Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt is featured in a new interview with The Metal Review, discussing the evolution of the band#s sound and fan reactions to it. An excerpt is available below.

Åkerfeldt: "“I remember in Sweden a drunk guy came up to me and he was like ‘what the f*** are you doing? You’re so talented, you had the best voice for it and now you’re doing this s*** (referring to clean vocals)’ and I responded ‘well I just felt that I couldn’t write good stuff with that style for now and I couldn’t come up with anything that I found interesting’. He looked at me and paused for like ten seconds, which felt like an eternity and finally turned to me and asks ‘but why don’t you do heavy s***?’ (laughs).”

“On a strictly commercial level, if we wanted to avoid any type of confrontation, we would do music that we think that the fans want to hear; records like Blackwater Park and Ghost Reveries came about on those same premises, so that’s how we still want to work. We’re not a corporation, we don’t treat this band like a money making machine or as a plan to dominate the world; we’re not business men, we’re musicians and artists, we’re the very pure kind of interest in music.”

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Opeth have announced details of two very special US performances celebrating the group’s landmark 25th anniversary. The unique shows, dubbed An Evening with Opeth, are set for October 22nd at New York’s Beacon Theater and October 24th at Los Angeles’ Orpheum Theater and will see Opeth celebrating their remarkable career with two unique sets each night.

The progressive Swedes will perform 2005's much-lauded Ghost Reveries album in its entirety (which in turn is celebrating its 10th anniversary), plus a second set of classics from their 25-year career. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 1st at 10 AM local time with VIP/Fan Club Pre-sale beginning Wednesday, April 29th at 10 AM local time. A very limited amount of VIP upgrades will also be available on pre-sale which allow early entry into the venue, a 20 minute meet n' greet with the band, a commemorative VIP laminate pass, a selection of guitar plectrums from each guitarist, your choice of t-shirt from the merch booth, the official tour poster and a pair of Martin Axenrot signature drumsticks. For more details and ticket information visit this location.

Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt commented on the special performances saying, “The forces that be put up a very mystical and subtle little advert on the so called internet. Yes, we will celebrate 25 years of being Opeth in 2015 and this is reason enough to gather up the forces and play. For you.”

Opeth’s upcoming return to North America marks the group’s second tour of the states since the release of their new album Pale Communion which staked its claim on numerous Best of 2014 lists.