List of Opeth band members

Opeth performing in 2016 and 2022

Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal band from Stockholm. Formed in 1990, the group originally featured vocalist David Isberg, guitarists Mikael "Micke" Bergström and Dan Nilsson, bassist Martin Persson, and drummer Amirion "Rille" Evén. Isberg invited Mikael Åkerfeldt to play bass later that year, who in 1992 would take over as frontman. The current lineup of Opeth features Åkerfeldt on guitars and lead vocals, Martín Méndez on bass (since 1997), Fredrik Åkesson on guitars and backing vocals (since 2007), Joakim Svalberg on keyboards and backing vocals (since 2011), and Waltteri Väyrynen on drums (since 2022).

## History

[edit]

### 1990–2003

[edit]

David Isberg formed Opeth in April 1990 with Mikael "Micke" Bergström, Dan Nilsson, Martin Persson and Amirion "Rille" Evén.[1] During an early rehearsal, Isberg brought in Mikael Åkerfeldt to replace Persson on bass without informing the rest of the band, all of whom he fired following the event.[2][3] The remaining pair of Isberg and Åkerfeldt completed the second lineup of Opeth with the addition of guitarist Andreas Dimeo, bassist Nick Döring and drummer Anders Nordin.[4] Dimeo and Döring both left after the band's first show in February 1991, with Kim Pettersson and Johan De Farfalla (both members of local "sleazy metal" band Crimson Cat) taking their places.[5] De Farfalla left after the group's second show, with Peter Lindgren joining on bass for a third performance later in the year, after which Petterson left and Lindgren switched to guitar.[5][6] Founding frontman Isberg also left Opeth in early 1992 due to "creative differences".[7] Åkerfeldt later recalled that "at the time, I thought [Isberg's departure] was good for the band, as he no longer seemed as interested as the rest of us".[5]

Following Isberg's departure, Åkerfeldt took over as the lead vocalist of Opeth, and writing for a debut studio album began with Lindgren and Nordin.[8] After a period as a three-piece, Mattias Ander briefly joined as the group's bassist,[9] before Stefan Guteklint joined later in the year.[8] Guteklint was fired by Åkerfeldt and Lindgren just over a year later, with former bassist De Farfalla returning for the recording of the group's debut album Orchid.[6] After a tour in promotion of the group's second album Morningrise in 1996, Åkerfeldt and Lindgren fired De Farfalla without consulting Nordin, which also led to him leaving.[10] Opeth briefly considered breaking up, before bringing in drummer Martin Lopez and later bassist Martín Méndez; bass on 1998's My Arms, Your Hearse was recorded by Åkerfeldt, as Méndez had joined too late to contribute.[11]

### Since 2003

[edit]

After the release of Damnation in 2003, which marked a change in the band's musical style to a more keyboard-heavy progressive rock-influenced sound, Opeth added Per Wiberg as a touring keyboardist.[12] He later became an official member of the band in 2005.[13] After suffering a string of stress-related illnesses and panic attacks, Lopez ceased performing with Opeth in August 2005, with Martin "Axe" Axenrot filling for a number of tours.[14] By the following May the regular drummer had officially left the band, with Axenrot officially taking his place.[15] Lindgren left the group a year later, stating that he had "lost some of the enthusiasm and inspiration needed to participate in [the] band". He was replaced by Fredrik Åkesson.[16] In April 2011, it was announced that Wiberg had left the band.[17] He was replaced by Joakim Svalberg.[18]

The lineup of Åkerfeldt, Åkesson, Méndez, Axenrot and Svalberg remained stable for ten years, before it was announced in November 2021 that Axenrot had left the band due to a "conflict of interests". He was replaced for upcoming tour dates by Therion's Sami Karppinen,[19] before former Paradise Lost drummer Waltteri Väyrynen joined as a full time replacement.[20]

## Members

[edit]

### Current

[edit]

