Pyro: G'day Peter. How's it going mate?
Peter Lindgren: Great, how are you?
Pyro: Pretty well. First of all, thanks you for your time Peter. I'm sure you had your hands full with the new album and touring. Album number eight, 'Ghost Reveries' has been out for some time now and even managed to enter the Australian Top 40 charts (at position 39 I believe). Now that the dust has had time to settle, are you happy with how the album turned out and how it has been selling?
Peter Lindgren: Yeah. I mean, I know it's selling faster than all the other albums we have but record sales these days aren't too great. We're not a record selling band but we pull a lot of people when we tour. We've been touring since June last year and everything has been going great actually.
Pyro: Are you guys playing many tracks from the new album on tour at the moment?
Peter Lindgren: Yeah. We're doing three songs in the set now which is a little bit over half an hour. ['Ghost Reveries' is] the album we'll be playing most song from.
Pyro: Both fans and media have shown mixed reactions to 'Ghost Reveries'. Some love it, some hate it. Is everyone in the band entirely satisfied with the way the album turned out?
Peter Lindgren: Everybody's happy with it. The idea for us is always only to please ourselves. We're always going to be happy with albums. It's just a good side effect that other people seem to like it but the whole idea is for us to be please.
Pyro: So I suppose you'd say 'Ghost Reveries' compares with earlier Opeth works in terms of quality, or that it even exceeds it?
Peter Lindgren: We made sure we had time to write and rehearse so musically, playing wise, it's definitely our best album. All-in-all it's one of our best albums.
Pyro: You're about to embark on an Australian tour for the third time. Are looking forward to coming back and is there anything besides playing shows that you're looking forward to doing while you are here?
Peter Lindgren: We always look forward to going back to Australia because we always have a great time. The shows are great, the country is great, the only bad thing is the flights. I think we have two days off and we're going to try to be tourists.
Pyro: How have fans reacted to the radical label change to Roadrunner? I know initially there was a bit of an uproar, but how are things now?
Peter Lindgren: Well, people were worried in the beginning. They thought we were going to turn into a Nu-Metal band, or that Roadrunner would change us, but people should now by now, we're not going to change. It's too late for that. We could have done that ten years ago. We'll never let anybody interfere with out music. The only thing we're using Roadrunner for is their ability to sell albums. In the past people have come up and told us it's hard to find some of the older albums. The whole idea is that Roadrunner sell out albums, we do everything else. They won't interfere, won't have any say in our music at all. I think they're doing a good job but we're not going to let them try to talk us into rapping or anything [laughter].
Pyro: So, compared to Music For Nations, Peaceville and Candlelight are they doing a better job at promoting the album and getting it out there for everyone?
Peter Lindgren: Yeah. We had a great relationship with Music For Nations but I don't think they had the economical muscle to push the album everywhere. In Europe and especially the UK they were doing fine but everywhere else it wasn't so good. We really like the label but still wanted better organisation and promotion for our albums and I think that now we have that.
Pyro: Have Opeth commenced work on new material for a follow-up to 'Ghost Reveries' at this stage?
Peter Lindgren: Not really. We never write on tour. Basically because we need a break, to take time off to be able to write and when we have that break we actually write pretty quickly. There isn't anything started yet but as soon as we get that break we're going to start writing again.
Pyro: Ideally, when would you like to have the album out by?
Peter Lindgren: Ideally, a little loner than a year from now. That's what we're looking at but there are always delays and it's also dependent on how much tour we do as well.
Pyro: Are on on a specific amount of album contract with Roadrunner Records?
Peter Lindgren: Yes. It's four album I believe. 'Ghost Reveries' is the first so there'll be three more but at any point...you never know...
Pyro: Is it likely that fans will see another Opeth DVD is the foreseeable future?
Peter Lindgren: There's plans for recording something new but we have the problem of having been on four different labels and having to deal with the rights to the songs we have written ourselves. I'm not really too fond of that business side of things but the sooner we can get that sorted we'll make another DVD.
