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Sweden’s Opeth started out as a fairly straightahead death-metal band, but in 1992, after drastic lineup changes, the band, led by singer and guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt, slowly developed the sound it would bring to its 1995 debut, Orchid. Sonically, Opeth recalls ’70s art-rock bands like Jethro Tull mixed with late-’80s progressive metal like that of Fates Warning, with the occasional death-metal growl employed for emphasis between Åkerfeldt’s resonantly melodic vocals. There’s a disarmingly quiet grace to Opeth’s best material; with a blend of acoustic rock and heavier sensibilities, it sounds like what you might get if neo-folk were to come out of Judas Priest and Slayer.