Image  | Name  | Years active  | Instruments  | Release contributions

|
|
|
|

| Mikael Åkerfeldt | 1990–present  |

* lead vocals (since 1992)
* guitars
* bass (1990, 1992, 1997)
* piano (1997, 2011)
* mellotron (2005, 2011)

| all Opeth releases

| Martín Méndez | 1997–present  |

* bass
* occasional backing vocals

| all Opeth releases from Still Life (1999) onwards

| Fredrik Åkesson | 2007–present  |

* guitars
* backing vocals

| all Opeth releases from Watershed (2008) onwards

| Joakim Svalberg  | 2011–present  |

* keyboards
* backing vocals

| all Opeth releases from Heritage (2011) onwards

| Waltteri Väyrynen  | 2022–present  |

* drums
* percussion
* backing vocals

| The Last Will and Testament (2024)

### Former

[edit]

Image  | Name  | Years active  | Instruments  | Release contributions

|
|
|
|

| David Isberg | 1990–1992  | vocals  | none
| Mikael Bergström  | 1990  | guitar
| Dan Nilsson
| Martin Persson  | bass
| Amirion "Rille" Evén  | drums
| Anders Nordin  | 1990–1997  |

* drums
* percussion
* piano (1994)

* Orchid (1995)
* Morningrise (1996)

| Andreas Dimeo  | 1990–1991  | guitars  | none
| Nick Döring  | bass
| Kim Pettersson  | 1991  | guitars
| Johan De Farfalla |

* 1991
* 1994–1997

* bass
* backing vocals

* Orchid (1995)
* Morningrise (1996)

| Peter Lindgren | 1991–2007  |

* guitars (from 1992)
* bass (1991–1992)

| all Opeth releases from Orchid (1995) to The Roundhouse Tapes (2007)
| Mattias Ander  | 1992  | bass  | none
| Stefan Guteklint  | 1992–1994  |

* Orchid (1995) – 2000 reissue bonus track only
* Morningrise (1996) – 2000 reissue bonus track only

| Martin Lopez | 1997–2006  | drums  | all Opeth releases from My Arms, Your Hearse (1998) to Ghost Reveries (2005)

| Per Wiberg | 2005–2011 (touring 2003–2005) |

* keyboards
* backing vocals

| all Opeth releases from Lamentations (2003) to Heritage (2011)

| Gene Hoglan | 2004 (substitute)[21] | drums  | none

| Martin "Axe" Axenrot | 2006–2021 (touring 2005–2006) | all Opeth releases from The Roundhouse Tapes (2007) to In Cauda Venenum (2019)

| Sami Karppinen | 2021–2022 (touring) | none

### Session

[edit]

Image  | Name  | Years active  | Instruments  | Release contributions

|
|
|
|

| Fredrik Nordström | 1997  |

* engineering
* Hammond organ

| My Arms, Your Hearse (1998)

| Steven Wilson |

* 2000
* 2002
* 2003
* 2014

* clean and backing vocals
* piano
* Mellotron
* keyboards
* additional guitars
* production
* engineering

* Blackwater Park (2001)
* Deliverance (2002)
* Damnation (2003)
* Pale Communion (2014)

| Nathalie Lorichs  | 2007–2008  | female vocals  | Watershed (2008)
| Karin Svensson  | violin
| Andreas Tengberg  | cello
| Lisa Almberg  |

* English horn
* oboe

| Christoffer Wadensten  | flute

| Björn J:son Lindh | 2011 (died 2013) | Heritage (2011)

| Alex Acuña | 2011  | percussion
| Charlie Dodd  | sound effects
| Dave Stewart |

* 2014
* 2024

| string arrangements  |

* Pale Communion (2014)
* The Last Will and Testament (2024)

| Wil Malone | 2016  | Sorceress (2016)
| Pascale Marie Vickery  | spoken words
| Mirjam Åkerfeldt  | 2024  | The Last Will and Testament (2024)

| Ian Anderson |

* flute
* spoken word

| Joey Tempest | backing vocals
| Mia Westlund  | harp

## Timeline

[edit]

## Lineups

[edit]

