Per Wiberg out of OPETH

ravenheart · #1 04-06-2011, 12:36 PM

Apparently the band decided to sack him. And he'd decided to leave. Not sure who told who first, but they're treating it as a mutual decision.

He did finish recording the keyboards for the new album, and his replacement is already rehearsing with the band. Identity to be released soon.

Akerfeldt: "Well, it’s been somewhat of a revolving door of members during the last couple of years, and now, Per is no longer a member. Mendez, Axe and Fredrik and I came to the decision that we should find a replacement for Per right after the recordings of the new album, and this came as no surprise to Per. He had, in turn, been thinking about leaving, so you could say it was a mutual decision. There’s no bad blood, just a relationship that came to an end, and that’s that. We wish Per the best, and he did a splendid job recording keyboards for the last record, which stands as his final recording with Opeth."

Onioner · #2 04-06-2011, 12:44 PM

If there is a god, Per will become a full-time keyboardist for Clutch. The shows he did last December with them were supposedly fantastic, and live he apparently handles himself a lot better than Mick Schauer.

ravenheart · #3 04-06-2011, 12:47 PM

Per is awesome live. And he's a hell of a singer too.

Listen to Mojobone. Do it now.

Then, if you wanna hear him playing with Jean Paul Gaster from Clutch and Thomas Andersson and Ulf Ivarsson from Kamchatka, listen to King Hobo

BlackmoreOfBowling · #4 04-06-2011, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onioner

If there is a god, Per will become a full-time keyboardist for Clutch. The shows he did last December with them were supposedly fantastic, and live he apparently handles himself a lot better than Mick Schauer.

This. Maybe some more Bakerton Group stuff too.

maxpower · #5 04-06-2011, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ravenheart

Per is awesome live. And he's a hell of a singer too.

Listen to Mojobone. Do it now.

Then, if you wanna hear him playing with Jean Paul Gaster from Clutch and Thomas Andersson and Ulf Ivarsson from Kamchatka, listen to King Hobo

I bought the King Hobo cd at a Clutch show when Kamchatka was direct support in 08, but it didn't really stick in my rotation. This news definitely makes me want to go grab it off the shelf and give it another listen.

ravenheart · #6 04-06-2011, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxpower

I bought the King Hobo cd at a Clutch show when Kamchatka was direct support in 08, but it didn't really stick in my rotation. This news definitely makes me want to go grab it off the shelf and give it another listen.

It's a great CD, but I must say the Mojobone ones are better. 'Cowboy Mode' is the new one, released last year. And earlier this year the first album and the debut EP were released together on CD for the first time with an album's worth of bonus tracks. I recommend getting them.

HugeRockStar · #7 04-06-2011, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onioner

If there is a god, Per will become a full-time keyboardist for Clutch. The shows he did last December with them were supposedly fantastic, and live he apparently handles himself a lot better than Mick Schauer.

I prefer Clutch as just a 4 piece and didn't like when they added in keyboards to all their older songs when Mick was with them.

DethMaiden · #8 04-06-2011, 04:12 PM

Clutch needs a keyboardist who doesn't add parts to the songs that don't have keyboards in the first place. I'm afraid if they add a full-timer there's gonna be a lot of, shall we say, extra psychedelia in tunes from the self-titled, Elephant Riders and Strange Cousins that doesn't need to be there.

That being said, this is sad. To me, the essential Opeth lineup was the Ghost Reveries one - Åkerfeldt, Lindgren, Mendez, Lopez, Wiberg. Sad that now besides Mikael the only link left is Martin, the least essential member of that lineup.

MPF · #9 04-06-2011, 04:16 PM

Damn this news makes me sad. But I'm sure Opeth have a great replacement.

As for Clutch idea. I'm all for it. I can see how someone would say that keyboards aren't needed in some songs, and I can agree to an extent, but I don't think there's a keyboardist out there who wants to sit on his ass during half or more of a clutch set waiting to play a few songs. So either go all out, or don't.

DethMaiden · #10 04-06-2011, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MPF

As for Clutch idea. I'm all for it. I can see how someone would say that keyboards aren't needed in some songs, and I can agree to an extent, but I don't think there's a keyboardist out there who wants to sit on his ass during half or more of a clutch set waiting to play a few songs. So either go all out, or don't.

Don't.

The Devil and Me sounds better without keys than Escape From the Prison Planet does with.