IN CAUDA VENENUM

It is time to recalibrate the place of Opeth in progressive rock. We are now 4 albums away from the death metal growls that marred their otherwise brilliant music of decades past, and both 'In Cauda Venenum' and its precursor 'Sorceress' belong squarely in the Heavy Prog genre. In other words, Opeth are now a mainstream prog band and this new release puts them in a leadership position. EVERYONE should listen to 'In Cauda Venenum' because it is a majestic triumph of the prog genre.

I had a feeling the follow-up to 'Sorceress' was going to be good. 'Sorceress' was a very clear shift in their musical style, and while it was a very good album in itself, I always felt Opeth were not quite firing on all cylinders by their standards. The music lacked much of the intricate complexity of a typical Opeth release. But that is the last criticism one could make of the new album. Complex, captivating, powerful, heavy but melodic - every single track is straight five-stars. Progressive rock at its absolute finest.

Verdict: Einwahn's #1 album of 2019.