels a great sadness, and remains unwilling to accept hisdeath. The progression of the album can also be seen as linked to the progression of the seasons, thefinal song ending with winter, and leading back into the first song with the beginnings of spring.

The title of the album is derived from the lyrics of "Drip, Drip" by progressive folk band Comus.

The song "Demon of the Fall" is a fan favourite, and is frequently performed as an encore at live shows.

My Arms, Your Hearse was Opeth's first album to be simultaneously released in Europe, on the

Candlelight Records label, and the United States, on Century Black, Century Media Records' blackmetal off-shoot label. The 2000 reissue of the album released by Displeased Records included two bonustracks, which are covers of songs that were only previously available on two separate tribute albums, InMemory Of... Celtic Frost and A Call To Irons: A Tribute To Iron Maiden. The re-release in 2003 in thelimited edition tin box also contains the bonus tracks.

1. Prologue[Instrumental]

[A morning in magenta

The petals fed from the dewShe held her breath for a momentTo pause off the stream

Still clinging to vast, old memoriesAnd I would marvel at her beauty

Playing through the rainThe coffin is beautifully engravedStained by soil, symbols of death

All of which are stared uponWith porcelain eyes it seems

Some spoke, and it was my turn to goIn death entwined, I could not believe

But it hangs around my neckA soft breeze passed me by

Somewhat warmer for a secondI knew it was the coming of Spring

Thus our APRIL ETHEREAL]

2. April EtherealIt was me, peering through the looking-glass

Beyond the embrace of ChristLike the secret face within the tapestry

Like a bird of prey over the crestAnd she was swathed in sorrow,

As if born within its maskHer candlelight snuffed, the icon smiledEmptiness followed by her wake

I could clasp her in undying loveWithin ghostlike rapture the final word was mine

She faced me in awe'Twas a token of ebony colour

Embodied in faint vapourWandering through April's fire

Compelled to grasp and to hold the one thatwas you

I will endure, hide awayI would outrun the scythe, glaring with failure

It is a mere destiny I thought,A threshold I had crossed before

The rain was waving goodbye,And when the night came the forest

Folded its branches around meSomething passed by, and I went into a dreamShe laughing and weeping at once: take me

awayI don't know how or why, I'll never know WHEN

3. WhenRed sun rising somewhere through the dense

fogThe portrait of the jaded dawn

Who had seen it all beforeThis day wept on my shoulders

Still the same as yesterdayThis path seems endless, body is numb

The soul has lost its flameWalking in familiar traces to find my way back

homeSo there I was. Within the sobriety of the

immortals


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A semblance of supernatural winds passingthrough,

The garden sighs, flowers dieThe gate was closed that day,

But I was bound to carry on

She could not see me through the windowsIn dismay, strangest twist upon her lips

Graven face, she said my nameOnce inside I heard whispers in the parlour

The gilded faces grin, aware of my final demiseAnd I cried, I knew she had lied

Her obsession had died, it had diedWhen can I take you from this place?

When is the word but a sigh?When is death our lone beholder?When do we walk the final steps?

When can we scream instead of whisper?When is the new beginning?

The end of this sad MADRIGAL

4. Madrigal[Instrumental]

[Our abode 'mongst the stars is waiting,Long enough for our last breath of lifeYou stare at nothing, right through me,

At times resembling the Devil's concubineAnd me, I am the idol that wouldLong to caress our eyes until they

Would open no moreI would comfort you if I only could,

But as we all know by now...I am just thin air

Unaware as you are of my presence,You are losing yourself

Hiding within THE AMEN CORNER]

5. The Amen CornerWhite Summer. So far I have gone to see you

againHiding your face in the palm of your hands

Finding solace in the words I do despiseYou snatch at every sound

And even though you believe thatI am shackled within death,

Memories are tainted with palenessCrestfallen still. Those eyes... empty like a barren

wellIt was the only task I would undertake

To reap the harvest that was mineThe seed that had sprung into a florid meadow,

And left me helpless in your embraceThe bond we never spoke of, once stark and

enticing,Now slowly smouldering to dustThe celestial touch, from grey to black

A fathomless void enclosingUnwritten secrets beneath the cobwebs

I cannot endure. And so I rose from my sleepThe moon turned away its face

Overture of the long, black night begins...

