The Last Will and Testament

Last updated

The Last Will and Testament
Opeth The Last Will and Testament.jpg
Studio album by
Opeth
Released22 November 2024 (2024-11-22)
RecordedFebruary – March 2024
Studio
Genre Progressive death metal [1]
Length50:52
Label
Producer
  • Mikael Åkerfeldt
  • Opeth
  • Stefan Boman
  • Dave Stewart
Opeth chronology
In Cauda Venenum
(2019)		The Last Will and Testament
(2024)
Singles from The Last Will and Testament
  1. "§1"
    Released: 1 August 2024
  2. "§3"
    Released: 6 September 2024
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 84/100 [2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [3]
Blabbermouth.net 10/10 [4]
Kerrang! 3/5 [5]
Louder SoundStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Metal Injection9/10 [7]
PopMatters 9/10 [8]
Rock Hard 10/10 [9]

The Last Will and Testament is the fourteenth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. The album was originally set to be released on 11 October 2024 through Reigning Phoenix Music, but was pushed back to 22 November 2024 due to manufacturing delays. [10] [11] [12] This is the band's first studio album since In Cauda Venenum (2019), and the first release with drummer Waltteri Väyrynen, who in 2022 officially replaced Martin Axenrot after his departure the year before. [13] It also marks the return of death metal elements such as death growls not used since Watershed (2008).[ citation needed ]

Contents

Concept

The album is a concept album set in the post-World War I era, unfolding the story of a wealthy, conservative patriarch (whose wife is infertile) whose last will and testament reveals shocking family secrets. The album begins with the reading of the father's will in his mansion. Among those in attendance are three siblings, twin boys and 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 twins are the result of a donor procreation. During the reading of the will, the twins find out that they are not related to the patriarch, and consequently they are left out of the will. The girl is the patriarch's only child by blood and so she is his true heiress, although she is the daughter of the patriarch's maid. [14] [15] Nearly all songs on this album start with a section symbol and a Roman numeral from I to VII next to it in their title, except for the closing track "A Story Never Told"; this was explained by frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt:

The lyrics are like the reading of the testament. That's why the songs don't have titles, just paragraph one... two... down to seven. [15]

Reception

The album received acclaim from critics and fans alike. It was praised as a return to form, akin to earlier efforts like Ghost Reveries and Watershed, while simultaneously expanding upon the prog-infused sound established in the band's recent catalogue, especially since Pale Communion. Ian Anderson's contributions were also singled out for praise. [4] [7]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mikael Åkerfeldt.

The Last Will and Testament track listing
No.TitleLength
1."§1"5:56
2."§2"5:33
3."§3"5:10
4."§4"7:00
5."§5"7:29
6."§6"6:03
7."§7"6:30
8."A Story Never Told"7:11
Total length:50:52

Personnel

Opeth

Additional personnel [16] [14]

Technical personnel [16] [14]

Charts

Chart performance for The Last Will and Testament
Chart (2024)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [17] 29
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [18] 5
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [19] 22
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [20] 51
Croatian International Albums (HDU) [21] 10
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [22] 12
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [23] 4
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [24] 3
Greek Albums (IFPI) [25] 44
Italian Albums (FIMI) [26] 41
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [27] 44
Japanese Hot Albums ( Billboard Japan ) [28] 45
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [29] 13
Polish Albums (ZPAV) [30] 6
Scottish Albums (OCC) [31] 7
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [32] 4
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [33] 3
UK Albums (OCC) [34] 42
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [35] 5
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [36] 3
US Billboard 200 [37] 140
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [38] 20
US Top Rock & Alternative Albums ( Billboard ) [39] 28

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opeth</span> Swedish progressive metal band

Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. The band incorporates folk, blues, classical, and jazz elements into its usually lengthy compositions, as well as strong influences from death metal, especially in their early works. Songs may include acoustic guitar passages, Mellotrons, death growls, and strong dynamic shifts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mikael Åkerfeldt</span> Swedish musician (born 1974)

Lars Mikael Åkerfeldt is a Swedish musician. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for the progressive metal band Opeth. A former vocalist for the death metal supergroup Bloodbath, he was also the guitarist for the "one-off" band Steel, and a member of the collaboration Storm Corrosion with Steven Wilson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloodbath</span> Swedish death metal supergroup

Bloodbath is a Swedish death metal supergroup from Stockholm, formed in 1998. The band has released six full-length albums, two EPs and two DVDs depicting their performances at Wacken Open Air and Bloodstock Open Air. The group consists of Martin Axenrot (ex-Opeth), Anders Nyström (Katatonia), Jonas Renkse and Nick Holmes.

