Biography
Who is Mikael Åkerfeldt?
Early life and career beginnings
Mikael Åkerfeldt was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on April 17, 1974. He started his musical path in 1987 by forming the death metal band Eruption at the age of 13, where he served as the vocalist.
After Eruption disbanded in 1989, he joined Opeth. Initially, he played keyboards for the group. When their original bassist left two years later, Mikael took over bass duties before eventually transitioning to lead vocalist.
Musical style and projects
Mikael Åkerfeldt is widely recognized for his work with Opeth, contributing progressive rock-influenced songwriting alongside clean baritone and growled vocals. Beyond Opeth, he has collaborated with various musical acts and side projects throughout his career.
He performed death vocals on Katatonia's album Brave Murder Day and their EP Sounds of Decay. He was also a member of the death metal supergroup Bloodbath, played guitar for the band Steel, and formed the collaboration Storm Corrosion with Steven Wilson.
Soundtracks and collaborations
In 2020, director Jonas Åkerlund approached Mikael to compose the soundtrack for the Swedish Netflix series Clark, which was released in May 2022. This project marked his first foray into film scoring.
He has also made numerous guest appearances on albums by other prominent artists. He provided vocals on songs for Ayreon, Devin Townsend, Dream Theater, Edge of Sanity, and Porcupine Tree, among others.
Personal life
Mikael married Anna on August 15, 2003. They had two daughters together named Melinda and Mirjam, with their second daughter contributing spoken words to a track on Opeth's 2024 album The Last Will and proof. He went through a divorce in 2016.
Outside of writing and performing music, he is an avid collector of obscure 1970s rock and heavy metal albums. He does not practice any religion and considers himself an atheist.
Birthday and age
Mikael Åkerfeldt was born on April 17, 1974, which makes Mikael 52 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. Mikael shares the date with 62 other famous people.
Explore more









