“We looked the the hippies they wanted to kill!”: How Opeth survived their early days in a scene they didn’t quite fit
Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt recalls that the band felt out of place in Sweden’s early black metal scene, where they were viewed as outsiders. Their long hair and hippie appearance made them resemble the people some scene members targeted, despite Opeth’s interest in heavy music.
Åkerfeldt says the band avoided trouble by staying on the fringes and keeping their distance from the scene’s more extreme elements. The article presents this as part of Opeth’s early history, before they developed their own identity blending death metal with progressive influences.
In short
- Opeth felt like outsiders in Sweden’s black metal scene.
- Åkerfeldt says their appearance made them look like targets.
- The band kept to the fringes as it found its own sound.
Explained simply
Opeth are a Swedish heavy metal band formed in the early 1990s, led by singer and guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt. Their later music became known for combining death metal with progressive rock influences.
At the time, Sweden’s black metal scene was a small, intense subculture associated with extreme music and a distinctive look. Opeth were interested in heavy music but did not share the scene’s image or outlook, and kept their distance from its more extreme members.