<i>Deliverance</i> (Opeth album) 2002 studio album by Opeth

Deliverance is the sixth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. It was released on 12 November 2002. It was recorded between 22 July and 4 September 2002, at the same time as Damnation, which was released five months after this album. The two albums contrast starkly with one another, purposely dividing the band's two most prevalent styles, as Deliverance is considered to be one of the band's heaviest albums, taking on a heavier and more brutal death metal-inspired sound, whereas Damnation experiments with a much mellower progressive rock-influenced sound.

<i>Damnation</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Opeth

Damnation is the seventh studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. It was released on 22 April 2003, five months after Deliverance, which was recorded at the same time. Damnation is the last Opeth album to date to be produced by Steven Wilson although he did mix two future albums, Heritage and Pale Communion. Mikael Åkerfeldt dedicated both Damnation and Deliverance to his grandmother, who died in a car accident during the time the albums were being recorded.

<i>Ghost Reveries</i> 2005 studio album by Opeth

Ghost Reveries is the eighth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. It was released on 29 August 2005. It was their first album after signing with Roadrunner Records, and first album since Still Life (1999) to not be produced by Steven Wilson.

<i>The Roundhouse Tapes</i> 2007 live album by Opeth

The Roundhouse Tapes is the second live album and video by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. The CD was recorded on 9 November 2006 and was released on 23 October 2007 in the US, on 5 November in Europe, and on 20 November in the rest of the world. A two-disc DVD version was released on 10 November 2008, and includes exclusive menu music written by Mikael Åkerfeldt and Per Wiberg. The title is a play on the name of Iron Maiden's first release The Soundhouse Tapes, as well as the venue where the record was recorded. Åkerfeldt said, "The Roundhouse concert will always be a very memorable gig for us for many reasons, but most importantly it caught the band at the peak of the Ghost Reveries tour". This is the final Opeth release with Peter Lindgren.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opeth discography</span>

The discography of Opeth, a Stockholm, Sweden-based progressive metal band, consists of fourteen studio albums, four live albums, three box sets, three video albums and seventeen singles.

<i>Watershed</i> (Opeth album) 2008 studio album by Opeth

Watershed is the ninth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. Released by Roadrunner Records, Watershed is the first studio album by Opeth to feature guitarist Fredrik Åkesson and drummer Martin Axenrot, who replaced longtime guitarist Peter Lindgren and drummer Martin Lopez. The artwork for the album was made by Travis Smith in collaboration with Mikael Åkerfeldt. It was the band's last studio album to contain death growls or any death metal elements until 2024's The Last Will and Testament.

<i>In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall</i> 2010 live video album by Opeth

In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall is the third live album and video by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. The DVD was recorded on 5 April 2010. It was released on 20 September 2010 in Europe and on 21 September 2010 in the rest of the world. The concert was part of the band's Evolution XX: An Opeth Anthology tour, made in celebration of their 20th anniversary, and was the fourth show of the tour, filmed at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London, UK.

<i>Heritage</i> (Opeth album) 2011 studio album by Opeth

Heritage is the tenth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. It was released on 13 September 2011 through Roadrunner Records. The album was recorded in early 2011 at Atlantis Studios in Stockholm and produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt, engineered by Janne Hansson, and mixed by Steven Wilson. It takes on more of a progressive rock sound, something the band had wanted to do for some time, resulting in a stark contrast to the progressive death metal sounds of their past albums.

<i>Dark Roots of Earth</i> 2012 studio album by Testament

Dark Roots of Earth is the eleventh studio album by American thrash metal band Testament. It was released on July 27, 2012, in Europe, and four days later in North America by independent German record label Nuclear Blast Records. The album is available in three configurations, CD, CD/DVD and vinyl, with the latter two versions including four bonus tracks. The album was produced by Andy Sneap, who mixed and engineered the band's previous three studio releases, The Gathering (1999), First Strike Still Deadly (2001), and The Formation of Damnation (2008). The album artwork was created by Eliran Kantor. A music video was made for the track "Native Blood". Dark Roots of Earth entered the Billboard 200 at number 12, Testament's highest position ever.

<i>Last of a Dyin Breed</i> 2012 studio album by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Last of a Dyin' Breed is the fourteenth studio album by American Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. The album was announced on May 2, 2012, for release on August 21, 2012, and September 17 in the UK. It is the first Lynyrd Skynyrd album to feature Peter Keys on keyboards and Johnny Colt on bass and features guest guitarist John 5. It was also the final album to feature guitarist Gary Rossington before his death in 2023. The first single, "Last of a Dyin' Breed", was made available to purchase via iTunes on July 9, 2012.

