Album Review: Opeth - The Last Will And Testament
Reviewed by Dan Barnes
It’s odd to think that the foremost progressive metal band of our time, Opeth, have taken nearly thirty-five years and fourteen studio full lengths to create that staple of Seventies Rock: the Concept Album. But, better late than never, and the Swedes are ready to regale a chronicle of post-World War I-era family secrets and confession, centred around the reading of a patriarch’s will.
Split into eight parts, the first seven of which are named §n - denoting ‘section’ and rarely used outside of a legal setting – Opeth have structed The Last Will and Testament like a grand gothic tale, complete with a set-up, twists, emotional turmoil and a surprise ending.
The story of the album centres around the reading of a patriarch’s will and the presence of his twin sons, along with an orphaned polio-afflicted girl who the family had raised. Not to give away any spoilers, but things do not go as well as expected for the lads… let’s leave it at that.
Without lyrics my understanding of the nuances of the story will have to wait until I get my physical copy, by Opeth’s songwriting abilities are such that The Last Will and Testament offers up it’s tale throughout the fifty-minutes of music on offer.
§1 was released in a radio edit back in August and ticked the fancy of long-time Opeth fans upon hearing Mikael Akerfeldt had reintroduced the growls on this record. Not that Mikael wasn’t using those growls in every live show the band performed. However, after four albums of cleans, the guttural barks make a comeback as he gives voice to the departed patriarch, commenting from beyond the grave.
The whole of The Last Will and Testament is a tour-de-force of Mikael’s vocal abilities, whether reviving the growls for the patriarch, the ethereal chatter in §7 or the folky beauty of album and story coda, A Story Never Told.
You know going into a new Opeth record that the musicianship will be exemplary, but on this new album the band seem to have exceeded even their own lofty heights. Choppy guitars, pulsing basslines and driving percussion are meat and drink for the Swedes, as are lush, fragile strings and eerie nursery samples from toys long forgotten.
It’s a shock to no-one that Opeth are heavily influenced by Seventies progressive rock and they drink from that well copiously in §s2, 4 and 6. Similarly, folk elements are scattered throughout, a juxtaposition between the urban lives of the twins and the isolated rural life of the girl.
Musical beats and story themes work in perfect union, enabling an understanding of the concept without knowing the totality of the tale itself. Adding their own contributions are Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson, whose flute and narration can be heard throughout; Mia Westland provides the harp on §4, while the London Session Orchestra lay down the rest of the many classical sounding passages. There’s even a space for Europe’s Joey Tempest to add his vocals to §2 and, if that doesn’t give you some idea of the scope of The Last Will and Testament, then nothing will.
As ever, the musicianship is off the chart, with ever-present Mikael Akerfeldt directing everything with a singular vision; and Fredrik Akesson’s guitars compliment Mikael’s, adding layers to the already dense, soaring textures. Responsible for the piano, Mellotrons and Moggs, as well as the Hammond organ, giving the record that authentic Seventies feel, Joakim Svalberg is responsible for supplying the atmosphere, while Martín Méndez powers things along with some strong bass work and new drummer, Waltteri Väyrynen drives the whole thing onward from behind the kit.
At a mere fifty-minutes, The Last Will and Testament is surprising shorter than I was expecting, but it’s only as a long as needs to be to tell to story. As such, it’s a tight and concise listen, with all the myriad elements working together in perfect harmony. It is a rich and sumptuous banquet of a record, both musically and thematically, and I imagine will be an album that reveals its secrets slowly.
Hopefully, we’ll get a full rendition when they tour in spring. Until then, we’ll ponder the mysteries of this family’s past in an attempt to discover who did what to whom and when.
Fellas, My Arms, Your Hearse was a Concept Album. Still Life was a Concept Album.