The Last Will And Testament proves the creative spark in Opeth still burns bright, with their best and most inventive album in over a decade.
Release date: November 22, 2024 | Moderbolaget/Reigning Phoenix Music | Instagram | Stream/Purchase
When a band is decades old and already into their twilight years, I never tend to expect much from a new release. I guess most artists have like 3, maybe 5 groundbreaking records in them if they’re lucky, and then they spend the rest of their days rehashing what worked and releasing lesser versions of said groundbreaking albums. They enter a comfort zone, and become something I would call a legacy act, making a living by the glory of their past.
That’s why I’m so pleasantly surprised to hear something that sounds this creative from a band like Opeth in 2024. The Last Will And Testament is a, ahem, testament that the prog legends still have some creative juice left in the tank.
Let’s face it, you probably already know Opeth at this point, so it’s time to address the big thing: We did it, internet. We made Mikael Åkerfeldt growl again. Hell yeah. I wouldn’t say this happened to popular pressure though, and that’s a great thing.
The 4 album streak of Heritage, Pale Communion, Sorceress and In Cauda Venenum saw the Swedes dropping their death metal elements to focus on 70s-inspired progressive rock extravaganzas. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move, claiming that Opeth killed what made them loved and unique in the first place. While I am quite fond of these albums, especially Heritage, I would agree that recent Opeth was just Mikael writing stuff he likes, and it started to sound a bit samey since Pale Communion. I just guessed that’s what Opeth would have to offer from now on: kinda cool dad prog.
However, The Last Will And Testament not only puts some harsh vocals back on the menu, it also kickstarts what is a relatively new approach to Opeth that evokes some old school vibes as well. Oh dear, is the Opeth I love finally back?, the Oldpeth widows may ask. Not exactly, but it may bring back some people that gave up on them since Watershed.
While the growls have returned, I wouldn’t exactly call this progressive death metal, as they were labeled pre-Heritage. But it does sounds darker and heavier than they’ve been for a long time, and not just because of the growling – the riffs are heavier, ditching the ‘watery’ sound you could find in their 70s era and bringing back those thick, meaty riffs the band has always been known for. This makes for some serious Ghost Reveries-era vibes, while still sounding like a natural continuation from where In Cauda Venenum left off. That being said, the one thing that sounds totally new to Opeth this time around is the theatrical flair that’s permeating throughout the whole album, and that’s probably due to its concept.
While the band has done concept albums before, none of them were as committed to the bit as The Last Will And Testament. Heavily inspired by the TV show Succession (good taste Mikael, good taste), the album’s story follows the unraveling of a family trying to claim the riches from their recently passed patriarch. This is why most of the songs start with § – this means paragraph, as the family follows the reading of his will.
The overall concept may seem overdramatic and a bit corny, but the band really gets into it and manages to make it work. Mikael’s cleans have never been this operatic and diverse due to the theatricality of it all, the story-driven concept makes for very different song structures and adding growls back into the mix makes everything sound that much more layered. Take “§7” for example – it sounds like 3 different songs put together, and I mean this in a good way.
This diversity is the kind of sauce Opeth has been missing for quite a while, and it’s just nice to hear stuff like this from them again. Songs like “§5” are the most creative the band has sounded in years, starting with a reggaeton-inspired beat and evolving into a roaring mountain of riffs – think crazy, unstable prog metal like Between The Buried And Me.
That being said, the album is still much closer to Newpeth than it is to Oldpeth. “§3”, for example, could fit in In Cauda Venenum pretty nicely. It’s just wildly more dynamic and inspired than the previous outings. The addition of new and old elements makes the instrumental playfulness of their full-on prog rock era sound that much more fun, because the album has more going for it than just that single thing. I mean, “§4” has guest flutes from Ian Anderson and that’s the most dad prog thing ever, but it’s followed by some mighty growling. It’s this kind of juxtaposition that has always made this band special for me and many others.
This is also why the comeback of the growls are very welcome: they don’t sound like Mikael put them on due to public pressure. They sound raspier than the old days as well (that’s probably just an age related thing) and that helps makes them fit even more organically in the overall atmosphere, really highlighting the heavier passages on “§5” or “§6”. He’s always been one of my favorite vocalists, and his work here is the best it’s been for a long time.
There’s also no way I can’t mention of this album’s strongest highs: Waltteri Väyrynen‘s drums. This being his first studio release with the band, he brought newfound energy to the studio, with very creative drumwork that’s further highlighted by the excellent drum mix. Tracks like “§6” and “§3” wouldn’t go as hard as they do without his work behind the kit, proggy when it needs to be and metal when it needs to be. He flows with the band like he’s been with them since forever and is already proving to be crucial to this lineup.
I’m also really glad to point out that, lyrically, the band is also on point again. One of my favorite things about Opeth is the phrasing on their lyrics: I’m not just talking about the poetic approach Mikael has for his songs, I’m talking about putting together words that sound damn cool together. “§1” delivers on this from the get-go – ‘Draped in death, the howls of lore’ is like the most Opeth-sounding lyric in history. I’m sure not a lot of people are interested in this part of the music, but the writer in me is finding tons of joy in reading them.
I’m sure that The Last Will And Testament won’t bring a ton of new people to the table. If you didn’t like Opeth before, there’s nothing on it that will change your mind. But if you’ve been a fan for some time, there’s a lot to enjoy about this album. Do I think it ranks amongst their finest work? No, not by a long shot, but that’s okay when you’re talking about a band that has delivered (pun intended) landmark albums such as Blackwater Park, Still Life, and Ghost Reveries. Do I think it’s one of the best prog metal albums of the year? Also no, but that’s a tough bar when you got bands like Blood Incantation and Lowen putting out boundary-breaking albums within the genre.
But the impressive thing about The Last Will And Testament is that it is creative. It doesn’t sound like a legendary band rehashing old stuff to justify another world tour. There’s passion to be found, and I’m very surprised to be saying this about a 30 year old band, but I’m actually very interested in seeing how Opeth will move forward from now on.
They’ve been a formative band for me, as the very first band with harsh vocals and on the ‘extreme metal’ label I could enjoy, and opened me up for a whole new world. After so many years on the road and some masterpieces under their belt, they don’t have to prove anything to anyone, but here they are with an album that actually brings something new to the table. So it’s just very awesome for me to point out that Opeth is still not a legacy band: they still can deliver the goods. Bring it on, guys!
