Opeth's new album In Cauda Venenum is out on September 27 in two different versions – one with the lyrics in English and one in Swedish. Which of course brings up the question of which version was intended to be the only version. In an interview with Headbangers LifeStyle, vocalist and guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt says he originally intended In Cauda Venenum to be in Swedish only. Åkerfeldt adds that at the last minute he decided to add in an English version of the record because " there might be people who have problems with [there only being a Swedish version]."
"It was meant just to be a Swedish version first, but I got a bit insecure, I guess, because I had problems with music that was sung in not English when I was growing up. Now, it's not a problem for me anymore — I got into the whole Italian prog scene, and most of those bands sing in their native tongue. But I figured there might be people who have problems with that, so at the last minute, I decided I'd do an English version as well. But the Swedish version is the main one."
Åkerfeldt also discusses the process of making the English version, which he says required a studio outside his home studio. He does that he hopes fans will check out the Swedish version though, because "that's the best one."
"The English version is secondary. You can't escape the fact that it's a copy of the Swedish version. The Swedish version was done in my studio, just really relaxed, and I didn't have to think of time or money issues. While I was doing the English version, we had booked a studio, and I was in there and I needed to be done in time. It's a bit more… I wouldn't say it's a lesser version, but it's a copy. The first one, it's like painting a great painting, and then, 'Wow, I'm going to do that again exactly the same,' and you would probably look what you did before and it would be a bit more contrived. With that said, I think it depends on which version you pick up first. If you pick up the English version first, that will be your version, but I'm hoping people will check out the Swedish version, because that's the best one."
Metal Injection also recently interviewed Mikael Åkerfeldt, which you can watch below.
[youtube=https://youtu.be/XlQTWKImDyc][/youtube]
