Editing Opeth (section)

===Formation (1990–1993)===
[[File:Mikael Åkerfeldt 2005 by JeroenMassar.jpg|left|thumb|upright|Åkerfeldt (pictured) and Isberg carried on with Opeth after all other members left.]]

Opeth was formed as a [[death metal]] band in April 1990 in Stockholm, Sweden, by [[David Isberg]], with some friends from [[Täby]];<ref name="isberg stalker"/><ref name="Chapter 2"/> Isberg was the lead vocalist.<ref name="Metal Hammer">{{cite journal |date=January 2008 |author= Joel McIver |title= Pressing the Red Button |journal= [[Metal Hammer]]}}</ref> The band name was taken from the [[Wilbur Smith]] novel ''[[The Sunbird]]'', in which Opet is the name of a fictional city.<ref name="Furteeng">{{cite web |author=Erika Kristen Watt |date=5 July 2005 |url=http://www.fourteeng.net/opeth.html |title=Interview Mikael Åkerfeldt |publisher=Furteeng.net |access-date=8 February 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090604023601/http://www.fourteeng.net/opeth.html |archive-date=4 June 2009 }}</ref> Isberg asked former Eruption band member and guitarist [[Mikael Åkerfeldt]] to join Opeth as a bassist, replacing Martin Persson. When Åkerfeldt showed up to practice on the day after Isberg invited him, it became clear that Isberg had not told the band members, including the band's current bassist, that Åkerfeldt would be joining the band. An ensuing argument led to all members but Isberg and Åkerfeldt leaving to form a new project.<ref name="Metal Hammer"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.musicradar.com/guitarist/interview-mikael-akerfeldt-opeth-283778|author=Rob Laing|title=Interview: Mikael Åkerfeldt, Opeth|publisher=Music Radar|date=12 October 2010|access-date=1 October 2016|archive-date=30 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190730100639/https://www.musicradar.com/guitarist/interview-mikael-akerfeldt-opeth-283778|url-status=live |quote=But the other guys didn't know I was coming to the rehearsal - the original bass player showed up too and said, Who the fuck is this guy? They had a huge argument and he [Isberg] fired them...he told them to fuck off and me and him became Opeth.}}</ref> At this time Opeth declared themselves to be the "most evil band in the world".<ref name=AllMusic/><ref name="Chapter 2"/>

Isberg and Åkerfeldt recruited drummer Anders Nordin, bassist Nick Döring, and guitarist Andreas Dimeo. Unsatisfied with Opeth's slow progress, Döring and Dimeo left the band after their first performance,<ref name="Chapter 2">{{cite web| author=Mikael Åkerfeldt|url=http://www.opeth.com/biography/chapter2.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080124065223/http://www.opeth.com/biography/chapter2.html |archive-date=24 January 2008 |title=Opeth chapter 2 |publisher=Opeth.com |access-date=12 March 2008}}</ref> and were replaced by guitarist Kim Pettersson and bassist [[Johan De Farfalla]]. After the next show, De Farfalla left Opeth to spend time with his girlfriend in Germany, and was initially replaced by Mattias Ander, before Åkerfeldt's friend [[Peter Lindgren (musician)|Peter Lindgren]] took on the role of bassist. Rhythm guitarist Kim Pettersson left following the band's next performance, and Lindgren switched to guitar, with Stefan Guteklint taking over the role of bassist. In 1992, David Isberg left the band citing "creative differences".<ref name="Metal Hammer"/>

Following Isberg's departure, Åkerfeldt took over vocal duties and he, Lindgren, and Nordin spent the next year writing and rehearsing new material. The group began to rely less on the [[blast beat]]s and aggression typical of death metal, and incorporated [[acoustic guitar]]s and guitar harmonies into their music; developing the core sound of Opeth. Bassist Guteklint was dismissed by the band after they signed their first record deal with [[Candlelight Records]] in 1994. Opeth initially employed former member De Farfalla as a session bassist for their demo recordings, and he went on to join on a full-time basis following the release of Opeth's debut album, "Orchid", in 1995.<ref name="Chapter 2"/>