Opeth - In Cauda Venenum (2019)

Fully embracing and developing their Progressive Metal/Rock sound, Opeth as embarked on a journey in their last few releases to discover and create an own cohesive sound. With “In Cauda Venenum”, the band seems to be nicely settled and delivers ten lush tracks that showcase their impressive progress in this genre. Released in both Swedish and English, this album is quite a treat to enjoy if you are a fan of the genre and bands like Leprous and Haken but with a funky Psychedelic punch to them.

After setting a trippy mood with the opener “Garden of Earthly Delights”, the band starts their proggy journey with the funky “Dignity”. Featuring an intricate bass guitar line and psychedelic synths and eerie vocal arrangements, this track nicely showcases the band’s craftiness. Mikael Åkerfeldt’s clean vocals are a very nice complement to the music’s craftsmanship on tracks like “Heart In Hand” and “Next of Kin”. We particularly enjoy how the band shifts tempos and hooks the listener with subtle details between transitions.

The album’s mood shifts a bit with the ballad-esque “Lovelorn Crime”, a jazzy and loungey track with solid guitar leads and rich instrumentation. The psychedelic vibe returns with the brilliant “Charlatan”, but quickly shifts to jazzy and more exploratory territories with “The Garroter” and “Continum”. It is quite remarkable how the band switched musical styles in this release and yet delivers a truly cohesive and cinematic experience.

Closing with the epic “All Things Will Pass”, we are left very impressed by Opeth’s ability to fully consolidate their sound in this release and deliver ten majestic songs. We have never been big fans of the band’s more Proggy stage, but this release really got us to appreciate the band for what it is now, not what it used to be. If you are looking for a lush and engaging Progressive Metal/Rock album with some Psychedelic elements and killer musicianship, look no further and get your copy of “In Cauda Venenum”.

Label: Moderbolaget Records / Nuclear Blast Records

Release: September 27th, 2019

Genre: Progressive Metal/Rock

Country: Sweden