Opeth will release their 13th album, In Cauda Venenum, on September 27 via Moderbolaget / Nuclear Blast Entertainment. Vocalist, guitarist and songwriter, Mikael Åkerfeldt, guested on the Ghost Cult Podcast to discuss the album, creating both English and Swedish language versions of the album, using an orchestra and choir, concept records, progressive rock artists he likes such as Pink Floyd, King Crimson and Peter Gabriel, working at Park Studios, philosophical lyrics, and why he treated this album like it was the final Opeth album.

On In Cauda Venenum as a personal album:

"For the music itself, it's very personal. It's what I want to show of myself musically. It's where I am right now. I'm a sensitive person like everybody else, and to show yourself like that - like, 'Here's what I can do...' - it's almost childish in a way, like building a castle of sand. 'Look, mom, what I did,' and this is kind of in a way the same with the music. Lyrically, I don't really have felt the need to say anything important. I'm not up on my high horse thinking I know everything, because I don't. I always approach lyrics as a necessary evil, because I needed words to sing. I never saw myself as a particularly good lyricist. With that said, I have written some stuff that I'm happy about and proud about. Those, obviously, are very personal, especially these days; for the last five, six records, they became more and more personal, but in the past, I didn't want to stand accused for the lyrics. I was young and stupid and didn't know what to write about, but now, I like to write about those more personal aspects of my life."

Check out the interview here.

Åkerfeldt recently revealed the meaning of In Cauda Venenum and how Latin expressions, artwork and approach to each Opeth record is connected with the album title. Watch the latest trailer for the upcoming record below:

Recorded last year at Stockholm's Park Studios, In Cauda Venenum will be released in two versions, in both Swedish and English languages.

Various physical and digital formats will be available. Head here for pre-order options.

In Cauda Venenum tracklist;

"Livet’s Trädgård" / "Garden Of Earthly Delights" (Intro)
"Svekets Prins" / "Dignity"
"Hjärtat Vet Vad Handen Gör" / "Heart In Hand"
"De Närmast Sörjande" / "Next Of Kin"
"Minnets Yta" / "Lovelorn Crime"
"Charlatan"
"Ingen Sanning Är Allas" / "Universal Truth"
"Banemannen" / "The Garroter"
"Kontinuerlig Drift" / "Continuum"
"Allting Tar Slut" / "All Things Will Pass"

"Dignity" visualizer:

"Svekets Prins" visualizer:

"Hjärtat Vet Vad Handen Gör" / "Heart In Hand":