Opeth – In Cauda Venenum

Let’s get it straight: to me, “In Cauda Venenum” confirmed “Pale Communion” as the best (up to that point, anyway) Opeth’s post-deathprog era album.

Does this mean this is a bad album? As always we are talking about Mikael Åkerfeldt’s band, not in a million years. To be honest, I don’t think there’s such a thing as a poor or even average Opeth album to this date. Quite an achievement, if you ask me.

Anyway, back on this particular album, 5 years after its release “In Cauda Venenum” is not quite the album I tend to play when I feel like listening to Opeth’s latest epoch.

I believe this is because I feel it doesn’t really bring anything new to the table. At that point, I felt as each album of the band’s new era had their own soul and personality, regardless of which one I preferred. However, when I finished playing “In Cauda Venenum” for the first time, my first thought was that I had just listened to a solid, perfectly competent progrock album… but that was about it.

Of course, there are some great moments scattered along the album, like the last third part or so of “Kontinuerlig Drift”/ “Continuum” and its pastoral and symphonic essence (really beautiful and inspiring), the guitar work in “De Narmast Sorjande“/ “Next Of Kin” or the rhythm work in “Charlatan”, the heaviness of “Svekets Prig”/ “Dignity” and its triumphant vocal choirs… but then there’s “Banemannen”/ “The Garroter” that feels a little samey once the initial guitar part is over or “Minnets Yta”/ “Lovelorn Crime” that feels too excessively similar to that great song titled “Burden” but, where the latter is a heartfelt triumph, the former falls short when reaching the same league, feeling like a pale, lesser copy despite of Fredrik Åkesson’s undoubtedly worthy, tasteful guitar solo.

To have two versions of the album, one sang in English and one in Swedish is a nice touch that brings something new to the Opeth universe (I for one prefer the Swedish version maybe for its “exotic” touch) but it’s not enough to put “In Cauda Venenum” up there on par with, to me, Opeth's best effors.

Pressed at Pallas. I find the Swedish version the most compelling. Highly recommended.

Somehow it sounds smoother and gentler on the ears than the original pressing. But it's not a night and day difference. Good pressing anyway: if you already have the original, don't bother unless you find a bargain price, since some flaws are inherent to the mixing (and not to the mastering). But if you don't have the original, get this one and you won't be disappointed.

For anyone who has the original 2019 pressing, this one is much less muddy and clearer sounding. Definitely worth double dipping if you’re a fan!

If anyone is willing to sell a copy hit me up.

The sound on this version is all you can hope for on a vinyl. Everything is perfect 🤩🤘🏻👌🏻

I cannot find a number of my copy. Where is it placed ?

Nice pressing. They really did a good job: split the music on two records, the records are pretty flat and quiet, records come in polylined sleeves, and the packaging is nice. Sound quality is good; I compared to to Hi Res version on Qobuz and this vinyl is slightly warmer (not muddy). The warmer sound helps with this type of music (you can turn it up louder)! My only complaint about sound (this goes for the album as a whole—digital or vinyl) is that the heavy parts are pretty compressed. I think that is a trend in the genre and probably a long discussion for another day.

This sounds really good. Organs are ridiculous good on this cut imo. Volume is cut low, but that's what a volume knob is for, I had to raise it +2 from my normal go-to position, but I can live with that for the stellar dynamics.

This indeed sounds different to my 2019 vinyl version...a more comforting, embracing sound somehow. There's magic in analogue reel-to-reel tape! Good value at £23 (UK). Go get it.