Sorceress (Opeth album)

Sorceress is the twelfth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth.^[13] The album was released on 30 September 2016 via record label Nuclear Blast and the band's own imprint Moderbolaget.^[13]

Sorceress
Studio album by Opeth
Released	30 September 2016 (2016-09-30)
Recorded	May 2016
Studio	Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales RAK Studios in London, England (strings) Junkmail Studios in Stockholm, Sweden (additional) Psalms Studios in Bath, England (additional)
Genre	Progressive rock,[1][2] progressive metal
Length	56:35
Label	Moderbolaget Nuclear Blast
Producer	Tom Dalgety[3] Mikael Åkerfeldt
Opeth chronology
Pale Communion (2014) Sorceress (2016) Garden of the Titans: Live at Red Rocks Amphitheater (2018)
Singles from Sorceress
"Sorceress" Released: 1 August 2016 "Will O the Wisp" Released: 4 September 2016 "The Wilde Flowers" Released: 21 September 2016 "Era" Released: 23 January 2017

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	81/100[4]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[5]
Blabbermouth.net	7.5/10[6]
Exclaim!	7/10[7]
The Guardian	[1]
Kerrang!	[8]
Metal Injection	8.5/10[9]
Metal Storm	7.2/10[10]
Pitchfork	6.7/10[2]
PopMatters	8/10[11]
Sputnikmusic	4.1/5[12]

Background

The album was produced and mixed by Tom Dalgety and recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales.^[13] Following the album's release, the band embarked on a world tour with bands the Sword, Sahg, and Myrkur as supporting acts.^[14][15] Thematically, the album draws inspiration from Åkerfeldt's personal life, as he divorced in 2016.^[16] The album was streamed via SoundCloud on 29 September.^[17]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Persephone"	1:51
2.	"Sorceress"	5:49
3.	"The Wilde Flowers"	6:49
4.	"Will o the Wisp"	5:07
5.	"Chrysalis"	7:16
6.	"Sorceress 2"	3:49
7.	"The Seventh Sojourn"	5:29
8.	"Strange Brew"	8:44
9.	"A Fleeting Glance"	5:06
10.	"Era"	5:41
11.	"Persephone (Slight Return)"	0:54
Total length:		56:35

All tracks are written by Mikael Åkerfeldt, except "Strange Brew" music composed by Åkerfeldt and Fredrik Åkesson

Limited edition bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
12.	"The Ward"	3:13
13.	"Spring MCMLXXIV"	6:11
14.	"Cusp of Eternity" (live with The Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra)	5:44
15.	"The Drapery Falls" (live with The Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra)	10:23
16.	"Voice of Treason" (live with The Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra)	8:10
Total length:		90:16

Personnel

Opeth

• Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, production
• Fredrik Åkesson – electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals
• Joakim Svalberg – Hammond C3, Mellotron, Fender Rhodes 88, harpsichord, Yamaha grand piano, Minimoog, percussion, backing vocals
• Martín Méndez – bass guitars
• Martin Axenrot – drums, percussion

Additional personnel

• Pascale Marie Vickery – spoken words on "Persephone" and "Persephone (Slight Return)"
• Wil Malone – string arrangements
• Tom Dalgety – engineering, mixing, production
• John Davis – mastering
• Travis Smith – cover art

Charts

Chart (2016)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[18]	7
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[19]	10
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[20]	16
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[21]	20
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[22]	13
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[23]	11
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[24]	3
French Albums (SNEP)[25]	29
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[26]	1
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[27]	18
Italian Albums (FIMI)[28]	12
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[29]	28
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[30]	8
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[31]	17
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[32]	20
Scottish Albums (OCC)[33]	10
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[34]	31
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[35]	7
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[36]	6
UK Albums (OCC)[37]	11
US Billboard 200[38]	24

References

1. Lawson, Dom (29 September 2016). "Opeth: Sorceress review – metal masters click into higher gear". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
2. O'Connor, Andy (8 October 2016). "Opeth: Sorceress". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
3. "OPETH – Sorceress: Studio Report – Episode 9: The Producer – Tom Dalgety". YouTube. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
4. "Sorceress by Opeth". Metacritic. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
5. Jurek, Thom (30 September 2016). "Sorceress – Opeth". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
6. Gorania, Jay H. "Opeth – Sorceress". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
7. Slingerland, Calum (22 August 2014). "Opeth – Sorceress". Exclaim!. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
8. "Opeth : Sorceress". Kerrang!. No. 1638. 24 September 2016. p. 51.
9. Ulrey, Jeremy (1 September 2016). "OPETH – Sorceress, A Track-by-Track Review". Metal Injection. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
10. "Opeth – Sorceress review". Metal Stormaccess-date=15 August 2022.
11. Blum, Jordan (27 September 2016). "Opeth: Sorceress". PopMatters. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
12. Kuettel, Ben (28 September 2016). "Review: Opeth – Sorceress". Sputnik Music. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
13. Hartmann, Graham (18 July 2016). "Opeth Unveil Data, Album Art + Track Listing for 'Sorceress'". Loudwire. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
14. "Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt: What Fans Can Expect From 'Sorceress' Tour". Blabbermouth.net. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
15. "Opeth adds supporting acts to their Sorceress World Tour". 8 November 2016. Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
16. Franklin, Dan (21 September 2016). "Dead Man Touring: Mikael Åkerfeldt Of Opeth Interviewed". The Quietus. Retrieved 23 November 2016. Although markedly different from those albums, Sorceress has something of the mood and tone of that work, driven by Åkerfeldt's personal experience, including a recent divorce, more than a reflective, authored distance.
17. "In Cauda Venenum – Out Now!".
18. "Australiancharts.com – Opeth – Sorceress". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
19. "Austriancharts.at – Opeth – Sorceress" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
20. "Ultratop.be – Opeth – Sorceress" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
21. "Ultratop.be – Opeth – Sorceress" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
22. "Opeth Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
23. "Dutchcharts.nl – Opeth – Sorceress" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
24. "Opeth: Sorceress" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
25. "Lescharts.com – Opeth – Sorceress". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
26. "Offiziellecharts.de – Opeth – Sorceress" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
27. "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2016. 40. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
28. "Italiancharts.com – Opeth – Sorceress". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
29. "Charts.nz – Opeth – Sorceress". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
30. "Norwegiancharts.com – Opeth – Sorceress". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
31. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
32. "Portuguesecharts.com – Opeth – Sorceress". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
33. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
34. "TOP 100 ALBUMES — SEMANA 40: del 30.09.2016 al 06.10.2016" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
35. "Swedishcharts.com – Opeth – Sorceress". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
36. "Swisscharts.com – Opeth – Sorceress". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
37. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
38. "Opeth Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 October 2016.