"Opeth will be entering Fashination street studios on March 15 to record their 8th yet untitled opus. The band are currently in rehearsal mode, which is a rare occasion having recorded the last 4 records without rehearsing. The recording will be overseen by the uprising recording mogul Jens Bogren. As of today no names for production duties have surfaced and it looks like the next record will be a band produced effort. Nothing has been decided regarding who's taking care of the mix either so we'll have to keep you wondering. Opeth and their management have spent the last month meeting the 5 top label candidates for the next Opeth recording contract. The names are still secret but a decision will be made very soon and obviously announced here earlier than anywhere else. Several Summer festival appearances have been confirmed and will be posted here soon. A Summer tour of the US has also been confirmed and will be posted here soon as well. The matters are still very "hush, hush" so we can't say anything more at this point. What can be said is that the band will make a few low-profile apperances prior to the next release and several full blown headline tours all over the world after the release. Take your rest now!" Well, sounds great. A new album from Opeth is always a good thing. Of course they aren't going to repeat Damnation, and I heard that it may be their heaviest yet, leaning possibly toward black metal as Mike suggested. Opeth takes about 2-3 months to record, and give or take 2 months to mix and release...and the album should be here in July or August by the looks of it with festivals and touring following the release!