The skulls underneath the tree also represent past band members. The faces on the tree are those of the current band members, with Wiberg's head falling off the tree representing his departure. The tree, reminiscent of a tree of life, represents the band flourishing in the present while its roots "going down to hell" represent the band's death metal history. In a video interview with Face Culture, Åkerfeldt said the album is rife with symbolism. The cover art for Heritage was revealed at the beginning of June 2011, done once again by longtime collaborator Travis Smith. On 23 September, the music video for "The Devil's Orchard" was released. On 11 September, the album was streamed in its entirety on NPR Music. On 26 July, the band premiered the album's first single, "The Devil's Orchard", on Stereogum.
On 25 May, Heritage was announced as the album's title. By late March, mixing was complete, and in April, Per Wiberg was relieved of his duties in Opeth as part of a mutual decision with the band. On 31 January 2011, Opeth entered Atlantis/Metronome Studios in Stockholm to begin recording, with Janne Hansson engineering and Steven Wilson mixing. Background ĭuring a press junket in September 2010 for In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, Mikael Åkerfeldt told Classic Rock magazine that he was finally writing for a new Opeth album. The album was their first since 2003's Damnation not to feature Åkerfeldt's signature death growls. It is a stark contrast to the progressive death metal sounds of their past albums.Ī critical and commercial success, the album sold 19,000 units in the United States in its debut week, charting at number 19 on the Billboard 200. It takes on more of a progressive rock sound, something the band had wanted to do for some time.
The album was recorded in early 2011 at Atlantis Studios in Stockholm and produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt, engineered by Janne Hansson, and mixed by Steven Wilson (the first album since 2003 album Damnation which he worked together with the band, although he was not the producer anymore). It was released on 13 September 2011 through Roadrunner Records. Heritage is the tenth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth.
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