Something you said: Eerie circles upon thewaters

Until now we have shared the same auraMy ashes within your hands

My breath in the sepulchral moundYou know that your night is my day

The final spark that blew life into me,The DEMON OF THE FALL

6. Demon Of The FallSilent dance with death, everything is lost

Torn by the arrival of AutumnThe blink of an eye, you know it's meYou keep the dagger close at hand

And you saw nothing. False love turned to purehate

The wind cried a lamentationBefore merging with the grey

Demon of the fallGasping for another breath

She rose, screaming at closed doorsSeductive faint mist forging

Through the cracks in the wallI shant resist

In tears for all of eternityShe turned around and faced me for the first

timeRun away, run away. Just one second,

And I was left with nothingHer fragrance still pulsating through damp air

That day came to an endAnd she had lost in me, her CREDENCE

7. CredenceDeserted again

You speak to me through the shadowsWalking in closed rooms, using cold words

Captured by the nightThe yearning escapes from my embraceStrange silhouettes whisper your thoughts,

Scream your sadnessAnd they all turned away,

Unable to face more of this deathCredence in my word

Written in dust,Tainted by memoriesI confess my hope,

Recognize my loneliness

Your laughter weeps the truthPush me into cornersConfirming the epitaph of my soul


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And displaying the once unknown KARMA

8. KarmaAnd as they say, grief is only able to possess

The rotting body clad in ancient clothesIs left behind with a wave of the hand

I have gone away. The bed is cold and emptyTrees bend their boughs toward the earthAnd night-time birds float as black faces

It was the hand reaching out through the mirrorUnknown and scarred by life...the luring eyes,

you had never seen. You have nothing more tofind

You have nothing more to looseThe cold season drifts over the landThey huddle in the brown corners

Some would settle for less.The castles were all empty, asleep

Long awaiting their king, beckoning round thebend

Amidst the forest one would hear that I hadbeen there

Draped within a fate I could not change,

And always welcoming winters EPILOGUE

9. Epilogue[Instrumental]

[There it was. The final destinyA sunrise that never came,

Still the night lamp that never faded awayFarewell was the word,

And the afterglow was the brave morningRising and telling everyone

About the beauty of its PROLOGUE]

[Bonus Track - Celtic Frost cover from the tribute

album In Memory Of... Celtic Frost released1996]

[Bonus Track - Iron Maiden cover from thetribute album A Call To Irons: A Tribute To Iron

Maiden released 1997]


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Released 18 October, 1999

Recorded at Maestro Musik and at FredmanStudios 15 April-29 May 1999

Label Peaceville RecordsProducer Fredrik Nordstrm



Martin Mendez - Bass


TracksThe Moor(11:26)

[Mikael kerfeld]

Godheads Lament(9:47)

[Mikael kerfeld]

Benighted (5:00)

[Mikael kerfeld]

Moonlapse Vertigo (9:00)

[Mikael kerfeld]

Face Of Melinda (7:59)

[Mikael kerfeld]

Serenity Painted Death (9:14)

[Mikael kerfeld]

White Cluster(10:02)

[Mikael kerfeld]

(Time: 62:31)

Still Life is the fourth studio album from Opeth. Still Life was recorded at Maestro Musik and at FredmanStudios from 15 April to 29 May 1999. The album was produced and engineered by Opeth "under thewatchful eye" of Fredrik Nordstrm. The album was originally mastered by Gran Finnberg. Upon its 2008re-release, it was remastered by Jens Borgen. The artwork was designed by Travis Smith (as with allprevious Opeth releases).

Due to time constraints, the band was able to rehearse only twice before entering the studio. Still Lifewas the first album recorded with bassist Martin Mendez and the first Opeth album to bear any kind ofcaption on the front cover upon its initial release, including the band's logo.

