Opeth previously dropped a trailer about their latest track “Heart in Hand” and now have just dropped another new trailer. During the video, frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt discussed the songwriting process for In Cauda Venenum. and the inspiration for making a Swedish album. The vocalist also touched upon his definition of “heaviness” and how being the heaviest is an “impossible mission”
“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.”
Watch the entire trailer below!
In Cauda Venenum drops September 27, 2019 via Moderbolaget Records / Nuclear Blast. Pick up either the Swedish or English languagesyour copy here.
