Inside Opeth’s “Heir Apparent”: A Multi-Track Mixing Guide

The Rhythmic Heart: Drums That Breathe and Explode

Right off the bat, you can tell these drum tracks are special. The session Eyal Levi unboxed for Nail The Mix was presented with zero plugins engaged, just some basic balancing, and they already sound immense.

Kick and Snare: Reinforcement, Not Replacement

The setup is fairly standard: kick, snare, five toms, ride, hi-hat, two Chinas, stereo overheads, and a selection of room mics. Jens Bogren even included the samples he used.

• Kick: You get the natural kick mic alongside a sample. Crucially, this is sample reinforcement. The sample isn't there to obliterate the original kick; it’s there to augment it, adding punch or consistency where needed while retaining the organic feel.
• Snare: Similar story here – natural top and bottom snare mics complemented by "high" and "low" samples. This gives you incredible flexibility to blend the snap of the natural snare with the body and power of the samples.

The Cardinal Rule: Preserve Dynamics

If there's one takeaway for mixing Opeth drums, it's this: dynamics are king. This song journeys through starkly contrasting sections – from full-bore metal onslaughts to delicate, nuanced passages with ghost notes and intricate cymbal work.
Forget your usual "crush everything" metal mixing tactics. If you make everything hyper-even, you'll strip the life out of the performance. You need to allow the soft parts to be soft and the loud parts to hit hard. This might mean more automation and less reliance on heavy bus compression across the entire kit. For deeper insights into managing dynamics effectively, check out these metal compression secrets.

Toms, Cymbals, and Room Ambiance

• Toms: The five toms are presented raw – no gates, no edits. This might seem daunting for an 8-minute song, but they're so well-recorded and played that spotting hits is a breeze. It's fantastic practice for manual editing and gating.
• Ride Mic Trick: The close-mic'd ride is there, but Eyal points out a neat trick: if your ride's close mic isn't quite cutting it, explore other mics. The floor tom mics (like the 16” tom here) are often close enough to the ride to capture a usable alternative or supplementary tone. Blend it with the main ride mic (and pan them appropriately – Eyal guessed an audience perspective for panning) for a fuller sound. The overheads also have a great ride sound, offering another layer.
• Room Mics Galore: You've got "Grunge Left & Right," an "Ambient" mic, and "PCM" mics. So many options! But remember, just because they're there doesn't mean you have to use them all, or all the time. Producers often experiment with room mics. One set might be perfect for adding aggression to a heavy section, while another might lend a beautiful sense of space to a quieter, dynamic passage. Mix and match, or even mute them, as the song dictates.

The Low-End Maestro: Bass That Sings and Supports

The bass guitar in "Heir Apparent" is a character in its own right, thanks to the incredible playing of Martín Méndez.
The tracks include a "Bass Bomb" (likely a sub drop), a DI, something labelled "Bass Two," and, importantly, a Bass Mic – a Shure Beta 52 on an amp. This amped tone is particularly tasty, already sporting a bit of pleasing distortion. Eyal even preferred it to the DI, which isn't always the case in metal.

Fingerstyle Finesse in Metal

Martín Méndez plays with his fingers, which is often a risky move in metal where hyper-consistency is demanded. Pick players usually have an easier time achieving that relentless evenness. But Méndez's fingerstyle playing is phenomenally tight and consistent – a rare and celebrated skill.

A True Rhythm Section Instrument

This is where Opeth truly shines. The bass isn't just doubling the guitars an octave down. It's part of a true rhythm section, weaving intricate lines that interact with the drums and guitars in a traditional, almost classic rock sense. You'll hear actual basslines during dynamic parts. This means you can't just tuck it under the guitars; it needs its own space and definition while still gluing the low-end together. This is a prime example of how understanding EQ strategies for modern metal can help you define each instrument's place.

Guitars: Standard Tuning, Colossal Tone

Opeth's guitar work is legendary, and these raw tracks reveal some of their secrets.
You get two main rhythm guitar pairs (Rhythm 1 and Rhythm 2), with no DIs provided. This isn't a problem; it just means you work with the excellent amped tones captured.