Period  | Members  | Releases

|
|

1990  |

* David Isberg – vocals
* Mikael "Micke" Bergström – guitars
* Dan Nilsson – guitars
* Martin Persson – bass
* Amirion "Rille" Evén – drums

| none
1990  |

* David Isberg – vocals
* Mikael Åkerfeldt – bass, guitars, backing vocals

1990–1991  |

* David Isberg – vocals
* Mikael Åkerfeldt – guitars, backing vocals
* Anders Nordin – drums
* Andreas Dimeo – guitars
* Nick Döring – bass

1991  |

* David Isberg – vocals
* Mikael Åkerfeldt – guitars, backing vocals
* Anders Nordin – drums
* Kim Pettersson – guitars
* Johan De Farfalla – bass

1991  |

* David Isberg – vocals
* Mikael Åkerfeldt – guitars, backing vocals
* Anders Nordin – drums
* Kim Pettersson – guitars
* Peter Lindgren – bass

1991 – early 1992  |

* David Isberg – vocals
* Mikael Åkerfeldt – guitars, backing vocals, bass
* Anders Nordin – drums
* Peter Lindgren – bass, guitars

1992  |

* Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, guitars, bass
* Anders Nordin – drums
* Peter Lindgren – bass, guitars

1992  |

* Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, guitars
* Anders Nordin – drums
* Peter Lindgren – guitars
* Mattias Ander – bass

1992 – early 1994  |

* Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, guitars
* Anders Nordin – drums
* Peter Lindgren – guitars
* Stefan Guteklint – bass

* Orchid (2000) – reissue bonus track
* Morningrise (2000) – reissue bonus track

Early 1994 – spring 1997  |

* Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, guitars
* Anders Nordin – drums
* Peter Lindgren – guitars
* Johan De Farfalla – bass, backing vocals

* Orchid (1995)
* Morningrise (1996)

Summer 1997  |

* Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, guitars, bass, piano
* Peter Lindgren – guitars
* Martin Lopez – drums

* My Arms, Your Hearse (1998)

Fall 1997 – June 2003  |

* Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, guitars
* Peter Lindgren – guitars
* Martin Lopez – drums
* Martín Méndez – bass

* Still Life (1999)
* Blackwater Park (2001)
* Deliverance (2002)
* "Still Day Beneath the Sun" (2003)
* Damnation (2003)

June 2003 – May 2006  |

* Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, guitars
* Peter Lindgren – guitars
* Martin Lopez – drums
* Martín Méndez – bass
* Per Wiberg – keyboards, backing vocals
(was a touring member only until May 2005)

* Lamentations (2003)
* Ghost Reveries (2005)

May 2006 – May 2007  |

* Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, guitars
* Peter Lindgren – guitars
* Martín Méndez – bass
* Per Wiberg – keyboards, backing vocals
* Martin Axenrot – drums
(had substituted for Lopez since August 2005)

* The Roundhouse Tapes (2007)

May 2007 – April 2011  |

* Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, guitars
* Martín Méndez – bass
* Per Wiberg – keyboards, backing vocals
* Martin Axenrot – drums
* Fredrik Åkesson – guitars, backing vocals

* Watershed (2008)
* In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall (2010)
* "The Throat of Winter" (2011)
* Heritage (2011)

June 2011 – November 2021  |

* Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, guitars
* Martín Méndez – bass
* Martin Axenrot – drums
* Fredrik Åkesson – guitars, backing vocals
* Joakim Svalberg – keyboards, backing vocals

* Pale Communion (2014)
* Sorceress (2016)
* Garden of the Titans (2018)
* In Cauda Venenum (2019)

November 2021 – September 2022  |

* Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, guitars
* Martín Méndez – bass
* Fredrik Åkesson – guitars, backing vocals
* Joakim Svalberg – keyboards, backing vocals
* Sami Karppinen – drums (touring only)

| none
September 2022 – present  |

* Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, guitars
* Martín Méndez – bass
* Fredrik Åkesson – guitars, backing vocals
* Joakim Svalberg – keyboards, backing vocals
* Waltteri Väyrynen – drums, percussion, backing vocals