Like most of the band's albums, Still Life features the unusual marriage of death metal and progressiverock elements that is characteristic of Opeth's music style. Allmusic.com called Still Life a "formidablesplicing of harsh, often jagged guitar riffs with graceful melodies"

With this album, vocalist Mikael kerfeldt's death growl began to deepen considerably relative to theband's earlier albums. Still Life continues the band's experimentation with dynamics, and most songscontain at least two drastic dynamic shifts.


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Like its predecessor, My Arms, Your Hearse, Still Life is a concept album. Front-man Mikael kerfeldtexplains: "The main character is kind of banished from his hometown because he hasn't got the samefaith as the rest of the inhabitants there. The album pretty much starts off when he is returning afterseveral years to hook up with his old "babe". The big bosses of the town know that he's back... A lot ofbad things start happening."

"The Moor" introduces the main character as an outcast of a theocratic state because his physicaldeformities are perceived to be a sign of demonic possession or a sinful state of being. He was calledan "ungodly freak, defiler", and was "branded a Jonah with fevered blood". He recalls being beaten,burned, covered with mud, and banished from his town. He is now returning 15 years later for his love,Melinda, whom he had to leave behind when he was banished.

"Godhead's Lament" finds the outcast attempting to conceal his return. He contemplates theconsequences and considers leaving for safety's sake, but he does not because his love for heroutweighs his will to live. Much of the song consists of his observation of Melinda from afar. The song alsointroduces the watchful eye ofthe religious authority andemphasizes the danger that heis in.

"Benighted" reads like a loveletter, an unspoken ode toMelinda. The outcast tries toconvince Melinda to run awaywith him and observes that thegrip of the society's religion hastaken control of her life. Heargues that the only way for herto free herself is to come withhim. The song is its only acoustictrack, containing a jazz-influenced guitar solo. This is alsoone of the band's few songs that

follow a linear song structure,containing verses and a chorus.

"Moonlapse Vertigo" is areminder that the people of the town would kill him if they realized he was there. The song referencesthe Council Of The Cross, the theocratic government, who openly shows scorn for the disgraced andthe poor. He realizes that he has almost no time left to flee and decides to meet Melinda at last andlead her out of the country with him. The outcast expresses his immense hatred towards the Council aswell as his concern for Melinda.

"Face Of Melinda" paints the black-haired lady as a quiet, brooding creature as he approaches her.After his failure to court her, she became a nun, a "harlot of god"; however, he does not give up and"plot(s) to have her back" to fill his emptiness. He is disheartened, but tells her about all that he hadrisked to return to her. She tells him of her own moral failings, but surprises even herself when she tells himthat she still loves him. The song ends with a grim clue of what's to come"and baffled herself with thefinal line / 'my promise is made but my heart is thine'"which implies that these are Melinda's last words."Face Of Melinda" is, for the most part, another ballad; while it does not contain death metal vocals, itdoes contain guitar riffs that are typical of the band's heavier songs. A fretless bass guitar along withbrushes in place of conventional drumsticks were used in "Face Of Melinda" to give it a jazzier sound.

"Serenity Painted Death" begins when the outcast awakens to find Melinda has been taken and herthroat slit for associating with the outcast. Consumed by pent up fury, he brutally kills the soldiers whohad killed Melinda. He continues to kill every soldier he can before "At last, weak and torn, [he] wentdown / Drained from strength, flickering breath." As his mind wanders, the Council Of The Cross is thereto take him.

"White Cluster" begins with the outcast returning from a dream-like state to find himself in a jail cell. TheCouncil Of The Cross tries to make him repent but he is insincere. He is led to the gallows to be hanged.The townspeople who have gathered to watch the execution wear white, representing their belief that

he was born without a soul. The hangman approaches him and ties the noose, allowing him a moment


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of reflection before he is hanged. Just before he meets his end, he feels a hand on his shoulder and ashe looks behind him he sees Melinda standing right behind him, ready for him to join her in death.

