Opeth
The Last Will and Testament

Release Date: 11/22/2024 | Tracklist

In a very short time two of my favourite prog bands released two new albums. I’m talking about “Parasomnia” from Dream Theater and “The Last Will And Testament” from Opeth. This news by itself is a noteworthy event for me. But there are two more things that made this an even more important event. About Dream Theater I’m talking about the return of Mike Portnoy, a guy that despite his importance to the writing of the band, he is also the real soul of the band. In the case of Opeth we had the return of the growls of Mikael Akerfeldt, an unexpected thing for many of us, especially from most of their debut fans. But besides that we also had the presence of a new drummer that replaced Martin Axenrot that was with the band since “Watershed”. I must say that I like the work of their new drummer very well.

“The Last Will And Testament” is a conceptual album set in the post-World War I era whose last will and testament reveals shocking family secrets. It spins a yarn based around the administration of the estate of a wealthy man, replete with a seedy lawyer and an imposing patriarch. The twisting tale of family intrigue and deception is narrated across the first six tracks, before culminating in “§7” where the lawyer delivers a reading of the will to the beneficiaries. While this feels appropriately climactic, the final track “A Story Never Told” succeeds this chicanery with a real shocking clarity.

One look at the dark cover artwork of the album can be seen as a return to the old form and style of the band in the first decade of this century. Still, that isn’t totally true. It’s by no means the case that Opeth negates the retro reminiscences of their 2010’s. Rather, “The Last Will And Testament” can be seen as a successful attempt to bring the various phases of the band into harmony with one another. So, anyone who was hoping for a 180-degree turn will be disappointed. Anyone who misses the old Opeth but was also fond of the newer ones will be delighted. And anyone who is prepared to fully immerse themselves in this reading of the will with very powerful loudspeakers will be marvelously intoxicated.

“§1” is one of the heaviest tracks on the album and possibly the most known too. I love the interchange between growls and clean vocals and chunky heavy riffs and the more delicate prog rock meandering. It’s a powerful opener, one of my favourite tracks here. “§2” follows a similar feel to that of the previous track. It explores familiar territory, juxtaposing aggressive death metal with mellower prog elements. Each little movement accentuates the development of the story and music all over the track and album. It provides plenty of reminders this band knows how to rock. “§3” is an amazing track showing the band at its most propulsive with one of the dizziest prog arrangements that Opeth has ever written. It lays the prog rock on thick with oddball rhythms, stop-start riffs and one of the album’s many sleek and shreddy guitar solos. It’s one of the most accessible songs here. “§4” offers some of the most thrilling moments on the album. It ranges from almost completely hushed material to the rageful and bombastic sound so characteristic of Opeth. Here we’re immediately in that exotic prog space that sounds like Opeth and no one else. “§5” is slightly funky and incredibly creative with its Middle Eastern, flamenco and prog. Twangy acoustic guitar, angelic backing vocals and a great rhythmic foundation laid down by Mendez and Vayrynen lend to this track a unique character within the context of the album. “§6” is a track where everything fits well. These melodies, which we’re not used to hearing often from Opeth, are quite prevalent in this album. There’s a constant riff change, a continuous shift in atmosphere, yet it never gets boring. “§7” gives the sense the overall melodrama and story is coming to an end, even if the album itself isn’t. It trades in the tension of the earlier tracks for something exciting with big guitar riffs, organ waves and growls, all working together to be catchy. This feels like a fitting climax to such an important document. The real ending track is “A Story Never Told”, a pretty ballad carried almost completely by Akerfeldt’s beautiful voice. It’s a gorgeous track, one of the band’s best ballads in their entire career. In the end we have Akesson’s brilliant solo to close this amazing work.


Conclusion: This is another amazing work from this band, maybe my favourite prog band at the moment. These guys never cease to surprise and delight me. It’s one of the most aggressive and dark albums from the band, not only due to growls and concept. It’s varied, well balanced and produced. I can see some problems with some of their older fans. Probably they expected an album more in vain with their older stuff due to the growls. But there’s no return to that form. Maybe it can be kind of reminiscent of “Watershed”. This is a complex and intense album, a technically heavy and prog work, a real tour de force. Despite the fact that I love all tracks I particularly highlight the opener and the closer. They’re two completely different pieces that show the two sides of the same coin, the balance of the death metal intensity with the progressive sophistication. This is another step forward in their amazing career, another winning bet for the band.



Music was my first love.
John Miles (Rebel)

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