Eight-and-a-half minute track is first release from the band’s forthcoming album, ‘In Cauda Venenum.’
Opeth has released a new song, "Heart in Hand," (“Hjärtat Vet Vad Handen Gör” in Swedish) the first single from the band’s forthcoming 13th studio album, In Cauda Venenum.
Said Opeth singer, guitarist and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt about the new song, "'Hjärtat Vet Vad Handen Gör' or 'Heart in Hand,' as it's called in English, is one of the first couple of songs I wrote for In Cauda Venenum. I immediately knew that it would probably be favored by 'the powers that be' when talks of future singles for the record would commence. And I was right. I generally leave it up to the labels or managements to pick the so-called singles. I'm indifferent as I put an equal amount of dedication into all songs, so it doesn't matter all that much to me.”
He continued, “I guess it's one of the more straightforward songs on the album. A rather rocking little thing. It's got one of the 'happy mistakes' in it too. Mendez's bass broke down in the middle of recording. At the time he played an old Hofner Beatles-esque bass guitar that started humming real bad, but it sounded so good we immediately decided to keep it in there. I'd be putting myself down if I said that noise is the best part of the song, but it's up there. I like when stuff happens out of your control, and it actually adds to the piece. This is the first full taster of the new Opeth album, and of course I hope you like it. All the songs on the new album are different from each other and therefore equally representable in my view. Enjoy!"
In Cauda Venenum is due September 27 via Moderbolaget / Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The album was recorded at Park Studios in Stockholm and will be released in Swedish and English language versions.
You can check out the full track list below.
(Image credit: courtesy of Opeth)
In Cauda Venenum track list:
01. Livet's Trädgård / Garden of Earthly Delights (Intro)
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Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.
