When Swedish progressive metal giants Opeth released 'Heritage' in 2011, the band received a surprisingly mixed reaction from fans. Opeth separated themselves from their death metal-infused past with 'Heritage,' with frontman Mikael Akerfeldt ditching his iconic guttural in favor of clean singing, while the rest of Opeth experimented with low distortion levels and '80s prog elements.Though Opeth are undoubtedly happy with the way 'Heritage' turned out, guitarist Fredrik Akesson recently stated that the band's next album will not continue down the path carved out for 'Heritage.'

In a recent interview with Australian magazine Loud, Akesson spoke about his view of 'Heritage,' along with the fan reaction to the disc. "I'm proud of the album," Akesson declares. "I think it's a very good album. I understand the controversy about it, but it was something the band needed to do — something different to break out of the box, or however you want to put it. And also the album is called 'Heritage.' It's about the musical heritage of the band. It's a bit of a flirt with old hard rock themes, [like the] Ronnie James Dio tribute track, for instance or, you know, there's a bit of Rush in there or some Swedish folk."

Regarding the direction Opeth will turn with their next release, the guitarist didn't want to give too much away, but assured fans that Opeth will not be making 'Heritage, Part Two.' "I would have to say [the album goes] in a somewhat different direction to 'Heritage.' [Laughs] It won't be a step back, but it will be different. Maybe more intense in a way. You'll have to wait and see. I was in the studio today and put down my solos and I was very happy about it. The song I heard that Mikael wrote today sounds very cool. I think that's all I can say at this point! I'm sorry. [Laughs]"

So when will Opeth begin recording their next opus? "The plan is to try and record at the end of September, when we're done with all the touring," reveals Akesson. "This is the longest break we've had between albums. I think the longest break we had before this was before 'Watershed.' It's not gonna happen this year, most likely the year after."

Stay tuned for more updates on Opeth and their upcoming album as news breaks.

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