#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords
OPETH Frontman MIKAEL ÅKERFELDT On Possible Collaboration With DREAM THEATER Drummer MIKE PORTNOY – “I’m Completely Open To Working With Him”

https://bravewords.com/news/opeth-frontman-mikael-akerfeldt-on-possible-collaboration-with-dream-theater-drummer-mike-portnoy-im-completely-open-to-working-with-him/

#OPETH #MIKAEL #Frontman #OnPossibleCollaborationWith #interview #drummer #BraveWords #metal #music

For #bcf, I'm going to buy the album Floodgate by #ImminentSonicDestruction.
While I don't exactly like the sound of the singer's voice, some of the music that's happening feels intriguing. The music is in that general #ProgMetal area that I tend to enjoy. I can't really compare it to other bands for #ffo, but the page tags this release as:

#DevinTownsend #DreamTheater #Haken #Leprous #Opeth etc.

https://imminentsonicdestruction.bandcamp.com/album/floodgate

#BandcampFriday #Bandcamp

A tabby cat is what you get when you let nature take its course. Nearly every stray is a tabby because, without selective breeding from human interference, cats just end up looking like that most of the time. Similarly, Atlanta’s Malefic feel to me what you’d get if you let the faster variants of extreme metal reach their natural conclusion. Playing a style that draws from thrash, black and death metal, Malefic formed in 2007 with the stated goal of modernizing black metal. In doing so, they’ve imbued in their slow-cooked debut Impermanence, an intensity and drive befitting a genre-forwarding record. But is Impermanence the cat’s meow, or did Malefic cough up a hairball?

Like how tabbies are genetically diverse but visually similar, Malefic’s many ingredients blend into a kind of extreme metal slurry on Impermanence, all present but difficult to identify individually. Sure, some riffs are more typically one thing than another, like the Testament-like thrash chops opening “In Darkest Dreams,” or the Dissectionesque blackened trems on “Blood of the Throne,” or the Opethian deathly grooves of “It Haunts.” But taken as a whole, Impermanence doesn’t lean towards one sub-genre over another. Instead, Malefic’s mutt-metal manifests into an off-kilter, volatile force of hostility, recalling heavily of the genre-blending approach Xoth take. Xoth are actually probably the best comparison to Malefic, as drummer Aaron Baumoel’s rasps and screams sound a lot like both of their vocal duo, and guitarists Jason Davila and Sam Williams’ solos follow the melodically rich, whammy-friendly stylings of Xoth (“Idiocracy”). Bolstered by a rhythm section of Baumoel and bassist Andy McGraw, who both know how to lay down some serious groove when needed (“Deserter”) and a dynamic mix, Impermanence shows that those years of honing their style have paid off for Malefic. It’s a good sound!

But what confuses me about Impermanence is that it feels aimless in many places, but not because Malefic can’t edit. To the contrary, every song on Impermanence is tight and focused, only running past five minutes on “It Haunts.”1 Malefic also aren’t indulging in extraneous instrumentals or soloing, as songs like “Of Gods and Man” and “Disembodiment” showcase the band’s restraint within their buck-wild playing. The issue is that Impermanence doesn’t stick with an idea long enough. “Blood of the Throne” and “Obsidian Earth” have, like, five riffs in their first minutes or so each; instead of expounding upon a few ideas, Malefic often churns through ideas before they’ve settled into something sticky. This pattern especially stinks when they land on something great and don’t develop it, like the swinging, discordant riff in the second verse(?) of “Echoes of Silence” or the guitar runs opening “Obsidian Earth.” Impermanence sees a band on a mission, but maybe also a band in too much of a hurry.

What this amounts to is that Impermanence possesses a sound I can’t say I’ve heard before, but also, confusingly, one that’s somewhat indistinct from other extreme metal albums. Malefic’s aforementioned style-soup is so dense with expansive inspirations and somewhat progressive tendencies (“Disembodiment,” “It Haunts”) that, besides some serious Xothisms here and there, it adds up to something not exactly like the sum of all of their influences. But at the same time, Impermanence’s loose structuring and lack of purposeful repetition hampers Malefic’s ability to craft lasting hooks. By and large, most songs start with some fanfare, rage for three-to-four minutes straight while Malefic tear through riffs with reckless abandon like a more evil, more succinct Trivium and end with little resolution. It can be very exciting and enjoyable in the moment, but I’m left with little to remember Impermanence by the time it’s over.

