A four-minute video in which Opeth vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt discusses the recording process for the band’s 13th album, “In Cauda Venenum”, can be seen below. The disc will be released on September 27 via Moderbolaget / Nuclear Blast Entertainment.
Recorded last year at Stockholm’s Park Studios, “In Cauda Venenum” will be released in two versions, in both Swedish and English languages. Various physical and digital formats will be available.
Regarding the sonic direction of the new record, Åkerfeldt said: “For us, at this stage with ‘In Cauda Venenum’, heaviness isn’t guitars tuned down with screaming vocals over the top. That’s not necessarily what I call ‘heavy’ music these days. I can listen to KORN and say, ‘Okay, that’s heavy.’ But it doesn’t really mean anything to me. I mean, I catch up on things in magazines or online. I read about bands that have the ‘heaviest record ever,’ and I’m not too impressed by that. Okay, it’s cool but what does it say? What does it mean? It’s an impossible mission, to be the heaviest. That’s been done before. Over time, I got tired of that tag. Of course, when I was younger, it meant everything to me. I was always on the pursuit for heaviness in my youth, trying to find the next level of heaviness. First it was death metal, then it was bands like MESHUGGAH, but heaviness is now more about emotions, heavy chord progressions, music that has feelings. Heaviness doesn’t mean MESHUGGAH anymore, although indeed they’re a fucking heavy band. I’m not trying to tap into that anymore.”