After five albums of progressive metal culminating with Blackwater Park in 2001, Opeth took a hard turn with Deliverance and Damnation. Deliverance was released in 2002 and took on a bleaker, more death metal-inspired sound, while Damnation came out in 2003 and was far and away the cleanest thing Opeth had ever done.
So how did Opeth mastermind Mikael Åkerfeldt convince the label to take a chance on two experimental albums from the band? In an interview with Guitar World, he reveals that he gave the label one for free just so they'd let him do it. Åkerfeldt also wisely advises young fans not to do what he did.
"I definitely wanted it to be an Opeth record. Before Blackwater Park it didn't feel like that much was happening around the band. We were active but we didn't tour or have much going for us. Suddenly that all changed. We became aware of the fact that people knew who we were. I had this idea of doing two records, one heavy and the other more ballady and calm…
"I'd always wanted to make a more chilled-out album, but at the same time had never envisioned it actually happening. So I pitched the idea for releasing both together, and the answer from our label at the time was no. I asked for some adjustments to our contract – an additional sheet of paper that said we'd make both for the price of one, counting as a single album.
"That's how much I wanted to do it! And, of course, then they said yes. It's a terrible idea for a band to do that, playing into the hands of the label, giving them an extra release for nothing – and they insisted on separate release dates – but that's how we got the green light."
It's worth noting that Damnation just turned 20 years old in April, meaning that we're all getting grayer by the minute at this rate.