• Rhythm 1: This is your higher-gain, more aggressive layer.
• Rhythm 2: A lower-gain track that sits a bit quieter, primarily there to add clarity and articulation to Rhythm 1.

Heaviness is in the Hands (and Standard Tuning!)

Here’s a mind-bender for many modern metal players: Opeth, on this album, tunes to E standard. In an era of drop-tuned everything, their immense heaviness comes from the playing, the arrangement, and the sheer power of the performance. This approach brings the guitar and bass relationship closer to classic rock, where instruments occupy their own distinct sonic spaces rather than just forming a wall of low-end. You can hear the bass and guitars playing complementary, rather than identical, parts – a hallmark of their sophisticated songwriting.

Leads and Layers

And of course, it wouldn't be Opeth without a plethora of lead guitars. There are Ebow textures, soaring melodies, and mind-bending solos. The skill on display, especially in terms of bending high notes in tune with such controlled vibrato, is next-level.

The Tracks Sound Amazing… So What's Left to Mix?

A common question when faced with such well-recorded, meticulously produced tracks is: "What's even left to do?" Eyal’s answer is simple: balancing.
This is perhaps the most crucial skill a mixer can develop. These tracks don't need aggressive surgery. They don't need to be "fixed." Your primary job, especially at first, is to find the right levels for everything so the song comes to life. Don't overcook it. The sounds are already there; your job is to present them in the best possible light.

Beyond the Band: A Masterclass in Arrangement & Orchestration

"Heir Apparent" is more than just drums, bass, guitars, and vocals. The session reveals a stunning array of additional textures:

• Synth/Sound Design: Tracks like "Feel Dub," "Feel Left & Right," and "Fa Noise" introduce cool, evolving synth and string-like pads that add epic scope.
• Acoustic Guitars: The acoustic playing is superb – authentic and articulate, not the clumsy strumming you sometimes hear from metal guitarists picking up an acoustic.
• Rhodes Piano: A beautiful, warm Rhodes track adds another layer of harmonic richness. This is a perfect example of getting great sounds at the source. The Rhodes itself sounds phenomenal, so it doesn't need much processing to shine in the mix.
• Orchestral Elements: There are strings, a piano, slide guitar, a ring modulator, and even flutes (which Eyal bets are real).

This song is a masterclass in arrangement. The ability to keep an 8-minute track engaging, dynamic, and epic is a testament to world-class production and songwriting. Studying how these diverse elements are woven together is an education in itself. Want to learn more about achieving such depth? Our guide on mixing modern metal beyond presets can help you think more creatively.

Vocals: From Death Growls to Eerie Effects

Mikael Åkerfeldt's vocals are iconic. The session includes:

• Main Vocal: That signature, powerful death metal growl.
• Vocal Effects: Various overdubs and processed vocal layers that are integral to the song's atmosphere. These aren't throwaway effects; they're essential components.
• Megaphone: A dedicated megaphone vocal track for specific sections.

The interplay between the raw power of the main vocal and the carefully crafted effects is another area ripe for study.

Your Chance to Mix a Masterpiece

Dissecting the raw multitracks of Opeth's "Heir Apparent" is an incredible learning opportunity. From preserving drum dynamics and highlighting a truly melodic bass, to balancing standard-tuned heavy guitars and integrating rich orchestration, there's a wealth of knowledge to absorb. These aren't just files; they're a direct look into the creative process of one of metal's most revered bands.

This session, originally mixed by Jens Bogren, is exactly the kind of deep dive you get with Nail The Mix. Imagine having Jens himself walk you through his every move on these very tracks. It's an unparalleled chance to learn from the best in the business and apply these techniques to your own productions. This is truly a set of tracks that is "yours to screw up," but with careful attention to balance, dynamics, and the inherent musicality of the performances, you can craft something truly special.
Ready to take on the challenge? Grab the multi-tracks and Jens Bogren's original session with Nail The Mix and start your journey into mixing progressive metal greatness.