FREDRIK ÅKESSON Explains How WALTTERI VÄYRYNEN Became OPETH’s New Drummer

In a current chat with Rock Antenne’s David Loebe at Guitar Summit 2024, Opeth guitarist Fredrik Åkesson shared insights on the band’s resolution to carry drummer Waltteri Väyrynen in September 2022. Väyrynen, identified for his work with Paradise Lost, Bloodbath, and Bodom After Midnight, stepped in to fill the sneakers of Martin “Axe” Axenrot, who had beforehand exited Opeth.

Initially, drummer Sami Karppinen, Axenrot‘s drum tech, took over as a brief fill-in, protecting two U.S. excursions and a summer time competition run till the band was able to announce a everlasting addition. Åkesson defined how Opeth found Väyrynen by watching him deal with “The Satan’s Orchard” – a observe requiring finesse past simply the everyday excessive steel drumming he was identified for.

“We had a man that helped us out in between, a man referred to as Sami, who truly was Axe‘s drum tech. So he did the 2 American excursions we signed up for, and likewise the competition summer time season,” Åkesson recalled (through Blabbermouth. “After which we had Waltteri in thoughts as a result of we noticed him play the observe ‘The Satan’s Orchard’, which is… He is extra of, I might say, an excessive steel drummer, however in Opeth, you might want to have an even bigger spectrum, you might want to know the prog, the extra calm stuff, and tasteful stuff, and he performed that observe, which isn’t a dying steel observe, however he simply nailed the whole lot; he actually had all the spectra as a drummer — all of the completely different components which might be required inside Opeth, as a result of we sort of swap in between ’70s prog rock, exhausting rock, steel, dying steel, progressive steel, blah, blah, blah, and so forth. Some barely jazzy stuff as nicely.”

After performing three excursions collectively, Väyrynen joined Opeth within the studio to document their upcoming album, The Final Will And Testomony. The primary observe, “Paragraph Three,” was accomplished in a single take. Nonetheless, Väyrynen needed to provide it one other shot, exhibiting his dedication.

“We did three excursions with Waltteri earlier than we recorded the album The Final Will And Testomony with him. So he simply nailed the whole lot immediately. Once we went into the studio, the primary observe we recorded was ‘Paragraph Three’, and he simply nailed it on the primary take. So, we went, ‘That is it.’ However he was, after all, as I might be, ‘No. One other one.'”

Whereas Axenrot hasn’t publicly mentioned his departure, his Bloodbath bandmate Nick Holmes, who additionally performs with Paradise Lost, revealed that Axenrot‘s exit may have been related to his decision against COVID-19 vaccination. It stays unsure if this was the only cause behind his departure, as neither Axenrot nor Opeth has confirmed additional particulars.