Opeth’s Mikael Akerfeldt: Wannabe Plumber, Posh Ice Cream Lover

'Off the Record' is a video series where we ask artists questions about anything with one exception: No questions about music. This is your chance to peer behind the music and into the daily lives these artists lead outside of their profession. Topics range from good eats (last meals, ice cream) to mischief (dumbest thing done in the name of fun, getting sent to the principal's office) to getting real (biggest fear, worst injury) to the eternal struggle of winning something cool from a claw machine.

Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt has a dry sense of humor, which makes him an ideal Off the Record guest. Here's an example: if he could pick anywhere in the world to go that he's never been to, he'd head to Hawaii. Why? "It's Hawaii." You make a convincing case, Mr. Akerfeldt.

Other things to expect in this episode are a tale of being caught drawing inverted crosses and pentagrams on subway time tables by the cops, why the Opeth mastermind wants to be plumber, which creature of the night who is "cool" and has "a way with women" he considers to be a hero and a brutal blow to the head that forced the band to cancel a show.

Oh, and you'll probably think his favorite ice cream flavor is repulsive. "It's bad for your heart. You can feel your heart racing. It's like a drug, basically," is how he described it.

Watch the full Off the Record episode at the top of the page.

Opeth's new album, In Cauda Venenum, is out now. Follow the band on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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