Opeth has dug deep into their archives and unearthed their lost 2003 music video for "Damnation" directed by Fredrik Odefjärd. According to the band, the video has since "digitised from the original video tape sent to MTV in 2003, a long lost artefact of a much loved fan favourite from from the Damnation vaults."
Opeth will reissue Damnation on vinyl on December 15. The reissue will mark the first time that Damnation has been available on exclusive and deluxe vinyl pressings. The reissue will feature the 2015 Steven Wilson remix and remaster of the album, and you can pre-order it here.
In a statement, Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt said: "We want our records available on vinyl at all times, and it turns out we can't keep stock! Our vinyl editions are flying out. I've seen it with my own eyes when I helped out in a record shop during the pandemic. Some customers didn't know they're buying it from one of the people responsible for the music. Of course I went: 'Good record, good band!'. So before there's any moaning about 'another reissue, another cash grab' I want to stress out that it really comes down to public demand."
Åkerfeldt also spoke about the significance of Damnation to the band's career: "Damnation is a special record, even if they're all special to me. I remember hearing the first mix on headphones in a crummy hotel somewhere in the UK. I had trouble believing it was us, myself, Peter, Lopez, Mendez (as well as ol' Steve on keys). It was completely different from anything we'd done up to that point, and quite frankly, since. Out of all of our records, I think this one is most suitable for the vinyl format due to the fact that it is not really cluttered with stuff. A pretty airy recording with 5 musicians and done on 2 inch tapes as well. It's a record I'm immensely proud over and it also remains a fan-favorite I believe."
Added Wilson: "Opeth's seventh album Damnation was released 20 years ago! Mostly recorded in Gothenburg, Sweden during the same sessions as their previous album Deliverance, it was later finished and mixed at my studio back in the UK. The album was a big step in the band's evolution, moving completely away from their metal roots to create something more organic, imbued with the sound of early seventies mellotron driven progressive music. It's become recognised as a classic, and I'm proud to have been a part of it.
"Damnation is being reissued for its 20th anniversary on several different vinyl variants using the slightly improved 2015 mix. If you've never listened to Opeth because you thought they were a metal band, this is a perfect place to start and be surprised!"