<i>Pale Communion</i> 2014 studio album by Opeth

Pale Communion is the eleventh studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. The album was released on 26 August 2014 through Roadrunner Records. The album was produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt and mixed by Steven Wilson. Pale Communion is the first album with keyboardist Joakim Svalberg after the departure of Per Wiberg in 2011. The album sold 19,090 copies in its first week of release in the United States, debuting at number 19 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Sorceress</i> (Opeth album) 2016 studio album by Opeth

Sorceress is the twelfth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. The album was released on 30 September 2016 via record label Nuclear Blast and the band's own imprint Moderbolaget.

<i>Under Cöver</i> 2017 compilation album of cover songs by Motörhead

Under Cöver is a covers compilation album by the band Motörhead, released on 1 September 2017.

<i>In Cauda Venenum</i> 2019 studio album by Opeth

In Cauda Venenum is the thirteenth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth, released on 27 September 2019 through Moderbolaget and Nuclear Blast. It was released in two versions: a Swedish-language version and an English-language version. The band toured in support of the album throughout 2019 and into 2020. At 67 minutes and 57 seconds, it is the band's longest studio album. It is also the band's last album to feature drummer Martin Axenrot before his departure in 2021.

<i>Garden of the Titans: Live at Red Rocks Amphitheater</i> 2018 live album by Opeth

Garden of the Titans: Live at Red Rocks Amphitheater is the fourth live album and video by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth, released on 2 November 2018 via Nuclear Blast. It was recorded on 11 May 2017 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, United States, as the band was touring the United States in support of their album Sorceress. It is their final live album to feature Martin Axenrot on drums.

<i>Obsidian</i> (Paradise Lost album) 2020 studio album by Paradise Lost

Obsidian is the sixteenth studio album by British gothic metal band Paradise Lost, released on 15 May 2020 through Nuclear Blast Records.

References

  1. ↑ DaVita, Joe (2 August 2024). "Opeth Bring Back Death Growls on First Song Off New Concept Album 'The Last Will and Testament'". WBUF . Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  2. ↑ https://www.metacritic.com/music/the-last-will-and-testament/opeth
  3. ↑ Jurek, Thom. "The Last Will and Testament - Opeth". AllMusic . Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Opeth - The Last Will and Testament". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  5. ↑ Beebee, Steve. "Album review: Opeth – The Last Will & Testament". Kerrang!. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  6. ↑ Everley, David. "Opeth - The Last Will and Testament album review". Louder Sound. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  7. 1 2 Blum, Jordan. "Album Review: OPETH The Last Will and Testament". Metal Injection. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  8. ↑ Begrand, Adrien. "Opeth's The Last Will and Testament". PopMatters. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  9. ↑ Hackländer, Stefan. "Opeth – The Last Will and Testament". Rock Hard . Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  10. ↑ "Opeth – New Album Details Revealed". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles . 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  11. ↑ "Opeth Shares New Single, Reveals 'The Last Will And Testament' Album Details". Blabbermouth.net . 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  12. ↑ https://blabbermouth.net/news/opeths-the-last-will-and-testament-album-pushed-back-by-six-weeks-due-to-delays-in-manufacturing-process
  13. ↑ "Opeth Enlists Ex-Paradise Lost Drummer Waltteri Väyrynen". Blabbermouth.net . 9 September 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  14. 1 2 3 "Opeth Shares a New Single "§1" - New Album Coming Soon". Ghost Cult Magazine. 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  15. 1 2 ""Screaming, for me, is almost like rapping": Mikael Åkerfeldt talks..." Kerrang! . 20 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  16. 1 2 Robin, Laurent (9 July 2024). "Albums". Opeth – Official Website. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  17. ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 1 December 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  18. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Opeth – The Last Will and Testament" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  19. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Opeth – The Last Will and Testament" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  20. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Opeth – The Last Will and Testament" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  21. ↑ "Lista prodaje 50. tjedan 2024" (in Croatian). HDU. 18 December 2024. Archived from the original on 22 December 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  22. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Opeth – The Last Will and Testament" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  23. ↑ "Opeth: The Last Will and Testament" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  24. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Opeth – The Last Will and Testament" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  25. ↑ "Official IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Combined) – Εβδομάδα: 48/2024". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  26. ↑ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 48 (dal 22.11.2024 al 28.11.2024)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  27. ↑ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2024-12-02/p/5" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  28. ↑ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of November 27, 2024". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  29. ↑ "Album 2024 uke 48". VG-lista . Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  30. ↑ "OLiS - oficjalna lista sprzedaży - albumy" (in Polish). OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Note: Change the date to 22.11.2024–28.11.2024 under "zmień zakres od–do:". Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  31. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  32. ↑ "Veckolista Album, vecka 48". Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  33. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Opeth – The Last Will and Testament". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  34. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  35. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  36. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  37. ↑ "Opeth Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  38. ↑ "Opeth Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  39. ↑ "Opeth Chart History: Top Rock & Alternative Albums". Billboard . Retrieved 3 December 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.