But there is nothing wrong with a tabby cat,2 and there’s nothing wrong with Malefic. They’ve carved out a great sound for themselves that more purposeful songwriting could harness into a truly hog-wild time. But where Impermanence excels in thrills, it lacks staying power, mostly in part to Malefic’s restless pursuit of riffs above all else. Fans of blackened thrash, blackened death, death thrash or bethrashened black death could do a lot worse than giving Impermanence a spin, but it’s probably not the genre-shaking game changer the band wanted. There’s always the sophomore album, however…



Rating: Mixed
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps MP3
Label: Terminus Hate City
Websites: maleficband.com | malefic.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/MaleficBandATL
Releases Worldwide: February 13th, 2026

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#Blabbermouth
OPETH's MIKAEL ÅKERFELDT: 'I Like To Think That We're A Progressive Band'

https://blabbermouth.net/news/opeths-mikael-akerfeldt-i-like-to-think-that-were-a-progressive-band

#OPETH #MIKAEL #LikeToThinkThatWe #ProgressiveBand #interview #guitarist #vocalist #Blabbermouth #metal #music

Wer mag, darf mir die gerne zukommen lassen. Ich freue mich immer über Geschenke:

https://opeth.tmstor.es/product/blackwater-park-25th-anniversary-edition-liquid-vinyl-double-lp

#opeth

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
OPETH Release Liquid-Filled Repress Of Blackwater Park, But It Ain't Cheap

https://metalinjection.net/metal-merch/opeth-release-liquid-filled-repress-of-blackwater-park-but-it-aint-cheap

#OPETH #ReleaseLiquid #FilledRepressOfBlackwaterPark #newrelease #EP #MetalInjection #metal #music

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
Photos: OPETH & KATATONIA At The Wellmont Theater

https://metalinjection.net/photos/photos-opeth-katatonia-at-the-wellmont-theater

#OPETH #KATATONIA #Photos #AtTheWellmontTheater #MetalInjection #metal #music

#TuneTuesday #TheBubble (music that makes you forget everything around you, closes you off to the outside world)

Opeth - Ghost of Perdition

song.link:
https://song.link/t/704182

#Music #Metal #ProgressiveDeathMetal #Opeth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVn2g3kp8W4

Recently discovered this band and it gets better with every listen. Gives me vibes of Tool and Opeth in a modern metal setting. Never disappointed by Swedish bands so far.

I would recommend the whole album, it's quite good overall but this is my favorite piece atm.

#progressivemetal #nowlistening #metal #opeth #tool

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
MIKAEL ÅKERFELDT Is Recording A Non-OPETH Project In May

https://metalinjection.net/news/mikael-akerfeldt-is-recording-a-non-opeth-project-in-may

#MIKAEL #OPETH #IsRecording #Non #tour #MetalInjection #metal #music

Photos/Review: Opeth & Katatonia cast midwinter gloom in Detroit – 2/10/2026:

#Opeth #Katatonia #LiveReview #Detroit #LivePhotos

Link: https://metalinsider.net/photos/photos-review-opeth-katatonia-cast-midwinter-gloom-in-detroit-2-10-2026

Mikael Akerfeldt y el tour actual de Opeth: “Es un set metalero, sin sutilezas. Se lanzan del escenario y hay mosh. Me gusta eso. Soy un tipo metal” | vía #NaciónRock

https://www.nacionrock.com/mikael-akerfeldt-y-el-tour-actual-de-opeth-es-un-set-metalero-sin-sutilezas-se-lanzan-del-escenario-y-hay-mosh-me-gusta-eso-soy-un-tipo-metal/

#metalprogresivo #opeth

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#Blabbermouth
MIKAEL ÅKERFELDT Battles Dislike Of Touring As OPETH Remains At Height Of Band's Popularity

https://blabbermouth.net/features/mikael-akerfeldt-battles-dislike-of-touring-as-opeth-remains-at-height-of-bands-popularity

#MIKAEL #OPETH #BattlesDislikeOfTouringAs #RemainsAtHeightOfBand #tour #Blabbermouth #metal #music

Song: The drapery falls
Band: #Opeth
Album: Blackwater park
Year: 2001
Genre: #ProgMetal

"Please remedy my confusion
And thrust me back to the day
The silence of your seclusion
Brings night into all you say"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeTNkPXRrVY

Full playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/14jd7IW32OZtlmXiOfz4eG?si=627035fc3c014455

This morning's soundtrack.

Also: I need more coffee!

