It's Official: OPETH Sign With ROADRUNNER RECORDS

As BLABBERMOUTH.NET first reported on April 18, OPETH mainman Mikael Åkerfeldt has now officially confirmed to MTV.com that the band have finalized a deal with New York's Roadrunner Records, bolstering an imposing roster that already includes KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, SLIPKNOT, OBITUARY and CRADLE OF FILTH.

Åkerfeldt disclosed several details about the band's forthcoming, self-produced opus. The follow-up to 2003's acoustic masterpiece, "Damnation", and OPETH's first disc in years without producer Steve Wilson, the album will include "Ghost of Tradition", "The Baying of the Hounds" and "Isolation Years".

"Musically, 'Damnation' was an experiment for us," Åkerfeldt told MTV.com. "It also helped us to develop our sound. So this time around, you can say the overall record is going to be heavy-sounding. There's also a couple of songs that are more in the style of 'Damnation', so to speak. We also have a new member in the band, our keyboard player, Per Wiberg. So we have some vintage keyboards this time around on the heavy material as well. Overall, this one is heavy."

Åkerfeldt said OPETH will finish the record before month's end and expect to release it as early as late August. He also said they'll play some new material this summer as part of the inaugural Sounds of the Underground tour.

"We've never done anything like [a festival tour] before, but this is a new thing, so we're excited," he said. "It's a good chance to reach out to people who've never heard from us. I'm also looking forward to seeing STRAPPING YOUNG LAD and CLUTCH perform. Many of the bands on the tour I've never heard of."