Album Review: Mikael Åkerfeldt - Clark [Soundtrack]
Reviewed by Paul Hutchings
Let’s start with a warning. If your love of the Opeth main man ends at ‘Blackwater Park’ or even ‘Watershed’, then this is unlikely to be something that will excite you. However, if you can or do appreciate that Mikael Ákerfeldt is much more than just Opeth, this soundtrack is likely to be on your must listen to releases of 2022.
Approached by acclaimed film director Jonas Akerlund, who incidentally was the original drummer in Bathory - a fact which Ákerfeldt brought up on their first meeting, the fellow Swedes discussed Ákerfeldt writing the score for the series based on the ‘celebrity gangster’ Clark Oloffson. Simply entitled ‘Clark’, the six-part series aired on Netflix in May 2022. There is plenty to read about Oloffson online, but as a summary, he has spent more than half his life in prison, and was present at the Norrmalmstorg robbery whose events resulted in the creation of the phrase "Stockholm syndrome," where the hostages appeared to align themselves more to their captors than the police who were attempting to release them.
The series starts at the beginning with Oloffson’s birth in 1947, through to 1982. At the time of writing, I’m only a third of the way through so there are some gaps in what I’ve seen compared to what I’ve heard. Regardless, what Ákerfeldt has managed to do superbly is capture the range of music that accompanies the periods featured. We get swing, jazz, progressive rock, heavy metal and so much more over 34 songs and nearly 80 minutes of music.
![Album Review: Mikael Åkerfeldt – Clark [Soundtrack]](https://i0.wp.com/live.staticflickr.com/65535/52224950018_83d93f68f0_z.jpg?w=678&ssl=1 "Album Review: Mikael Åkerfeldt – Clark [Soundtrack]")
Opening with ‘Libertine Theme’ which runs throughout the series, Ákerfeldt’s love of melody and synths is evident, with a psychedelic 60s feel which works brilliantly with the slightly crazy way the series is presented. A typically off-beat Scandi crime thriller with comedic elements, the music matches the various scenes with ease and grace.
Dipping into classical mode, we have ‘Ode to Confusion in A Minor,’ which has choral inflections to bolster the atmosphere. There is Eastern promise in ‘La Shay’ Jadid That Alshams,’ the sound of Beirut in 1972, as well as the oceanic vibes in the beautifully constricted ‘Sea Slumber,’ which features some typically stunning Ákerfeldt guitar flourishes.
The 70s retro ambiance is well captured in tracks like ‘Funky Chicken,’ a throwback to the sounds of Starsky & Hutch, with funk and soul mixed with synths and a deep groove, whilst ‘Måndag I Stockholm’ features Ákerfeldt singing along to a definite Sabbath riff.
Reading some interviews with Ákerfeldt and Akerlund, it’s evident that this is the type of project that Ákerfeldt could throw himself into and did so during the pandemic. That he wrote over 100 pieces is amazing. This is a genuinely impressive piece of work by a musician whose talent continues to astound with every release.