Delays with the album's artwork pushed the release back an additional month, and the album wasreleased in Europe under the Peaceville/Snapper label on October 18, 1999. Due to problems with the

band's new distribution network, the album was not released in the US until February 27, 2001. The albumwas re-released by Peaceville Records in 2000 as a jewelcase-in-slipcase version and again as a digipakversion in 2003. A third re-release came out on March 31, 2008, with reworked album artwork by originalartist Travis Smith. This new edition has two discs, the first one being a remastered stereo mix of thealbum on Audio CD and the second one being an Audio DVD containing a 5.1 surround sound mix. TheDVD also contains a live video for the album track "Face Of Melinda" from The Roundhouse Tapes liveperformance in London. The remastered and remixed versions of the original recordings were done byJens Borgen.

1. The MoorThe sigh of summer upon my return

Fifteen alike since I was here

Bathed in deep fog, blurring my trailSnuffing the first morning rays

Weary from what might have been agesStill calm with my mind at peace

Would I prosper or fall, drain the pastThe lapse of the moment took its turn

I was foul and tainted, devoid of faithWearing my death-mask at birth

The hands of God, decrepit and thinCold caress and then nothing

I was taken away from my plight

A treason bestowed to the crowdBranded a Jonah with fevered bloodUngodly freak, defiler

Pale touch, writhing in the embersDamp mud burning in my eyes

All the faces turned awayAnd all would sneer at my demise

Outcast with dogmas forged belowSeared and beaten, banished from where I was

bornNo mercy would help me on my wayIn the pouring rain nothing is the same

Vows in ashesI pledge myself to no-one

Seethed and spitefulAll shudder at the call of my name

If you'll bear with meYou'll fear of me

There is no forgiveness in these eyesFor any of you but oneDispel the mist for now

Melinda is the reason why Ive come

She is water drops over the pyreA thistle in my handsStained and torn, aged and brown

Virtuous shell with kindred innocence

I awoke from the miasmaPassing swiftly through the moor

This is here, waters stir

And in the distance all that was lostIf youll bear with meYoull fear of me

Youd never leave me toA fate with you

2. Godheads LamentMarauder

Staining the soil, midst of stillnessBeloved fraternity to an endRed eyes probe the scene

All the sameStilted for the beholder

Depravity from the coreHand-carved death in stone-laden aisles

I hide the scars from my pastYet they sense my (mute) dirge

This is when it all falls apartWhite hands grasping for straws

Sly smile, poisoned glare behindUndisguised manmade nova

Mute cry, dont dare to tread

Searing beams tracking you downAdoring what never has been

Some will bring with them all they have seen

Searching my way to perplexionThe gleam of her eyes

In that moment she knew

Thought I could not leave this placeOn this imminent day

As Ive reached the final dawnTo whats gone astray

What would they care if I did stay

No-one would knowWhat would they care if I did stay


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No-one should know

Still brooding, soothing clamThat rigid, twisted face

Blank godhead, tear my name

Lost virtue, frantic lust

Searching my way to perplexionIn crumbling faith I saw her

Bearing her pain in the wildernessThe gleam of her eyes

In that moment she knew

3. BenightedCome into this nightHere well be gone

So far awayFrom our weak and crumbling lives

Come into this nightWhen days are done

Lost and astrayIn whats vanished from your eyes

What came and distorted your sightSaw you benighted by your fright

Come into this nightYour plight aloneCarry your weight

You are flawed as all of usCome into this night

You only homeIts never too late

To repent, suffer the loss

Come into this nightWhen youre able

To undo your deedsAnd atone with your lonely soul

Once youre into this nightAll minds are stableForget all your needs

Lose the grip of all control

4. Moonlapse VertigoKept warm by the light of the lantern

Lost sight of everything tonightMy presence blackens their pattern

A pock in the healthy and calm

Their scorn behind your backMy promise would put them down

No trace of reverence left

Immemorial fire in their eyes

I would perish at the given signal

At the slightest touch from my soulTainted prophet in flesh

For all the plagued and lost

Dripping sin

Decision in stalemateDare to feel death at handSurprised me with its voice

Through the forest came the morn

Across the leafy pathwayTheir deeds smeared in blood

For all to beholdThe council of the cross

Must have sensed my comingThe pest through the airWith despise for squalorLashing out at the poor

