Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt Shares Why He Sings in Both Swedish and English on New Album

In an effort to appeal to both fans worldwide as well as in his homeland, Mikael Åkerfeldt has recorded two versions of vocals for the upcoming Opeth album in English and Swedish. Probably a good move, though I’m personally more excited to hear what kind of fire he can spit in his native tongue.

“I was afraid that the Swedish language would be a barrier between this record and fans who didn’t like that,” Åkerfeldt explained in the latest album video trailer. “I was so happy with the music that I wanted people to hear it, and it would be a shame if people pass on this record just because they don’t understand what I’m singing. So there’s an English version too, but my version is the Swedish version. That’s the original version, and the one I think is the best.”

If you haven’t heard it yet, check out both versions back to back of “Hjärtat Vet Vad Handen Gör” / “Heart In Hand“ underneath the trailer below, and fight over which one is better in the comments. In Cauda Venenum comes out on September 27th.