OPETH Guitarist FREDRIK ÅKESSON On His Debut Solo Album: 'I'll Do My Best To Finish It As Quickly As Possible'

In a new interview with Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda, guitarist Fredrik Åkesson of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH was asked about the status of the songwriting and recording sessions for his upcoming solo album. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I don’t know who leaked that [I was making a solo album], because I haven’t really [announced anything]… Mikael [Åkerfeldt, OPETH guitarist/vocalist] said it in some interview and then journalists were asking, and it kind of spread it out now.

“But I was talking to [SAXON singer] Biff Byford, because he’s gonna sing on a track, and that one is done and that’s the third track.

“It’s difficult now because we tour a lot and I’m very busy with OPETH, so I get these chunks of time,” Fredrik explained. “I need to write at least six more songs. I do have tons of ideas, but three songs are ready, at least. Two songs are mixed and mastered, which are instrumental tracks, [and they contain] lots and lots of guitar solos.

“I’ll do my best. It’s gonna be fun, but, yeah, [I’ll try to complete it] as quick as possible,” he added. “But as I mentioned, there’s a lot of touring, there’s a lot of stuff going on with OPETH. So as soon as I get some free time, I’ll try to finish as many songs as possible. So I can’t promise any date or anything, but I’ll do my best to finish this as quickly as possible.”

Hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, Åkesson is the virtuosic shredder behind OPETH‘s signature brand of Swedish heavy metal. While Åkesson is primarily known for playing guitar in OPETH, he has also played with the bands KRUX, MONSTERS OF METAL and TALISMAN.

Born in 1972, Åkesson picked up the guitar at the tender age of 10 and before long, he was playing eight hours a day, heavily influenced by shred gods like Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth, Gary Moore, Frank Marino, Shawn Lane, George Lynch and Yngwie Malmsteen.

In 1992, he joined Swedish hard rock outfit TALISMAN and recorded five albums with them over the next four years before parting with them in 1995, searching for a heavier band. Åkesson went on to form the band SOUTHPAW and released an album in 1998, before rejoining TALISMAN in 2002. In 2004, he played with Swedish metal band TIAMAT, and in 2005-2006 he served a stint in melodic death metal band ARCH ENEMY as a substitute for guitarist Christopher Amott.

In 2007, he rose to heavy metal stardom with OPETH, joining the band for the recording of the album “Watershed”. To date he has recorded six LP with the band, including OPETH‘s latest effort, 2024’s “The Last Will And Testament”.