I turned away my eyesIn pallor escape from the end

Fading time to leave from hereAnd less to fulfill my task

She would be safe and firmNothing of this is in vain

Taken away from stifling graceAnd saved from the past

5. Face Of MelindaBy the turnstile beckons a damsel fair

The face of Melinda 'neath blackened hairNo joy would flicker in her eyes

Brooding sadness came to a rise

Words would falter to atoneFailure had passed the stepping stone

She had sworn her vows to anotherThis is when no-one will bother

And conceded pain in crumbling mirthA harlot of God upon the earth

Found where she sacrificed her ways

That hollow love in her faceStill I plotted to have her back

The contentment that would fill the crackMy soul released a fluttering sigh

This day fell, the darkness nigh

I took her by the hand to sayAll faith forever has been washed away

I returned for you in great dismayCome with me, far away to stay

Endlessly gazing in nocturnal primeShe spoke of her vices and broke the rhyme

But baffled herself with the final l ineMy promise is made but my heart is thine


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6. Serenity Painted DeathReturned from a hibernal dreamVoices fell like marble

No longer by my sideGone all that would l inger

Ripped from my embraceMelinda reflected in shafts

Red line round her neckMet the earth in silence

White faced, haggard grinThis serenity painted deathWith a halo of bitter disease

Black paragon in lingering breath

Saw here fading, blank stare into meClenched fist from the beautiful pain

Darkness reared its headTearing within the reeling hazeTook control, claiming my fleshPiercing rage, perfect tantrum

Each and every one would die at my handChoking in warm ponds of blood

At last, weak and torn, I went downDrained from strength, flickering breath

Came with the moonThe wayward in conscious state

Flanked and barred in destiny's endUnderneath with hope in latches

Swathed in filth, any would betokenStarlit shadows on the wallFinally there to collect me

From the bowels of sin

7. White ClusterStill it came passing by

The pieces weaved together rose the sunAnd fooled me with another day

The knocking message called for my life

Sealed the spell of my scrawny bodySoil to skin, my next of kin

Damp air grasped, stole the wordsAnd greeted me with a hiss

This is forgiveness, so I knowOnce I repent I seal the lid

I slither for you and Im dyingI find trust in hate

They wear white for meSeemingly jaded and lost

I forge myself into your dreamsAnd here I am your life

Hangman, clutching at his toolsI will come for you

The noose is tiedMurmur through the crowd

Plunging into anywhere but here

Cloak-captured sighs of reliefAs the primal touch brought me backAnd the last sight I did see is still here

Beckoning right behind me


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Released February 27, 2001

Recorded at Fredman Studio August - October,2000

Label Music for NationsProducer Mikael kerfeldt / Steven Wilson



Martin Mendez - Bass


TracksThe Leper Affinity (10:23)

[Mikael kerfeld]

Bleak (9:15)

[Mikael kerfeld]

Harvest(6:01)

[Mikael kerfeld]

The Drapery Falls (10:53)

[Mikael kerfeld]

Dirge For November(7:53)


The Funeral Portrait(8:44)

[Mikael kerfeld]

Patterns In The Ivy (1:52)

[Mikael kerfeld]

Blackwater Park (12:08)

[Mikael kerfeld]

Still Day Beneath The Sun [Bonus Track] (4:34)

[Mikael kerfeld]

Patterns In The Ivy II [Bonus Track] (4:12)

[Mikael kerfeld]

(Time: 67:13 / 75:55 with bonus tracks)

Blackwater Park is the fifth studio album by Opeth. The album was released in February 27, 2001 onMusic for Nations and Koch Records. The album marks the first collaboration between Porcupine Treeguitarist Steven Wilson and the band, as Wilson had been brought in to produce the album, which ledto a considerable shift in Opeth's musical style.

