Opeth Hope to Release 11th Studio Album in June

Praise the dark lord! We've got some amazing news to report on Opeth's 11th studio album. Although the Swedish metal masters have not yet decided on a title for the disc, we can exclusively confirm that Opeth are aiming to unleash their newest opus in June 2014.

We last heard from Opeth in 2011 when 'Heritage' was released to a very mixed reception. Focusing heavily on progressive rock elements and containing no guttural vocals from Mikael Akerfeldt, many fans and critics didn't quite know how to receive 'Heritage,' although Opeth's compositional skills remained in an elite realm.

We were lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of Opeth's 11th studio album before sitting down with Mikael Akerfeldt and guitarist Fredrik Akesson for an exclusive interview. Opeth's songwriting is top notch on the album, but once again, the record features no guttural vocals.

It was during our interview that Akesson predicted a June release for Opeth's next disc, while Akerfeldt spoke in depth about the band's 11th full-length. "If it sounds like us, that's good. And if it sounds like something we don't know, that's also good," begins Akerfeldt. "This album has some parts that sound like us and some parts that sound kind of new too. It's a bit heavier than 'Heritage' at times and it's a bit more melodic. I think it should be a bit easier to get into this record because there's a lot of focus on the melodies. We're a progressive band. Sometimes we sound like a metal band and sometimes we don't."

Check back soon for our full video interview with Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt and Fredrik Akesson, along with a brand new 'Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?' segment with Mr. Akerfeldt!