Pyro: Are you going to continue releasing vinyl editions of your albums?
Peter Lindgren: Yeah. There's vinyl versions of all the albums except from 'Deliverance'-
Pyro: -I've got 'em all [laughter]
Peter Lindgren: You do? Yeah. We're all vinyl collectors. Basically, we don't feel an album is out until it's on vinyl.
Pyro: Opeth have achieved a phenomenal amount of mainstream attention for a Metal band. It seems so many people have heard your music that ordinarily don't listen to metal at all. Why do you think this is?
Peter Lindgren: Well yeah. We're not a commercial band in the sense of having a lot of videos and radio play because the songs are too long and complicated but I think we have parts in the music that could appeal to anyone. If you're not a metalhead you can still like 'Damnation' or the ballads on the other albums. If you like those, and have more patience when you get to heavy songs you can really get into us. Eventually you're going to like the heavier vocals and music too.
Pyro: I've heard you've got a pretty broad taste in music.What bands or albums have you been listening to recentley? Any bands that you would like to mention to our readers?
Peter Lindgren: Obviously Katatonia, being friends of ours and a great band that needs more recognition. There's a norwegian band called Madder Mortem-
Pyro: Yep.
Peter Lindgren: Ah you know of them already. We did a tour with them though they're not really a touring band. They going to have difficulty spreading their name but they're another great band deserving of recognition. They're totally unique.
Pyro: Opeth have worked with artist Travis Smith many times and he's delivered some amazing album covers and inner artwork. Will this partnership likely continue in the future?
Peter Lindgren: We always take it one album at a time and don't really plan ahead. The artwork is the last thing we do for each album but so far he's been easy to work with and he comes up with great ideas so it's convenient for us to work with him. We've used him since we got to know him so hopefully it will continue.
Pyro: How involved with the artwork are you guys? Is it a matter of giving Travis a concept, idea or lyrics and letting him run with the idea of is it more back-and-forth?
Peter Lindgren: It's like a dialogue. We give him the idea, lyrics and tell him what we're looking for, then he comes back with a couple of ideas. We say "this looks good, but can you do this or that" etc. It's a continuous dialogue where we're sending things back and forth. We're working together and it works well.
Pyro: Well the end results have been excellent.
Peter Lindgren: I think so too.
Pyro: From memory, the only lineup change Opeth has undergone since 'My Arms, Your Hearse' was the addition of a keyboardist. Do you guys work well together and get along for the most part?
Peter Lindgren: We do. Especially considering the fact that we do like 18 months of touring and are so close to each other. We have a great relationship. We're not just like band members, we're friends as well. In spending so much time together we've learned how to deal with things. There's never any arguments. We try to sit down and discuss things. There's personalities in this band that are quite different but it's cool. It's a perfect blend.
Pyro: Can you run me through the process of writing and recording an Opeth album. Do you all pretty much put in your own bits? (Mikael doing lyrics and guitars, martin on bass, you doing guitars etc) or do you all give each other ideas as well?
Peter Lindgren: Anybody who has an idea just mentions it and if it's a good idea we'll end up using it. Mikael is writing the material but ideally we'll be rehearsing like we did on this album so when we've got the songs together we'll rehearse and re-arrange, and everybody has a say. Then entering the studio everybody's recording their parts but we're all around all the time so if someone has an idea. I could tell Mendez "try this" and if it sounds good we'll use it. It's a big democracy really, with a strong leader [laughter].
Pyro: Does much compromising go on?
Peter Lindgren: Not really. We want to please ourselves so everyone in the band should be happy with an an album. If somebody's not happy with a part, usually we change it until everyone is happy. There's never really been any cases where three people think a song is great, two people think it's shit and we release it. We try to work it out so everybody's happy.
Pyro: On to the topic of the video clip that was done with the release of the album. What was it like doing the clip?
