Swedish kings of progressive metal Opeth are back with yet another wild sonic journey with the chugging, heavy, eight-and-a-half-minute-long new track "Heart in Hand," from their forthcoming new album In Cauda Venenum, which is scheduled to arrive on September 27th.
Deepening the band's exploration of whirling Seventies-style prog — with some serious moments of heaviness injecting throughout — "Heart in Hand" seems to take into account longtime fans' desire to hear the band bring back some of the metal roots that made them so beloved, something they've dropped for their past several albums. While they may refuse to move backward into their youthful death-dealing and growling-vocal approach, the new track's squealing guitar solos and thick, unstoppable bass line darken the edges of sole constant member Mikael Åkerfeldt's exuberant vocal timbre as mixed-meter time signatures and off-kilter pacing ensure their steady commitment to prog shines through.
In Cauda Venenum, Opeth's 13th studio album since their formation in 1990, will be released via Nuclear Blast, with pre-orders for vinyl variants already up on the label's American site.
Opeth are currently making the European festival rounds and will be stateside once more for Las Vegas metal party Psycho Fest later this summer. Hopefully the lean back into shredding will appease finicky showgoers, like one who had words for Åkerfeldt back in 2017.
"People started complaining and screaming and leaving during the show, and people started to challenge me to fights onstage," he said at the time. "At this one show, this guy threw down his glove — he was challenging me to a duel."
In Cauda Venenum track list:
01. "Livet's Trädgård" / "Garden Of Earthly Delights" (Intro)
02. "Svekets Prins" / "Dignity"
03. "Hjärtat Vet Vad Handen Gör" / "Heart In Hand"
04. "De Närmast Sörjande" / "Next Of Kin"
05. "Minnets Yta" / "Lovelorn Crime"
06. "Charlatan"
07. "Ingen Sanning Är Allas" / "Universal Truth"
08. "Banemannen" / "The Garroter"
09. "Kontinuerlig Drift" / "Continuum"
10. "Allting Tar Slut" / "All Things Will Pass"
