OPETH UNVEIL NEW SINGLE, “§3”

6th September 2024 0 By Jon Deaux

Swedish prog titans OPETH‘s 14th studio album, The Last Will & Testament, is set for release on October 11, 2024 via Moderbolaget / Reigning Phoenix Music. It is 5 long years since their last album – 2019’s In Cauda Venenum.

Following the critical acclaim of their first single, the band is now revealing the second offering from the record, “§3,” which can be heard at THIS LOCATION.

900k Spotify listeners, 500M cross-platform streams, 1M+ albums sold, multiple #1 albums, Swedish Grammy wins and numerous multiple world tours – OPETH are one of the most important bands in metal music. Their unique sound and compelling storytelling made them a genre leader and highly respected artists among musicians and audiences alike.

Opeth vocalist/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt comments, “So put yourself in my position for a minute: Your band has this new album. You like it. In fact, you love it! It’s got this elaborate concept running through all 8 songs on there. You’ve written it over the timespan of say 6 months, effective time. You’ve invested a lot of passion into putting it together. You’ve recorded it together with your friends/colleagues. You’ve had a good time in the process. Now, said album is on the verge of being released and you’re expected to talk about it. Prepare your audience for its coming. Talk it up! You do want people to hear it, right? You love the album so it should be easy, right? At this point, all you have to do is put together a few words for the new ‘single’. But you’re confused with the use of the term “single”, as you connect it to the olden days where ‘singles’ often had the word ‘hit’ next to it. And you know that won’t happen! Still you want people to hear it. Your loving ‘fans’ might think it’s awesome. But you don’t want to come across as a salesman. On top of that you’re not a complete self-absorbed asshole who thinks you’ve got the Midas touch (well….). Also you have a bad case of that inborn Swedish modesty, sprinkled with some impostor syndrome. What do you say? ‘§3 is out now!’”

Pre-Order ‘The Last Will & Testament’ HERE.

The Last Will & Testament 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. The narrative weaves through the patriarch’s confessions, the reactions of his twin children, and the mysterious presence of a polio-ridden girl who the family have taken care of. The album begins with the reading of the father’s will in his mansion. Among those in attendance is a young girl, who, despite being an orphan and polio-ridden, has been raised by the family. Her presence at the will reading raises suspicions and questions among the twins.

The Last Will & Testament Tracklist:

01 – §1 [LISTEN]

02 – §2

03 – §3 [LISTEN]

04 – §4

05 – §5

06 – §6

07 – §7

08 – A Story Never Told

Regarding the record’s creation, Åkerfeldt adds, “This is the first record with Walt on drums. Seeing and hearing him record his bits was otherworldly and what went through my head was something like: How can a human being play this stuff? The older cats (myself, Mendez, Fred, and Jocke) did our bits in due time. We did them well (I like to think) and the alcohol concentration in our blood was mostly quite low as the red light was on. We’re professionals, you see! Rockfield Studios treated us well and we love that place! Stefan Boman recorded and mixed it all (CAPTURED it on TAPE… kind of…). Miles Showell did the master at Abbey Road Studios and then we (myself and Stefan) took him for a curry in Covent Garden. Travis Smith has done this odd-masterpiece-artwork that put ‘clothes’ on the music. All in all, we hope we’ve put together a nice little morsel of information for you to nibble on when it’s raining out. Thank you for your time. Thank you for reading. Thank you for listening. Thank you for giving us a respectable past. I’ll thank you for our future in the actual future, OK?”

Åkerfeldt rolls out the red carpet for storied flautist and Jethro Tull main man Ian Anderson. Not only do Anderson’s signature notes fly on “§4” and “§7“, he narrates on “§1“, “§2“, “§4“, and “§7“. Joining Anderson, Europe‘s Joey Tempest lends a backing vocal hand on “§2”, while Åkerfeldt‘s youngest daughter, Mirjam Åkerfeldt, is the disembodied voice in “§1“.

The Last Will & Testament is gripping from start to finish, jaw-dropping inside and out, representing some of Opeth‘s finest material to date. Just as Opeth welcomed many into its distressed arms over the years, the Swedes again deliver on the promise that great music always tells a compelling story – this time with growls we had not heard since 2008’s Watershed.

Revered Swedish rock act OPETH recently revealed a UK headline tour for February – March 2025, with special guests GRAND MAGUS. The shows form part of their mainland Europe stretch of dates.

OPETH European Tour Dates 2025:

9 Feb: Helsinki (FI) @ Ice Hall

11 Feb: Stockholm (SE) @ Cirkus

12 Feb: Oslo (NO) @ Sentrum Scene

14 Feb: Copenhagen (DK) @ DR Koncerthuset

15 Feb: Hamburg (DE) @ Docks

17 Feb: Cologne (DE) @ Palladium

18 Feb: Berlin (DE) @ Tempodrom

19 Feb: Munich (DE) @ Muffathalle

21 Feb: Paris (DR) @ L’Olympia

22 Feb: Amsterdam (NL) @ AFAS Live

23 Feb: Brussels (BE) @ Ancienne Belgique