ALBUM REVIEW: “The Last Will and Testament” by Opeth
For over three decades, Opeth have been delivering some of the best progressive metal around, releasing thirteen albums, the most recent being 2019’s widely acclaimed “In Cauda Venenum”. Well after five years, their back with album number fourteen, which is out this Friday (22 November 2024) and they have certainly conjured up something extraordinary this time around in “The Last Will & Testament” which is their darkest and heaviest record for many years, and an album that is almost certainly their most fearlessly progressive.
“The Last Will and Testament” is a concept album set between the wars in the 1920’s and tells 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.
It’s brimming with haunting melodrama, shocking revelations and some of the wildest and most unpredictable music that songwriter/frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt has ever written.
“I have become quite interested in family, and the idea that blood is not always thicker than water,” Åkerfeldt explains. “I became interested in how family members can turn on each other. I saw an interview with this guy whose family had all turned against him, over the inheritance, so I wrote a song about that on the last record. The idea stuck with me, and then along came the TV show Succession, and I loved that series. That was in the back of my head too. It felt like an interesting topic that you could twist and turn a little bit.”
The album consists of eight tracks, but interestingly the first seven are simply titled as paragraphs (§I, §II, §III, §IV, §V, §VI, §VII), and only the final ballad (track 8) has a name A Story Never Told.
In effect the album is broken in to four sections. Firstly, the Initial Setup: The twins and solicitors gather in the mansion's ballroom for the will reading. The narrative unfolds through the reading of the will, interspersed with real-time comments from the twins, who are not part of the will.
Then there are the Revelations: The father admits to an affair with a maid, resulting in the birth of the polio-ridden girl, now revealed to be his daughter and a rightful heir. The twins learn that their own conception was the result of an arranged procreation with a servant, whom the mother chose to impregnate her due to the father's infertility. This servant was secretly murdered to conceal the truth.
From this, develops the Emotional Turmoil: The father expresses regret, anger, and shame over the years, ultimately rejecting the twins as his rightful heirs and leaving everything to the polio-ridden girl. The twins are left with useless heirlooms, and their true paternity remains a mystery.
Then, at the end is the Final Twist: In the last song, A Story Never Told, a letter from the maid-mother reveals that the patriarch was not actually the girl's father. She had lied to ensure her daughter's safety and secure upbringing. The girl's true father remains unknown, possibly the same servant involved in the twins' conception.
Through the course of these sections, the album delves into themes of legacy, deception, regret, and the search for identity. The poetic lyrics and ramblings of the dying patriarch provide a haunting and introspective look into his troubled mind and the impact of his actions on his family.
It’s a concept album in the great prog tradition alongside works such as “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway”. It has a wealth of influences and elements running through it, with heavy fuzzy riffs aplenty, prog melodies, orchestral flourishes and a return to some wonderful black metal growling vocals from Åkerfeldt for the first time since the likes of 2008’s “Watershed”.
What add that little ‘something special’ are the guest appearances. Playing the spoken word part of the chief protagonist and providing some scintillating flute solos, is none other than Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull. Indeed his playing is the highlight of §IV. Also contributing is Joey Tempest, singer with Europe.
The story is full of twists and turns, and this is beautifully replicated through the changes in the music, the two elements drawing the listener in to the environment, the soaring harsh metal juxtapositioned against the more orchestral elements to replicate the emotional highs and the lows of the story – sucking you in. Its incredibly well done, and you feel close to the story, almost as if your sat in the room as the drama unfolds.
Photo (c) Terhi Ylimäinen
Opening track §1 sets the scene starting with keys and drums before an explosion of riffs and harsh vocals but with moments of calm and reflection, using non-musical elements to great effect here, such as a ticking mantlepiece clock and the sound of children playing creating a dramatic air for the reading of the will, giving way to a more orchestral ending.
While §2 has a very different vibe, at times reminiscent for me of something from a Tim Burton soundtrack…. With its almost groovy guitars and dramatic keyboards and a spoken-word narration and a subtle vibrato buried in the background adding to its quirky and erratic nature. §3 lays down the true prog rock vibe thick, with one of the albums best guitar solos. Its also a great example of the vocal skills of Åkerfeldtmixing at ease from growls to harmonies. The prog feel continues in §4 where Ian Anderson shines. The addition of the flute solo brings a different feel to the track, instantly recognisable as Ian, it transports you back in time to another era. The positioning against the harsher modern riffs and growls works so well too, creating a real sense of drama.
§5 is different yet again, delivering an intricate blend, mixing crisp drums, orchestral strings, and an almost bluesy guitar section that somehow bridges the gap between death metal and jazz/blues. §6 again has a something unique to offer, the key feature is a wonderful keyboard solo from Joakim Svalbergas the track draws to a close.
As the story develops and starts to settle to a conclusion, the soundscape changes too. For §7 the earlier tension and drama is replaced with something more relaxed. The big riffs are still there, as are the growling vocals but it feels less harsh and more relaxed.
The album draws to a conclusion with the only named track A Story Never Told, which draws on the pace changing §7 and is closer to a ballad. The track is centred around Åkerfeldt’s vocals and a stunningly beautiful solo. It feels like this solo draws together the album and the story in one, a moment of reflection on the preceding events.
Although Åkerfeldt’s vocals and the guests take centre stage, its important to reflect of the contribution of all the band members. Fredrik Åkesson’s guitar playng is the backbone of the album structure alongside bassist Martín Méndez and drummer Waltteri Väyrynen who provide the emotional heart of the songs.
Opeth have always tried new things, never doing the same thing twice, but “The Last Will and Testament” feels like a momentous leap forwards. Many try to create a concept album, and many fail. Not Opeth. The story is resplendent with twists and turns in its narrative, and this is matched by the musical structure, complimenting it perfectly. With each listen I hear new and exciting elements.
“The Last Will & Testament” is simply a remarkable achievement for Opeth. It balances well between prog and Scandinavian metal. It has something for the Opeth faithful, but is also the kind of album that you can pick up new and enjoy too.
A remarkable album, truly Opeth’s Magnum Opus….. until the next one !
For me, its sitting at the top of the tree for album of the year, and a rare 10 from LiveWire
Out this Friday (22 November 2024) the album is available to order from the Opted website HERE.
