OPETH — The Last Will and Testament

MetalMusicArchives.com — the ultimate metal music online community, from the creators of progarchives.com

OPETH - The Last Will and Testament cover
4.54 | 5 ratings | 1 review
Buy this album from MMA partners

Album · 2024

Filed under Progressive Metal
By OPETH

Tracklist

1. §1 (6:11)
2. §2 (5:40)
3. §3 (5:11)
4. §4 (7:05)
5. §5 (7:35)
6. §6 (6:16)
7. §7 (6:28)
8. A Story Never Told (7:10)

Total Time 51:36

Line-up/Musicians

- Mikael Åkerfeldt / Vocals, Guitars
- Fredrik Åkesson / Guitars
- Martin Mendez / Bass
- Waltteri Väyrynen / Drums, Percussion
- Joakim Svalberg / Keyboards

Guest/Session Musicians:
- Ian Anderson / Flute (tracks 4, 7), Narration (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7)
- The London Session Orchestra / Strings
- Joey Tempest / Backing Vocals (track 2)
- Mia Westlund / Harp
- Mirjam Åkerfeldt / Narration (track 1)

About this release

Release date: November 22nd, 2024.
Label: Reigning Phoenix Music
Format(s): Digital, CD, Vinyl, Cassette, CD+Blu-Ray, CD+Blu-Ray+Vinyl

Vinyl colours:
- Black
- Black/White Splatter
- Opaque Gold
- Silver
- White/Brown/Black Inkspot
- White/Gold/Black Splatter (Reigning Phoenix Music exclusive)

Boxset version contents:

- 1x 180g colored (White/Dark Green Coronal or Black/Grey Inkspot) double vinyl in gatefold
- 1x CD+Blu-ray digipak (Atmos audio + documentary)
- 1x print of handwritten lyric sheet A4
- 1x certificate of authenticity A5
- 1x note pad A6 (32-pages)
- 1x pen & quill set

Thanks to the t 666 for the addition and Pekka, adg211288 for the updates

Buy OPETH - THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT music

More places to buy metal & OPETH music

OPETH THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT reviews

Specialists/collaborators reviews

adg211288
We need to be clear about thing before we get into this review for Opeth's fourteenth studio album The Last Will and Testament: Opeth isn't 'back' just because this album marks their return to the extreme progressive metal sounds of yesteryear. They never went away, and have produced a string of progressive rock based albums (the most recent two reintroducing metal ideas in a different manner) that proved that Mikael Åkerfeldt doesn't need to growl in order for Opeth to be Opeth. As a band, they are so much more than that. I for one was quite content with the direction they were going in. No band should be forced to make music they're not feeling just because the fans expect it.

With that said, it's also very difficult to not, after the sixteen years since Mikael last growled on an Opeth studio album (which was 2008's Watershed), not to be excited by the idea of a new Opeth album in their 'classic' style. The burning question is, of course, if The Last Will and Testament does that?

Well yes, it does, and more besides. The album's sound is like a coming together of the old and new, with plenty of different elements being thrown into what is once again a more extreme metal based sound. There's symphonic progressive rock elements which, for my money, appear the most extensively since Opeth's 2014 Pale Communion album. It also verges into more experimental/avant-garde territory and makes use of a bit of flute courtesy of Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson, so also provides some spoken word vocals. Spoken word is music is rather hit and miss for me, but this technique works on The Last Will and Testament by virtue of not being overdone. The album also contains more minor genre references including classical music and jazz rock. It sounds like old Opeth, but new Opeth is in here too. This isn't a throwback album, it's the culmination of their career to date.

As their first concept album since 1999's Still Life, The Last Will and Testament is structured to reflect a will reading. Except for the final song, A Story Never Told, which serves as an epilogue of sorts, the tracks are not named except to be referred to as paragraphs one through seven (denoted by the § symbol). This has the small drawback of not having a clear reference point which to refer to the songs by, but the songs are able to quickly assert themselves apart from each other all the same. Most make use of Åkerfeldt's growling vocals, except for §3 and A Story Never Told. The former is still a metal song but the later is the album's only full progressive rock song. This means that the growls are being used more than on Opeth's last extreme album Watershed which only had them in three out of seven songs. Compared to older Opeth though they've avoided any single songs that cross the ten minute barrier, going for more median lengths between five and seven-odd minutes.

All in all I think The Last Will and Testament is an excellent Opeth album. As a still new record I can't really say how I will feel about it in relation to their other albums a year or two from now, but as an extreme progressive metal album it sits in good company with their earlier work especially the period of Still Life through to Watershed, while also not ignoring that the prog rock era Opeth happened. I don't think this was an album made under fan pressure to go back to their more popular sound, more like Mikael Åkerfeldt began to feel this sort of music again, especially to tie into a concept record. It really is anyone's guess whether this will mark a permanent return to the style, but I don't think it matters either way. Opeth is a band with nothing to prove; they will do what they want and don't have to stick to a ridged style. That is, ultimately, what makes them an exciting band. I wouldn't rule out future observations sounding like either or of their distinct eras, or perhaps something new entirely.

Members reviews

No OPETH THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT reviews posted by members yet.

Ratings only

  • Seven Moons
  • Bosh66
  • Fant0mas
  • Vim Fuego

Write/edit review

You must be logged in to write or edit review

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Etiquette Hardcore Punk
HELLGO
Buy this album from MMA partners
Baring Teeth In A Famine Sludge Metal
SERAC
Buy this album from MMA partners
Nullpunkt Death-Doom Metal
COLDSPINE
Buy this album from MMA partners
IV Death Metal
BLACK DREGS
Buy this album from MMA partners
III Death Metal
BLACK DREGS
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Risen From Ashes - I Am (LYRIC VIDEO)
RISEN FROM ASHES
Bosh66· 8 hours ago
GYILKOS - Almost Lost It
GYILKOS
Bosh66· 15 hours ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us