Martin Lopez

Martin Lopez (born May 20, 1978 in Stockholm) is a Swedish-Uruguayan drummer, currently a member and co-founder of progressive metal supergroup Soen, but is best known as the ex-drummer of Swedish progressive death metal band Opeth and melodic death metal band Amon Amarth.

Lopez was born in Sweden to Uruguayan settler parents, later moving to Uruguay, then back to Sweden.

Career

Lopez joined Opeth in 1997, after leaving Swedish melodic death metal band Amon Amarth on whose album Once Sent From the Golden Hall he played. With Opeth, he recorded the albums My Arms, Your Hearse, Still Life, Blackwater Park, Deliverance, Damnation and Ghost Reveries.

Although, due to health reasons, Lopez permanently left Opeth on May 12, 2006, to be replaced by Martin Axenrot, he hadn't been actively involved with the band since the recording of Ghost Reveries wrapped in the summer of 2005. Lopez now concentrates fully on his old band, Fifth to Infinity. On May 28, 2010, it was announced that Martin Lopez, bassist Steve DiGiorgio, singer Joel Ekelöf and guitarist Kim Platbarzdis had joined forces in the band Soen. Their debut album, Cognitive, was released on February 15, 2012.