Swedish metallers Opeth pushed themselves further down the progressive rock rabbit hole with Sorceress last year. Now, the band have shared an equally mystic new clip for album cut "Era."
Directed by Markus Hofko, the video first sees a young boy standing alongside a mysterious masked figure, who pass through a curtained gateway together. On the other side is a world of fire and brimstone, featuring plenty of figures frozen amongst the rubble — including the members of Opeth themselves.
Frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt had this to say about the clip:
I have to say our involvement in the making of the "Era" video was so minimal we can't take credit either for or against its brilliance. We did 3D scans of our bodies (clothed) in Munich during the last European tour. I remember everyone's extremely tired and probably slightly hungover. The director just placed us in a ice-cold room and then scanned us with something that looked like a flashing hairdryer. Done! We've done our part for the video. Next! During the process of finishing the piece it got clear to me that it really works with the song. That's something I was involved in actually, picking the song. It's extremely difficult. Which song to choose? How do I know what works best for this format? Well, I don't. I picked a song from the record that has a strong chorus. Slightly old school way of thinking I guess, but ultimately it didn't matter all that much to me. The video is nice. I dig it. It's slightly on the pretentious side, but hey, works for me! And like I said, it really works with the overall vibe of the song. Lyrically and musically and definitely emotionally.
Sorceress is out now through Nuclear Blast/Moderbolaget. Watch the video for "Era" in the player below, and watch our interview with Åkerfeldt here.
Directed by Markus Hofko, the video first sees a young boy standing alongside a mysterious masked figure, who pass through a curtained gateway together. On the other side is a world of fire and brimstone, featuring plenty of figures frozen amongst the rubble — including the members of Opeth themselves.
Frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt had this to say about the clip:
I have to say our involvement in the making of the "Era" video was so minimal we can't take credit either for or against its brilliance. We did 3D scans of our bodies (clothed) in Munich during the last European tour. I remember everyone's extremely tired and probably slightly hungover. The director just placed us in a ice-cold room and then scanned us with something that looked like a flashing hairdryer. Done! We've done our part for the video. Next! During the process of finishing the piece it got clear to me that it really works with the song. That's something I was involved in actually, picking the song. It's extremely difficult. Which song to choose? How do I know what works best for this format? Well, I don't. I picked a song from the record that has a strong chorus. Slightly old school way of thinking I guess, but ultimately it didn't matter all that much to me. The video is nice. I dig it. It's slightly on the pretentious side, but hey, works for me! And like I said, it really works with the overall vibe of the song. Lyrically and musically and definitely emotionally.
Sorceress is out now through Nuclear Blast/Moderbolaget. Watch the video for "Era" in the player below, and watch our interview with Åkerfeldt here.