Peter Lindgren

Peter Lindgren — born in Sweden in 1973 — was Opeth's guitarist between 1991 and 2007, a period covering the whole formation of the band's identity. He was on the albums that established the group's format: Orchid (1995), Morningrise (1996), My Arms, Your Hearse (1998), Still Life (1999), Blackwater Park (2001), Deliverance (2002), Damnation (2003), Ghost Reveries (2005) and Watershed (2008). His function is that of counterpart to Mikael Åkerfeldt in a two-guitar configuration that differs from metal's standard. There is no fixed division between rhythm and lead: Opeth's compositions alternate heavy tremolo riffs, acoustic passages of open harmony and progressive rock sections within a single track, and the two instruments trade those functions as the piece requires. Playing that demands versatility of tone and articulation far greater than conventional repertoires ask. He left in 2007, saying he no longer felt the motivation to sustain the pace of touring and recording — a departure without conflict, rare in that world. He was replaced by Fredrik Åkesson.