Opeth record title came with side effects

Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt says he considered naming the band's new album after a medicine – until he discovered it had some undesirable side effects.

The Swedish band release their 11th album Pale Communion on Monday, August 25. But it was very nearly called Nux Vomica, after a homeopathic remedy used to treat sensitivity to light and sound.

But as he reveals in a video interview for Roadrunner Records alongside guitarist Fredrik Akesson, the singer had a rethink after doing some research.

He says: “At first I wanted to call it Nux Vomica which is a medicine for people who are ill-willed and overly sensitive to light and sound. And irate people who get irritated quickly and are searching for fights.

“It comes from the same tree that produces the poison strychnine. I liked how it looked and everything. But then somebody read about the side effects and it was erection problems and constipation. I figured that’s gonna be the first question in interviews and I thought it was maybe not a good title after all.”

Opeth are on the cover of the current issue of Metal Hammer magazine. Check out our beginner’s guide to the prog metal heroes.

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.