The album did not chart in the United States or United Kingdom. As of May 2008, Blackwater Park hassold over 93,000 copies in the United States.

On the 29th of March 2010, Opeth rereleased the album, labelling it the 'Legacy Edition'. It includes abonus live version of The Leper Affinity and then a second DVD disc which is the entire album in 5.0Surround Sound and a making of documentary.

The album is named after the German progressive rock band of the same name and was the first albumfor which the group had a title before they started recording.

Following a few live dates in Europe, Opeth's guitarist and vocalist Mikael kerfeldt went to an oldfriend's house in Stockholm, Sweden to record some demos and just relax and wait for some inspiration


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1. The Leper AffinityWe entered Winter once againNaked, freezing from my breath

'Neath the lid all limbs tucked awayThis coffin is your abode from now

And onwards

Your body is mine to availSuch a tragic sight you are

Slave under my creedSpurring me with those tears

I am beyond deathMidst a dreaming affinity

Saving strength now, faint whispersCome erotic communion in its splendour

Fever mirrored ghostsNight time consolation, cross the line

Draw murder into artSleep inside through days

In the wake of this reliefShivering, longing for more

Insanity at its peakLove me to my death

Lost are days of SpringYou sighted and let me in

Keep the beast insideShackled within my hideScreaming out too late

Losing to my hateGrew together with your skinAnd paced the trails of sin

Your gaze covered with virgin snowRigid features

It's the shallow deeds who is to blameDeafening shrieks pierced the night

A step from oblivionMoving into the dim lights

Hiding within a reverieIt was worth it for the wait alone

2. BleakBeating

Heart still beating for the causeFeeding

Soul still feeding from the lossAching

Limbs are aching from the rushFading

You are fading from my sight

Break of morning, coldness lingers onShroud me into nightmares of the sun

MovingI am moving closer to your side

LuringYou are luring me into the night

CryingWho is crying for you here

DyingI am dying fast inside your tears

Plunging towards bereavement faster yetClearing thoughts, my mind is set

Devious movements in your eyesMoved me from relief

Breath comes out white clouds with your lies

And filters through meYou're close to the final wordYou're starring right past me in dismay

A liquid seeps from your chestAnd drains me away

Mist ripples round your thin white neckAnd draws me a line

Cold fingers mark this dying wreckThis moment is mine


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Help me cure youAtone for all you've done

Help me leave youAs all the days are gone

Night fall againTaking what's left of me

Slight twist, shivering corpseOrnated with water, fills the cracks

Clasped in my limbs by traditionThis is all you need

3. HarvestStay with me awhileRise above the vileName my final rest

Poured into my chest

Pledge yourself to meNever leave me be

Sweat breaks on my browGiven time ends now

Spirit painted sinEmbers neath my skin

Veiled in pale embraceReached and touched my face

Into the orchard I walk peering way past thegate

Wilted scenes for us who couldn't waitDrained by the coldest caress, stalking shadows

aheadHalo of death, all I see is departure

Mourner's lament but it's me who's the martyr

4. The Drapery FallsPlease remedy my confusionAnd thrust me back to the dayThe silence of your seclusionBrings night into all you say

Pull me down againAnd guide me into pain

I'm counting nocturnal hoursDrowned visions in haunted sleep

Faint flickering of your powersLeaks out to show what you keep

Pull me down againAnd guide me into

There is failure insideThis test I can't persist

Kept back by the enigmaNo criterias demanded here

Deadly patterns made my wreathProsperous in your waysPale ghost in the corner

Pouring a caress on your shoulder

Puzzled by shrewd innocenceRuns a thick tide beneath

Ushered into inner gravesNails bleeding from the struggle

It is the end for the weak at heartAlways the same

A lullaby for the ones who've lost allReeling inside

My gleaming eye in your necklace reflectsStare of primal regrets

You turn your back andyou walk away

Never again

Spiralling to the ground

belowLike Autumn leaves leftin the wake to fade

awayWaking up to your

sound againAnd lapse into the ways

of misery


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5. Dirge For NovemberLost, here is nowhere

