Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt: 'I've Never Bought a Song on iTunes'

Posted on Sep 28th 2011 1:30PM by Carlos Ramirez Comments

Roadrunner Records

"I've never bought a song on iTunes. I listen to entire albums," says Opeth singer-songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt. The Swedish progressive-metal icon is discussing 'Heritage,' Opeth's brand new album, with Noisecreep. Known for his labyrinthine arrangements and nuanced recordings, Åkerfeldt firmly believes that his band's music should be ingested in album-length quantities.

"The only time I just play single tracks is when I'm DJing or at a party. If I've had a few drinks, that's another time I'll just play single songs. That's because I'm being impatient. With Opeth, the album's sequencing is very important. It's meant to be heard as one piece. I know these days most people go to iTunes and just buy a certain song they like. I can't do that. Even if there's one song on an album that I really want, I'll get the entire thing. That's how I've always been," says Åkerfeldt.

Noisecreep asked the Opeth frontman if he even owns an iPod.

"Yeah, and what's in it is stuff from my record collection. It's just so much easier than packing a ton of CDs with me when I'm on the road. So I basically bought an iPod because of touring. I've never downloaded MP3s or whatever. I still love the physical format."

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