Deliverance

It was recorded between 22 July and 4 September 2002, at the same time as Damnation. The two records were deliberately split so each could emphasise one side of the band, and this is widely taken to be their heaviest while Damnation is their lightest. They had wanted to issue them as a double album, but the label decided to release them separately, about five months apart, so each could be promoted. No songs had been written when the sessions began, so those weeks became the writing of two albums at once: Mikael Akerfeldt wrote at night and recorded with the band during the day. Work started at Nacksving Studio and was plagued by technical trouble — equipment failing, drum microphones moving or disappearing — as well as problems inside the band, so they returned to Studio Fredman and finished with Steven Wilson. Akerfeldt's grandmother was killed in a car accident during the sessions, and he dedicated both records to her. "Master's Apprentices" is named after the Australian band The Masters Apprentices and "For Absent Friends" after a song on Genesis's Nursery Cryme. The closing "By the Pain I See in Others" fades out at 10:40, and two backmasked verses from "Master's Apprentices" appear at 12:00 and 13:15. The album reached number 16 on Top Heatseekers and 19 on Top Independent Albums, the first Opeth release ever to chart. The running order here is the original's as printed.