Searching home stillTurning past me, all are goneTime is now

The omen showed, took me awayPreparations are done, this can't lastThe mere reflection brought disgustNo ordeal to conquer, this firm slit

It sheds upon the floor, dripping into a poolGrant me sleep, take me under

Like the wings of a dove, folding aroundI fade into this tender care

6. The Funeral PortraitYou wait by the window

Morning's breath on the sillIdle hands given another try

So you wait and you savour the momentOutside the canvas turned white

Ruby eyes in the fog

Rain washing clean all the sinsA liquid gown that covers all

Your loathe turns endlessOpened mirage soothes your senseLocked on the pinnacle

The best secret within

Like a derelict childHeart burning for a stranger

Ascending to the meekFlock round the liars in awe

Caked in the soil beneathFear me when we meetTurn away in admiration

My firm grip round the nucleus of joy

Enough of thisYou will leave me now

You will see it nowPerish at my hands

Close to youTangled up in hairFresh stigma look

Shall I take you with meAnd it is cold

Ruby eyes in the fogIt is me

And you are just like them allStained by the names of fathers

I'm greeting my downward fallLeaving the throes to others

7. Patterns In The Ivy[Instrumental]

8. Blackwater ParkConfessor

Of the tragedies in manLurking in the core of us all

The last dying call for the everlostBrief encounters, bleeding pain

Lepers coiled neath the treesDying men in bewildered soliloquiesPerversions bloom round the bend

Seekers, lost in their questGhosts of friends frolic

Under the waning moon

It is the year of deathWielding his instrumentsStealth sovereign reaper

Touching us with ease

Infecting the roots in an instantBurning crop of disease

I am just a spectatorAn advocate documenting the loss

Fluttering with conceitThis doesn't concern me yet

Still far from the knellTaunting their bereavement

Mod round the deadPoint fingers at the detailsProbing vomits for more

Caught in unbridled suspense

We have all lost it nowCatching the flakes of dismayBorn the travesty of man

Regular pulse midst pandemoniumYou're plucked to the mass

Parched with thirst for the wicked

Sick liaisons raised this monumental markThe sun sets forever over Blackwater Park


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9. Still Day Beneath The Sun[Bonus Track]

There is a light that hits the gloom aroundShows the footprints round this grave

Dried up roses scattered on the moundHonouring the one engraved

Will ever the morningCarry away

The souls of those for whom we cry

Leaving, grievingSeeking, meeting

Binding, unwindingSighing You

Black procession through the narrow aislesAnother's gone for all to see

Near the site for one who lost his trialsSleeping neath the ground is me

Still day beneath the sunAsking you who is the oneAnd when the day is late

We know who must forever wait

10. Patterns In The Ivy II[Bonus Track]

Without you I cannot confide in anythingThe hope is pale designed in light of dreams

you bringSummer's gone, the day is done soon comes

the nightBiding time, leaving the line and out of sight

One moonlit shadow on the wallDisrupted in its own creation

Veiled in the darkness of this fallIs this the end

Manifestation

It runs in me, your poison seething in my veinsThis skin is old and stained by late September

rainsA final word from me would be the first for youThe rest is long but I'll go on inside and through

One moonlit shadow on the wallDisrupted in its own creation

Veiled in the darkness of this fallIs this the end

Manifestation

Patterns in the ivy

Patterns in the ivy


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Released November 12, 2002

Recorded at Maestro Musik & Studio Fredman22 July 2002 - 4 September 2002

Label Koch, Music For Nations

Producer Mikael kerfeldt / Steven Wilson

Personnel

Documents

The Opeth Lyrics Archive [R5 April 2010]