Mikael Åkerfeldt recently addressed Opeth’s future touring plans and potential retirement, clarifying the band’s stance in an interview with Blabbermouth.
The Opeth frontman discussed his personal preferences for home life and explained why the band won’t follow the typical farewell tour model if they ever decide to retire.
When asked about wanting to spend time “hanging at home with your daughters, cat and girlfriend,” Åkerfeldt responded with enthusiasm about his domestic life.
“Yes, and my records. I’m a really good househusband. I wish I could be paid for it,” he said. “I’ll get up at six in the morning and cook breakfast for everyone. Sometimes my daughters show up, and sometimes they don’t, but I’m up.”
The conversation then turned to whether this meant Opeth might be planning a retirement tour.
“I’m not going to scare people who are reading this: Opeth is not going to split up. If we do, we’re going to disappear,” Åkerfeldt explained. “It’s not going be a big hurrah, ‘final tour.'”
When directly asked about a potential five-year farewell tour, he was emphatic in his response.
“That’s not going to happen. We’re going to disappear. Honestly, I don’t think we’ll ever stop playing,” he said. “We love each other, and we love playing together.”
Åkerfeldt also outlined his vision for the band’s future approach to touring and recording.
“I think there’s probably going to be less touring. If we do less touring, it will mean more music and more frequent releases,” he continued. “That’s what I really want to do. Maybe, if I feel like, ‘Oh, I think we should do a tour,’ and see if there are people out there who like us, we can do that. First and foremost, I want to spend more time with the creative side of things.”
Åkerfeldt’s commitment to prioritizing creativity over commercial touring reflects a philosophy that has guided Opeth throughout their career.
Blabbermouth reported that Åkerfeldt has always emphasized evolution over tradition, stating “I don’t really pay too much attention to our roots, to be honest” and noting that the band’s core principle has been “to evolve.” This approach has allowed Opeth to continuously reinvent their sound while maintaining their artistic integrity.
The Swedish musician’s dedication to music has been unwavering since the band’s early days. OC Art Blog documented that during years of financial struggle in the band’s early decades, Åkerfeldt maintained his commitment despite the challenges. “I always had such this immense love for music that I couldn’t see myself doing something else,” he explained in a previous interview.
Opeth’s journey began in the early 1990s as a death metal band. Louder Sound noted that no one could have imagined their ascent to progressive metal royalty at the time. The band was formed as a death metal outfit in April 1990, with Åkerfeldt and original member David Isberg carrying on after other members departed.
The band’s recent work continues to showcase their evolution, with their 14th album “The Last Will and Testament” featuring the return of Åkerfeldt’s death metal growls for the first time since 2008’s “Watershed.” Revolver Magazine highlighted that this marks a significant moment for fans who have been waiting for the return of his distinctive vocal style that helped define the band’s earlier sound.
