Founding Guitarist Peter Lindgren Quits Opeth

I write these words with a heavy heart. Opeth is my favorite band on the planet. Their popularity has snowballed in recent years, and it was looking like they were to become the Metallica of the new millennium. Almost every self-respecting metalhead digs Opeth. They are one of the few metal bands you can find at Target that has maintained a high level of artistic integrity.

After signing to Roadrunner Records, fans feared that Opeth would dumb down their music. Major labels seem to have that effect on underground metal bands. However, the band's 2005 release, "Ghost Reveries," was an amazing album. It saw Opeth continue to evolve while retaining the core elements of their sound. Shortly after the album's release, drummer Martin Lopez left the group. That is Red Flag #1. Lopez is considered to be one of the best drummers in the metal community. His Latin/Middle-Eastern influences helped solidify Opeth as metal royalty.

Lopez's replacement, Martin Axenrot, was met with skepticism. He's a great drummer, but he's not Martin Lopez. After Lopez's departure, only two original band members remained. And then the news broke (actually, it's still in the process of breaking). Founding guitarist Peter Lindgren has left the band. Guitarist/vocalist Mikael Akerfeldt may be the main songwriter, but Lindgren's skill and sense of melody has played a huge role in Opeth's overall coolness (sorry, I don't have the time to thumb through a thesaurus). Mikael and Peter are Opeth. They are the group's mitochondria (*).

Now, only one original member remains. Bassist Martin Mendez has been with Opeth since 1997, but his creative input has never been as prominent as that of Lindgren or even Lopez. Of course, I say that with the utmost respect for the man's impeccable musicianship. Will the next Opeth album sound like Opeth? The band is 60% puerile. With the exception of Akerfeldt and Mendez, everyone has joined the band within the last two years. Fredrik (ex-Arch Enemy, Krux) Akesson has been tapped to fill Lindgren's shoes. Excellent guitarist, but is he joining Opeth or an Opeth tribute band?

Here is a snippet of Peter Lindgren's official statement on his departure from Opeth:

"The reason behind this is that I feel that I simply have lost some of the enthusiasm and inspiration needed to participate in a band that has grown from a few guys playing the music we love to a worldwide industry. The love of music has always been, and still is, our motive, but I personally have lost something along the way. The massive amount of touring has taken its toll."