Peter Lindgren: Basically, a nightmare. When you do your first video you'd expect to have a lot of say in it. We wanted it to be a good video. We were on tour in North America and we were supposed to shoot this video. We didn't really know what was happening. The day we were in Los Angeles, we get told we need to record the video that day. We didn't really no what was going on. We didn't have any information. We were just sitting there waiting for them. When we finally got there we were so pissed off we just though "you can all just fuck off!". In the end we decided to do it though because record label (meaning us) had already spent the money on it so we decided, lets do it and forget it. The final outcome isn't very good. The video doesn't have anything to do with the song. It has snakes and girls... The song is an evil song and I guess that's just how it works sometimes.
Pyro: Do you think it'll ever come to a point when Opeth will be able to do a video for a song where Opeth are behind the concept and the song will be able to play for its entire duration, unedited.
Peter Lindgren: I hope so but the tv scene today doesn't allow more than a couple of minutes. People will just change to another channel if it's longer and I think that's the problem. 20 years ago, people had patience to watch a 13 minute video. Now days, no one seems to have the patience so I don't think we'll ever be able to. I think Metallica did 'The Unforgiven'. That's an eight minute video. I saw it once, then every time afterwards was always an edited version. I think if we did a 12 minute video it would be edited before we knew it.
Pyro: As one of only two original members, would you like Opeth to still be releasing records in 10 years?
Peter Lindgren: If we're releasing good records, yes. As long as we have something to give I hope we can continue. As soon as we start loosing our ideas we'll stop. Hopefully we will see before anyone else so we can end on time. We'll always take it one album and a time though.
Pyro: Looking back, what's your personal favourite Opeth album?
Peter Lindgren: 'My Arms, Your Hearse' because of the era and we had so many problems we were just so happy to finish the album and it was also a new direction for us at the time. I think it's a great album, even though the production isn't great. I also think that 'Blackwater Park' is a great album and the new album is good too.
Pyro: As far as the Aussie tour goes, are you able to give me an idea of how long Opeth will be playing for on your upcoming Australian shows?
Peter Lindgren: I'd say about 2 hours. That's the kind of set we usually do. The songs are too long and we have too many albums so we have to play for that long.
Pyro: Will it be broken up into say softer songs and a heavier set or a mixture?
Peter Lindgren: It's gonna be a mix. It won't be like the DVD where we split it up. We'll be mixing in some mellow songs but not too many. We're covering most of the albums in these shows but we're obviously focusing on the new album.
Pyro: Any chance I will get to see 'To Bid You Farewell' or 'The Moor' at the Sydney show?
Peter Lindgren: Do you want a straight answer? [laughter]
Pyro: Of course.
Peter Lindgren: Probably not.
Pyro: Just had to ask. Are you involved with any music side projects at the moment or considering undertaking any?
Peter Lindgren: Not right now. We're always on tour so I don't really have the time. As soon as I get back home I try to get my social life back on track. I'd need a break to be able to do that. Everybody's in side projects but there's no one doing anything at the moment because we're always on tour.
Pyro: One other question, in all honesty, do you get sick of doing so many interviews? I imagine hearing the same questions over an over would become mundane very quickly.
Peter Lindgren: We try to split it up so it's not too many. Mikael and I do more than the other guys but we try to spread it out. Today I have an interview schedule so I know what's going on. It's a lot better than doing one here and one there. I don't love doing interviews but it's not that bad.
Pyro: Another thing. I often see people asking for bands similar to Opeth in sound and notice Agalloch (from the US) are mentioned quite often. Have you heard any of their material?
Peter Lindgren: I haven't, but I've heard of them. Are they any good?
Pyro: Fantastic.
Peter Lindgren: Alrighty, I'll check them out.
Pyro: Thanks for your time Peter. I look forward to seeing you guys in Sydney later this month. If you have any final words, shoot.
Peter Lindgren: We're really looking forward to going back to Australia. It's fantastic. The shows are great and we love it there. We're really looking forward to it. It's the highlight of the tours actually. Thanks.
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