* The Last Will and Testament (2024)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Feature Year: 1990 (Part 1 – 9am, Part 2 – 9pm) ET #1990 @RadioMax". RadioMaxMusic. 15 December 2013. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
2. ^ "Interview: Mikael Åkerfeldt, Opeth". MusicRadar. 12 October 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
3. ^ "Mikael Akerfeldt: Just How Disastrous the First Opeth Gig Was". Ultimate Guitar. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
4. ^ Lorsch, Laurie (4 December 2014). "Opeth, shockingly versatile, and just good music". AXS. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
5. ^ a b c "Opeth Biography: Chapter II". Opeth. Archived from the original on 17 January 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
6. ^ a b Mudrian, Albert (21 July 2009). Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces. London, England: Hachette UK. p. 236\. ISBN 978-0306818066. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
7. ^ "Opeth's Founder David Isberg Launches Braathum". Blabbermouth.net. 24 July 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
8. ^ a b "Opeth Biography: Chapter III". Opeth. Archived from the original on 23 January 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
9. ^ Ekeroth, Daniel (29 July 2008). Swedish Death Metal. New York City, New York: Bazillion Points. p. 388\. ISBN 978-0979616310. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
10. ^ Hartmann, Graham (7 May 2014). "Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt Plays 'Wikipedia: Fact Or Fiction?'". Loudwire. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
11. ^ "Opeth Biography: Chapter IV". Opeth. Archived from the original on 5 February 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
12. ^ "Opeth Recruit Spiritual Beggars Keyboardist For Upcoming Tour". Blabbermouth.net. 6 June 2003. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
13. ^ "Opeth: Keyboardist Per Wiberg Officially Joins The Band". Blabbermouth.net. 4 May 2005. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
14. ^ "Opeth Drummer Receiving Treatment, Temporary Replacement Announced". Blabbermouth.net. 29 August 2005. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
15. ^ "Opeth: Drummer Martin Lopez Is Officially Out". Blabbermouth.net. 12 May 2006. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
16. ^ "Opeth Guitarist Peter Lindgren Leaves Band". Metal Injection. 18 May 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
17. ^ "Opeth Parts Ways With Keyboardist". Blabbermouth.net. 6 April 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
18. ^ "Opeth Working With Keyboardist Joakim Svalberg; U.S. Dates With Katatonia Announced". Blabbermouth.net. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
19. ^ "Opeth Parts Ways With Longtime Drummer Martin 'Axe' Axenrot". Blabbermouth.net. 16 November 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
20. ^ "Opeth Welcome Ex-Paradise Lost, Etc. Drummer Waltteri Väyrynen To Their Lineup". Theprp.com. 9 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
21. ^ "GENE HOGLAN Joins OPETH For Two Songs At Vancouver Show". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. 24 January 2004. Retrieved 12 July 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Opeth official website

* v
* t
* e

Opeth

* Mikael Åkerfeldt
* Martín Méndez
* Fredrik Åkesson
* Joakim Svalberg
* Waltteri Väyrynen

* Johan De Farfalla
* Peter Lindgren
* Martin Lopez
* Per Wiberg
* Martin Axenrot

Studio albums|

* Orchid
* Morningrise
* My Arms, Your Hearse
* Still Life
* Blackwater Park
* Deliverance
* Damnation
* Ghost Reveries
* Watershed
* Heritage
* Pale Communion
* Sorceress
* In Cauda Venenum
* The Last Will and Testament

Live albums|

* Lamentations (Live at Shepherd's Bush Empire 2003)
* The Roundhouse Tapes
* In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall
* Garden of the Titans: Live at Red Rocks Amphitheater

Compilations|

* Collecter's Edition Slipcase
* The Candlelight Years
* The Wooden Box

Related articles|

* Discography
* Band members
* Bloodbath
* Heritage Hunter Tour
* Storm Corrosion

* Category

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template