Opeth
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Opeth—not to be confused with competitor Oprah—is a syndicated daytime talk show aimed at women of a certain age. Like Oprah, Opeth often alternates between being incredibly heavy and incredibly light at regular intervals.
Opeth is hosted by Mikael Åkerfeldt, who is known for his sense of humor, brooding personality, and dreamy Swedish accent. Though Åkerfeldt is the host of the show, Opeth is equally noted for its collection of regular guests, which include anxiety sufferer Martin Lopez, relationship expert Per Wiberg, and self-help guru and professional lanky Englishman Steven Wilson.
Over its twenty years of broadcast, Opeth has had a massive impact on popular culture, with regular segments like the Opeth Record Club influencing the sales of obscure 1970s progressive rock albums considerably.
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Humble Beginnings
Mikael Åkerfeldt was born to a family of modest means in a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden. The young Åkerfeldt’s childhood was full of hardship and trauma: at the age of nine, for instance, he was forced to listen to a Gorgoroth song. Early experiences like this had a profound impact on Åkerfeldt, and would come to shape his later life.
In the autumn of 1990, Åkerfeldt was invited by musician David Isberg to join a burgeoning project of his, Opeth. Isberg had initially conceived Opeth to be a melodic death metal band, but with Isberg’s eventual departure the project was left entirely in Åkerfeldt’s hands. Under Åkerfeldt, Opeth would evolve from a death metal act into an increasingly soft and progressive band, eventually ending its evolution as a women’s daytime talk show.[1]
- ↑ This process is known as the “Genesis shift,” so named after 1970s-era Progressive Rock outfit Genesis eventually became a women’s help hotline under the influence of Phil Collins.
The Show
Format
Each episode of Opeth is an hour long, and usually focuses on one topic, like death, damnation, deliverance, ghosts, love, death, or death. Though each episode is typically unified on a conceptual level, the tone of each individual program usually flits wildly between extreme morosity and extreme joviality, with Åkerfeldt often breaking out into acoustic guitar passages in between. In any given Opeth episode, the studio audience—as well as the viewers at home—can be treated to anything from depressing and often spiritual personal anecdotes to free designer handbags to safety tips around the home, all within the space of an hour.
Regular Guests
Another regular facet of the show is its myriad of regular guests, most of which are personal friends of host Mikael Åkerfeldt. The most notable of these is of course self-help guru, Pink Floyd enthusiast and profession lanky Englishman Steven Wilson, who Åkerfeldt regularly co-hosted episodes with until Wilson’s popularity led to him getting his own syndicated talk show. Other guests have included relationship expert Per Wiberg, anxiety sufferer Martin Lopez, prettyboy Martin Axenrot, and philosopher and philanthropist Peter Lindgren.
Cultural Significance
Over its twenty years of broadcast, Opeth has had a massive influence on the popular consciousness. Åkerfeldt and friend Steven Wilson are responsible for promoting a number of fads, including online self-help, a number of low-carbohydrate diets, and music written in minor key signatures.
No discussion of Opeth’s contributions to the cultural landscape would be complete without mention of the important Opeth Record Club, which—like Oprah’s Book Club—consists entirely of media Mikael Åkerfeldt is a personal fan of.
Noteworthy Episodes
- “Orchid” (1995): Gardening tips galore as Åkerfeldt and friends discuss the nuances of Orchids, Black Roses, flowers’ Nectar, as well as the finer points of gardening including how to get the most out of your Harvest, as well as how to transpose Patterns in the Ivy.
- “Morningrise” (1996): Does your monotonous morning routine got you down? Opeth covers ways to keep your days from getting Bleak, as well as tips for dealing with the Isolation Years of middle age and turning your time at work into Hours of Wealth.
- “My Arms, Your Hearse” (1998): Opeth deals with death the only way Opeth knows how: through giving out free gifts and prizes! Watch as gift baskets help victims find Closure in dealing with the deaths of their loved ones.
- “Still Life” (1999): It’s art appreciation week as the Opeth crew takes about the merit of art and artist. The genres of the Still Life and the Funeral Portrait are discussed at length.
- “Blackwater Park” (2001): Opeth’s guest express their ecological concern over a number of issues, including a Reverie on the logging of Harlequin Forest and the pollution of Blackwater Park.
- “Deliverance” (2002):This legendary Opeth holiday episode discusses events you can do during Advent, as well as fun holiday craft activities like making Wreaths and Porcelain Hearts.
- “Damnation” (2003): Despite its ominous title, this episode is particularly light, and consists of nothing but the cast and crew of Opeth giving away gifts until the show’s Ending Credits.
- “Ghost Reveries” (2005): Opeth takes a dive into the paranormal, and discusses the possible existence of Ghosts of Perdition and Demons of the Fall.
- “Watershed” (2008): Åkerfeldt makes his love of ’70s Prog Rock apparent, in addition to discussing the benefits of all-lotus diets and Hessian facial peels.
