The only thing that makes us satisfied after recording a new album is to feel that it's better or at least equal to the last. There's not much to achieve in the world of death metal apart from more recognition and more fans. I don't know, we don't kiss anybody's butt, and we play mainly for ourselves. We are fortunate that some people are on the same wavelength as we are.
Mikael Åkerfeldt / Opeth interview, Chronicles of Chaos, 1999
I can't say now. All the new material I've written so far has come out very mellow and calm. I don't know what it means!
OPETH released their fourth album on this day in 1999, the first on Peaceville.
The material on this record was the most complicated music I'd written so far, and since, I believe.
Mikael Åkerfeldt
It was only one rehearsal this time. We went through the tricky part, but we had a lot of time in the studio working that out too. I guess it sounds weird, but we've been doing it like that since 'Still Life'. That was also recorded with just one rehearsal before heading into the studio. We're getting used to the fact that we're working a lot of the bits and pieces out in the studio. It's kind of refreshing to work that way because the material doesn't get old to the composer. We're so into the music that we want to surprise ourselves a little bit. When the finished album is out there, we don't know exactly what's on there ourselves. You kind of forget what you've done in the studio. It's like you're a fan and you get the new album from one of your favourite bands. It's pretty interesting to work that way. And it's also interesting to take those kinds of risks, the risk of failing.
Mikael Åkerfeldt / Opeth interview, Metal Storm, 2003