Opeth Announce 20th Anniversary Reissue of ‘Blackwater Park’
Swedish progressive rockers Opeth have revealed that a deluxe vinyl and CD reissue of their 2001 album Blackwater Park, long revered as the Mikael Akerfeldt-led band's death metal masterpiece, will emerge this summer to celebrate the effort's 20th anniversary.
To be re-released by Music for Nations, the album's 2021 LP edition is part of a dream audiophile package for Opeth fans. The 2x12" gatefold set is pressed onto heavyweight wax and comes on either white or dark smokey transparent colored vinyl. Inside is a 24-page booklet with updated liner notes, recollections from the band and rare photos from the period. The CD variant comes in a hardcover book and includes all the extra info as well. As of this posting, pre-orders for either version from Opeth's official online store include a free art print signed by Akerfeldt.
"I know that Blackwater Park was the stepping stone into professionalism for us," Akerfeldt shared in a statement. "Since then, the band has taken up all our time, and we've never really looked back. Always forward."
He added of the Blackwater sessions, "It's well known that Steven Wilson came in to produce the album, and that set off a lifelong friendship. I like to think the songs were different from what most other bands were doing at the time, but the production definitely set us apart from the rest. Steven helped to highlight the true strength of the band which was, and still is, our diversity."
The new edition of Blackwater Park comes out July 16. Pre-orders for album bundles, plus related anniversary merch such as a Blackwater Park T-shirt or candle, are now available at opethblackwaterpark.com.
A much-deserved and open armed 20th anniversary celebration of Opeth's magnum opus. Two decades in and still a breath-taking piece of work, dense with extraordinary melodic moments, spine-tingling atmospherics and agile but crushing heaviness, and one that saw the Swedish metallers kick open prog's ornate doors, fed death metal through the cosmic kaleidoscope and introduced a generation of music nerds to a world of limitless musical possibilities. The reissue comes lovingly pressed onto heavyweight, audiophile approved vinyl, with a variety of deluxe finishes, and housed in a gatefold artwork sleeve, with updated liner notes and acknowledgements. The deluxe variants, including a hardcase CD, come furnished with an updated artwork booklet complete with new liner notes, never seen before memories from the band, and exclusive content provided by the Opeth fanbase. It remains a must for Opeth enthusiasts, completists and casual listeners alike.