Opeth Drops “Dignity,” Second Single Ahead Of Upcoming Album
One month ago, Opeth shared “Heart In Hand,” the lead single from their upcoming 13th album, In Cauda Venenum. Today, fans can hear a second preview of the album with “Dignity” – though it’s more of an operatic suite than a simple song.
“Dignity” begins with an epic choir singing over dancing progressive layers of guitars and drums. We hear a speech – in Swedish – playing over the music before being interrupted by a guitar solo. Two minutes in, this epic chapter of the song closes, fading into a gentle acoustic strum. Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt sings in his upper register, describing a youthful girl who is “far too young.” The delicate layers of his voice, acoustic guitar, piano, and harp give the song a serene quality until an electric guitar riff gives the song more energy and a heavier atmosphere. By the end, “Dignity” is haunting and mesmerizing. It’s a dynamic song that moves into several unexpected directions, maintaining captive attention for its nearly seven minutes.
The song’s visualizer video drives home its lyrical message and spooky undertones. It begins with red curtains opening on a theater stage. Images of clowns, puppet masters, and unworn masks create an eerie setting, before giving way to an old TV set against dystopian backdrops. Upon the song’s first musical switch, we see a man and a young woman kneeling on the ground. But while the girl may want to stay in a fairy tale with unicorns, a man with a gun hovers in the background, dictating her fate. The video shows horrifying imagery – relating to mythology, illuminati, and themes of greed and corruption. The visual here is strong enough to work as a proper music video.
Listen to “Dignity” in the visualizer video below:
Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt also shared a bit about how the band developed “Dignity.” He reveals that the Swedish speech that appears at the beginning of the song is by a previous Swedish Prime Minister, Olof Palme. Mikael shares some interesting insights into “Dignity”; watch the “behind the song” video below:
You can stream or download “Dignity” at all the major music providers here. If you understand Swedish – or just want to be adventurous in your listening habits – find the Swedish version of the song (“Svekets Prins”) here. You can also pre-order In Cauda Venenum – in English or Swedish – and get instant downloads of both singles.
The album will include 10 tracks. See the full tracklisting – both Swedish and English titles – below:
- Livet’s Trädgård / Garden Of Earthly Delights
- 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
In addition to the forthcoming album, you can also look forward to seeing Opeth live. They’ll be in the UK and Ireland in October and November, with additional dates in Europe, Asia, and Australia through the end of this year. Find dates and tickets here.
Opeth’s last album, Sorceress, came out in September 2016. Last November, the band also shared their live album, Garden of the Titans: Live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
In Cauda Venenum, the band’s 13th studio album, will be released on September 27, 2019. Enjoy “Heart In Hand” and “Dignity,” and get ready to hear the rest of the new songs in just one month. Keep checking back here for all the latest Opeth music news.
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