#Opeth

https://open.spotify.com/album/2fukE8NE5b4NiYHtVySYMs?si=_3J8KmczTkC1xLqQjWqT6A

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalSucks
Photos: Opeth and Katatonia at The Fillmore in Philadelphia on February 7, 2026

https://www.metalsucks.net/2026/02/10/photos-opeth-and-katatonia-at-the-fillmore-in-philadelphia-on-february-7-2026/

#Photos #Opeth #tour #EP #MetalSucks #metal #music

LIVE REVIEW: Opeth North American Tour 2026 with Katatonia. On February 5th, 2026 at The Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ. #opeth #katatonia @OfficialOpeth @KatatoniaBand

https://slrmagazine.com/2026/02/09/live-review-opeth-north-american-tour-2026-with-katatonia/

One of my favourite albums to chill out to in the evening is 'Sorceress' by Opeth.

#ProgressiveMetal #Metal #Opeth

#Jinjer #Mastodon and #Opeth already locked in for 2026. I like.

#Metal #Music #Concerts #Live

For progressive death metal acts, the shadow of the masters, Opeth, looms large. Yet some recent progressive death acts, like Iotunn, Tómarúm, and Dvne, have carved their own paths in the genre. When Dyed in Grey released their debut, The Abandoned Part, in 2013, Opeth was charting a course into pure prog sans death metal. I only mention Opeth because Dyed in Grey’s brand of prog death sees clear influences in the titans of the genre, though with a more technical, improvisational imprint. Harbinger marks only their third full-length album in thirteen years. These years have seen inconsistency in the lineup, with 2018’s Anguish and Ardor losing the vocalist and going full instrumental. Now with a new vocalist, Harbinger sees a return to Dyed in Grey’s roots with a more honed vision from founder Adam Edgemont.

Unlike Soen’s cleaner approach to prog, Dyed in Grey is much rawer and rougher around the edges, utilizing plenty of off-key notes. There’s a greater sense of urgency and authenticity in this approach, and songs are carefully crafted to sound improvisational rather than intentional and overly polished. At times, Dyed in Grey plays it light and breezy, such as on the intro track “Sunbird” and the first few minutes of “Ascent,” where you could almost mistake them for a happy-go-lucky Weezer. At other times, they play a rough and tumble of ’90s grunge, with “Silent Symmetry” taking on an Alice in Chains-esque gruffness. Yet behind each arpeggio and light strum lurks an Opethian turn, which can rear its head suddenly with an eruption of heavy guitars and monstrous death growls. These turns prove an effectively cathartic release of emotion; “Mirrored Ruins” in particular takes a brilliant turn with some of the coolest riffs on Harbinger. While Opeth is a clear influence, Dyed in Grey take a novel enough approach to avoid being a mere clone.

Descent by Dyed In Grey

Dyed in Grey cite jazz as one of their musical styles, and this is most apparent in the improvisational turns that songs take. Unlike Opeth’s more developed passages of death metal or prog, Dyed in Grey can flip on a dime. “Static Tides” best demonstrates this as it transitions from growls to cleans, arpeggios to blasting riffs, all within short spans of time. Similarly, “Descent” plays off-tune riffs one moment and a sudden melodic lead the next before erupting into death metal with some impressive technical fretwork. I don’t mean to make this sound like a random jumble of song parts. Harbinger still has enough structure for it to contain well-defined tracks. Riffs from the beginning of a tune return at the end (“Ascent,” “Silent Symmetry”) and catchier passages, such as the chorus of “Tempest,” repeat throughout the course of each song. The unpredictable nature of the music keeps you on your toes and provides new surprises with each spin.

As much as there is to enjoy, there’s plenty on Harbinger that makes it a confounding listen. The angular, sometimes atonal, music is certainly off-putting and proves an obstacle to appreciating Dyed in Grey’s strengths. The vocal performances, particularly the cleans, also leave something to be desired.1 The cleans have a gruffer, grungier resonance that fits what Dyed in Grey is going for, but the vocalist struggles with his pitch at times. Despite the strong production values, another issue is that the death metal riffs sound flat and lack the muscular punch needed to truly make these portions pop. The growls, however, deliver enough power to offset this shortcoming. The rougher elements of the band’s sound fit in with their rugged character, yet there’s a fine line in the atonal approach between enjoyable and cringe-worthy music, and fortunately, Dyed in Grey fall on the enjoyable side more often than not.

What started off for me on initial spins as disappointing has since turned into something more interesting, rewarding, and even catchy with repeat and closer listens. Dyed in Grey don’t quite stand with the bands listed in my opening paragraph, but for fans of prog death, Harbinger is a worthy exploration. It also represents a growth in Edgemont’s songwriting. This proves to be a pretty cool amalgamation of styles that doesn’t play it safe yet feels assured in its performances and compositions.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: WAV
Label: Self-Released
Website: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: January 23rd, 2026