OPETH – Last Will And Testament

The wait is over as Swedish masters of heavy duty prog metal are back with their signature blend of complex musical arrangements and grunts, which have been missing since 2014’s Cauda Venenum. Opeth – Last Will And Testament is a true tour de force, and could be their best effort yet, captivating the listener from the opening notes of the first track, and never letting go. In an unusual approach, the songs are simply titled as sections of a will, excepting for the final track of the album “A Story Never Told”. The album offers a blend of King Crimson styled prog, including a refreshing orchestra and flute, with electric piano and heavy AF riffs the band are known for. The concept album is set in the post-World War I era, unfolding the story of a wealthy, conservative patriarch (whose wife is infertile), whose last will and testament reveals shocking family secrets.

Lyrics

The opening song does a fantastic job of foreshadowing what’s to come in this ghostly story, as it opens the story with laments of the now deceased father inter-cut with the chants of the assembled family for the reading of the last will and testament.

“§1”

Draped in death, the howl of lore

Draped (Draped)
In death (In death)
The howl (The howl)
Of lore (Of lore)

My time is at an end
I have wallowed in self-pity
And I confess to you
As part of final plight

Draped in death, the howl of lore

The last will and testament of father
Hear the last will and testament of father

A syndicates mass in the waiting room
Like spiders weave rumors spread fast above regal tombs
Enacted grief

I will here unearth the secrets I’ve been hiding, hiding, hiding
And guide my children through my troubles

Put your trust (Put your trust)
In my command (In my command)
I thin the blood (I thin the blood)
I lift my hand (I lift my hand)

Draped in death, the howl of lore

The last will and testament of father
Hear the last will and testament of father

The line: “I will here unearth the secrets I’ve been hiding, hiding, hiding, and guide my children through my troubles” works to draw us in with it’s foreboding hints at what’s to come next. The lyrics are like the reading of the testament. That’s why the songs don’t have titles, just paragraph one… two… down to seven.

Production

Opeth – Last Will And Testament can only be regarded as a masterpiece of dark, haunting prog metal, with the legendary Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull playing a significant role with his flute work and spoken word on several tracks, adding a beautiful element to this concept album. The use of a real, flesh and blood orchestra also lends it’s benefits over the more common use of keyboards to accomplish these sounds. The overall finished product feels like a blending of classic 70s prog with the more modern, Dream Theater type of punishing heavy metal. The blend of melodic vocal melodies, punctuated by the powerful grunts feels like a perfect blending of Opeth’s past and present, as Mikael Åkerfeldt’s singing reminds one of early Judas Priest (Åkerfeldt’s all time favorite band). The overall effect of these elements creates a complex soundscape that gets better, and more compelling with each listen.

Mastermind Mikael Åkerfeldt tells us a bit about how he feels about not only this album, but his music overall:

“‘The Last Will and Testament’ is a concept record of sorts. A restless musical journey in a way mirroring my own relationship with music as a consumer of it.” 

“I pick up something here, dismiss something there. I worship and I hate music at the same time. This ambivalence leads me down some type of creative path of my own and then, all of a sudden, a collection of songs has been written. Best case scenario, these songs are good enough to impress the band. Good enough for the ‘powers that be’ in terms of the industry. Good enough for ‘you’?! I love this record. I have to say it (write it). Maybe I’m proud, even? There are some familiar ingredients in there, I suppose. Most of our music has sprung from the same source, so I guess it’s not much of a shocker if it’s going to sound like ‘us’. I’m a bit in awe of what we did with ‘The Last Will and Testament’. It feels like a dream. There is some coherence and songwriting skills I hope, but what do I know? I tend to favour the strange over the obvious, but I feel like I’m in the minority, and that’s fine. So…fair warning! Don’t expect an instant rush (as per usual), but if you do get it (have you got it yet?) right away, that’s ok too!”

Final Notes

Opeth – Last Will And Testament will stand as one of 2024’s best albums, and possibly their finest work to date. Enough can’t be said for the dark beauty of these compositions, and their jaw dropping perfection of not only composition, but execution. Favorite tracks are hard to nail down, as the album has it’s own need to be listened to in it’s entirety. From the opening notes of “§1” to the final laments of “A Story Never Told”, Last Will And Testament draws you in, and requires further listening, as you don’t want to just cut to a single track, but are compelled to play the entire album again. This is an almost magical feat, rarely heard in our modern era where people are accustomed to skipping around the album, looking for easy earworms to grab on to. This masterpiece by Opeth is an absolute must own by any and all prog metal fans, and for those who have not yet embraced this genre, the absolute best way to dip their toes into a different genre.

Lineup

• Mikael Åkerfeldt – guitars, lead and backing vocals, cittra, Mellotrons, percussion & FX, string arrangements, art direction, lyrical concept
• Martín Méndez – bass, backing vocals
• Fredrik Åkesson – guitars, backing vocals
• Joakim Svalberg – piano, Hammond organ, Mellotrons, Fender Rhodes & Moogs, backing vocals and FX
• Waltteri Väyrynen – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Guest Musicians

• Ian Anderson – flute (§4, §7, A Story Never Told), spoken word (§1, §2, §4, and §7)
• Joey Tempest – backing vocals (§2)
• Mia Westlund – harp (§4)
• Mirjam Åkerfeldt – spoken word (§1)
• London Session Orchestra – strings
• Dave Stewart – string arrangements

Last Will And Testament – Tracklist

1.  “§1”
2.  “§2”
3.  “§3”
4. “§4”
5.  “§5”
6. “§6”
7. “§7”
8. “A Story Never Told”

Check out “§1” by Opeth off of their new album: Last Will And Testament