OPETH – LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT ALBUM REVIEW
20th November 2024“The Last Will & Testament” is Opeth‘s 14th studio recorded album to be released and I have to say it’s nice to see them return to their older sound with this being one of the darkest and heaviest records they have made in decades. “The Last Will & Testament is due to be released on the 22nd of November 2024.
Opeth’s current member lineup is Mikael Åkerfeldt (Vocals, Guitar), Martín Méndez (Bass), Fredrik Åkesson (Guitar, Backing Vocals), Joakim Svalberg (Keyboards, Backing Vocals) and Waltteri Väyrynen – Drums. This lineup has been consistent since 2011, with Waltteri Väyrynen joining on drums in 2022.
If there is something I’ve learned from my interactions with Opeth is that there is always something new and exciting when it comes to their releases, something the fans are aware of is that there’s always a twist or turn somewhere leading to the unexpected and this album does just this. The album is jam-packed full of progressive complexity, death metal core vibes, melodic interludes, and lyrical masterpieces that explore a vast range of emotions.
When listening to this album it’s weird to see tracks without proper track names such as “Stab My Heart”, “Rippy Stab SStab” and “Bleed it dry” (If anyone gets that joke 10 points to you, you’re a smart cookie – I mean yeah sure it’s not the same genre as Opeth but it gave me a laugh – bite me). The tracks have individual names of “paragraph 1”, “paragraph 2”, “paragraph 3” etc etc and it’s a unique way of presentation and one of the first things I’d like to comment on. It’s different, it’s spicy – I like it.
The album is a concept album set in the post-World War I era, unfolding the story of a wealthy, conservative patriarch whose last will and testament reveals shocking family secrets – it is also the band’s first out-and-out concept record to date in their discography. We do love a bit of drama and narrative throughout an album.
The album consists of eight tracks, with the first seven titled as paragraphs (§I, §II, §III, §IV, §V, §VI, §VII.), and the final ballad (track 8) titled “A Story Never Told.” Highlighted tracks on this item for me were “§III”, “§IV” and “§VI”. It’s undeniable that the old vocal style of Åkerfeldt has returned.
“I like to be unfashionable, in a way,” grins Åkerfeldt. “So, when it comes to bringing that kind of death metal vocal back, I wanted it to happen when people had stopped caring… and I guess that’s now! Maybe it’s a bit surprising, but we did some anniversary type shows, and we played lots of old songs, and I just thought that my death metal voice sounded good. There’s also been a little push because of our new drummer, Walt. He’s a death metal guy. Mendez (Opeth bassist) has been a bit of a horse whisperer, too, saying ‘Maybe you should do something heavier this time…’ In the end I just thought, yeah, let’s give it a try.”
Overall, the album shows that Opeth after all these years can show the world that they can blend death metal with elements of multiple other genres and still release a strong album. Did I like it? That’s the real question… Honestly; I’m 50/50 on it. I liked it musically and believe it is a true work of art however it’s not an album I’d be rushing to play again. I’d give this album a 6/10 rating and honestly I’m only scoring it 6/10 due to feeling that it could have been better in a way that it could have given a more nostalgic feel and as a returning album I feel it could have had a lot more ‘oomft’ to it for the categorized genre it is (I say as I think I could produce and release an album to this quality -heuhe).
I truly believe that this album would be an amazing intro to Opeth to new fans yet still appealing to long term fans alike. It’s progressive, it’s dramatic, it’s got entertaining flare and it’s a bold move to have released an album with such a strong narrative throughout. Hats off good sirs, but alas reflective back to my score I personally can only dub this a 6/10.Score 6/10
Track List
