Swedish experimental heavy-rock pioneers Opeth have unveiled the title track to their highly-anticipated album, Sorceress, due out September 30th via the band’s imprint label Moderbolaget Records with Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

Leader Mikael Åkerfeldt remarks: “Here you go kids! Here’s the title track, ”Sorceress,” combined with the now obligatory lyric video. Why not eh? We’re happy with the tune. It’s heavy, a bit "meat and potato,” but what the hell…we love it! Hope you do too!”

Åkerfeldt recently spoke with Rolling Stone about the forthcoming album. An excerpt from the interview is available below.

Rolling Stone: Sorceress isn't a concept album, but a number of songs deal with dangerous, even perilous aspects of love. How much are you drawing from life here?

Åkerfeldt: "A lot, I would say. I'm not talking about specific people in my past, girlfriends or ex-wives or anything like that. I've struggled a little bit in my relationships these last couple of years, and that has inspired me, I think, to write. … Not that I deliberately sat down trying to write these types of lyrics. That's literally what came out when I started trying to write; it's only in retrospect that I kind of understood what it's about. I was trying to draw inspiration from the negative aspects of love: the jealousy, the mindfucks, the paranoia and everything that comes with what's ultimately a beautiful feeling. It's something that I value extremely highly in my life, but it really can have a damaging effect on you, which it did on me."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Opeth’s new album, Sorceress, their first for Nuclear Blast via the band’s imprint label Moderbolaget Records, is proof chief architect Mikael Åkerfeldt has a near-endless well of greatness inside. From the album’s opener “Persephone” to “The Wilde Flowers” and “Strange Brew” to the album’s counterpart title tracks “Sorceress” and “Sorceress II”, Opeth’s twelfth full-length is an unparalleled adventure, where visions cleverly and secretly change, colors mute as if weathered by time, and sounds challenge profoundly.

”The new album Sorceress is our 12th studio album since our beginnings in 1990,” says Åkerfeldt. “I find it difficult to understand that we’ve been going on for 26 years, let alone that we’ve made 12 records now, all of which I am very proud of. Sorceress is no exception. I love this album, as does the whole band. I wrote the music during 5-6 months and we spent only 12 days recording it at Rockfield studios in Wales. I find that once again we’ve taken a step forward. Or sideways, Or backwards. Somewhere!? It’s different! It’s extremely diverse. And if I may say so myself, extremely good. I feel the right to say that since I like to think I know this band better than anyone on the planet. Also, I always manage to detach myself from the record and listen as a fan. It’s a fine little record. My favourite in our discography right now. Of course. That’s how it should be, right? It’s both fresh and old, both progressive and rehashed. Heavy and calm. Just the way we like it. Hopefully there’ll be others around the globe sharing this opinion. It was a joy to make it. A fucking joy to record it, and a sheer joy listening to it. So there you have it!”

For Sorceress, Opeth returned to Rockfield Studios in Wales, also home to pivotal releases from Queen, Rush and Judas Priest, where the Swedes had tracked Pale Communion in 2014 with Tom Dalgety. The band spent 12 days recording at the countryside venue among its serene and inspiring surroundings. The result is nothing short of a powerful and intriguing record that will add yet another layer to the band’s celebrated career.

Sorceress trackisting:

“Persephone”
“Sorceress”
“The Wilde Flowers”
“Will O The Wisp”
“Chrysalis”
“Sorceress 2”
“The Seventh Sojourn”
“Strange Brew”
“A Fleeting Glance”
“Era”
“Persephone (Slight Return)”

Studio Teaser #1:

Studio Teaser #2:

In the video below, Mikael Akerfeldt takes you on a tour of Rockfield Studios during the recording process of Sorceress.

Sorceress is being released on limited edition pink vinyl with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Gilda’s Club NYC. Additional editions of the vinyl will be announced at a later date. Pre-order the special edition pink vinyl now at this location.

The mission of Gilda’s Club NYC is to support, educate and empower cancer patients and their families. A cancer diagnosis can be an extremely isolating experience which triggers many emotions including fear, anger, depression and an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Currently more than 4200 men, women, teens and children attend free support groups, educational lectures and workshops at the West Village townhouse or at hospital partners around NYC. More than 55 percent of their members have a cancer diagnosis, and the remaining are their loved ones - their children, partners, relatives or friends. At Gilda's Club NYC, they believe no one should face cancer alone.

Sorceress 2LP pink vinyl (180 gram) tracklisting:

Side A
“Persephone”                                                                                                
“Sorceress”                                                                                                      
“The Wilde Flowers”                                                                                     
“Will O The Wisp”                                                                                      

Side B
“Chrysalis”                                                                                                         
“Sorceress 2”                                                                                                  
“The Seventh Sojourn”                                                                              

Side C
“Strange Brew”                                                                                              
“A Fleeting Glance”                                                                                      
“Era”                                                                                                                 
“Persephone (Slight Return)”                                                                

Side D
“The Ward” (Bonus Track)                                                                                           
“Spring MCMLXXIV” (Bonus Track)

Opeth have announced a North American headline tour, which will kick off with a performance at Ozzfest/Knotfest on September 24th in San Bernardino, CA. The tour will continue through the following month before wrapping up on October 26th in Vancouver, BC.

The tour announcement comes on the heels of Nuclear Blast Entertainment’s recent signing of the band and news of the band’s forthcoming, 12th studio album, Sorceress, that’s due out later this year on the band’s own imprint label Moderbolget Records.

Tour dates are listed below. To purchase VIP packages and tickets visit this location.

Tour dates:

September
24 - San Bernardino, CA - Ozzfest/Knotfest @ San Manual Amphitheater
29 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE
30 - Silver Spring, MD - Fillmore

October
1 - New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall
2 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
4 - Montreal, QC – Metropolis
5 - Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
7 - Detroit, MI - Fillmore
8 - Akron, OH - Good Year Theater at East End
9 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theater
10 - Minneapolis, MN - First Ave
12 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
13 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
14 - Austin, TX - Emo’s
15 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Live
18 - Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl
19 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theater
21 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
22 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield
24 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
25 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theater
26 - Vancouver, BC – Orpheum

(Photo Stuart Wood)