There’s no denying that Opeth themselves have brought in the big guns when it comes to the death metal growls, proving that Mikael Åkerfeldt still has that growling momentum he has inside his heart and soul when he formed the band nearly 35 years ago. This here is a return to form. And not to mention having the progressive orientations firing up all cylinders when it comes to The Last Will and Testament.
A conceptual story set during the post-WWI era, detailing the story of wealthy, conservative patriarch who’s last will reveals secrets that the family will find shocking and full of disbelief. Following up to 2019’s In Cauda Venenum, The Last Will and Testament is like an imaginative movie coming to life.
Each of the songs has a section sign with seven movements to complete the story. And to be allowed to have guest appearances ranging from Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson and Europe’s Joey Tempest, they know it becomes a challenge when it comes to working with Åkerfeldt’s incredible visionary work.
Also, featured in the line-up of Opeth’s line-up is new drummer Waltteri Väyrynen, who, not only joined the band in 2022, he takes up the mantle by keeping up with Åkerfeldt’s brainstorming ideas. Listening to The Last Will, you feel as if you’re watching the family going through a shattered turmoil over the secrets that are about to unfold in front of the listener’s experience.
The third movement sets off this insane complex the band does between the orchestral arrangements, going up this laddering effect between keyboards, medieval textures, rumbling pounces, fueling tension, and reaching their breaking point as Mikael leads the charge with his insane leading improvisation. They proven themselves that they still have the magic inside themselves.
The opening of the first movement begins with an alarming bass tempo Mendez does to give Waltteri the opportunity to bring in massive fires for Mikael and Fredrik to lead the charge by opening up the will with unexpected twists. You can hear not just elements of Insurgentes, but Mastodon, In the Wake of Poseidon-era from King Crimson, growling vocals from Mikael, and Mellotrons balancing back and forth to increase the tension that’s about to unfold.
The early Floyd comes into the second movement which speaks of the Saucerful of Secrets-era before the volcanic death metal eruption starts to reign massive amounts of blood for Åkerfeldt to become this Jekyll & Hyde monster unfolding in front of your very eyes. From the growling turned cleaned vocal approach, Åkerfeldt leads the band into the battlefield as the ghostly figure of Anderson’s spoken dialog comes into the fold, unleashing the complexity with insane measurements.
Not to mention a little bit of a nod to The Beatles Rubber Soul-era in which Mikael goes into this ‘Norwegian Wood’ style before heading back once more into battle again. The Jekyll & Hyde confrontation comes in full swing on the fourth movement where the father’s letter to his own daughter, makes it hard to understand on why he looks at her becoming her own worst enemy.
As soon as Anderson leads the charge with his flute improv, Opeth transform themselves into the golden-era of Tull, reflecting between Benefit and A Passion Play with high-rising results that becomes a powerful explosion, ripping through time and space. The last minute goes into this transformation of Woolly Wolstenholme’s Mæstoso that comes to mind in which Mikael pays homage to, singing in the style of ‘Blood and Bones’ for a few seconds as the spaced-out keyboards fell into Arkham Asylum with dire consequences.
Waltteri is earning his Opeth stripes throughout the entire movements. He’s getting his credentials amazingly well. You can imagine Mikael is looking at him, almost saying “You got this. Wait until I give the signal as we go into complex town”.
Between the middle-eastern midsection on the fifth movement and the growling Hammond organ intro which speaks of Jon Lord’s Deep Purple MK II-era on the sixth movement, Waltteri unleashes more pounding on his drum kit to give the climatic vengeance like a jazz drummer, going on this massive rampage.
However, Svalberg leads in his moogy improvisation to reign in this Italian Prog territory, making each of the family relatives do a dance of the death before reaching the end of the seventh movement, thanks to a laid-back folky turned Vangelis-like approach in which Fredrik and Mikael channel this eerie, mystical cavernous locations that the Greek maestro had envisioned years earlier.
As the will is coming to an end, it is as they sang, “Time to say goodbye”. Åkerfeldt brings the Hyde in him once more to confront his inner demons as the family begins to squabble like a bunch of maddening and confrontational yelling before the church sermon starts to hit and fade off into the sunset with ‘A Story Never Told’.
The calm after the storm. It’s the calm that leads into the approach, after everything has happened. Mikael walks into the abandoned mansion that once was, is now filled with dust for many centuries. He knows that the family will never be the same after what has occurred.
To be honest, from the beginning, middle, and to the very end, it is quite obvious to see Opeth return to come back swinging with The Last Will and Testament. Everything that they have done between Åkerfeldt and his fellow team mates, they brought the story into a striking representation from what they’re known for.
And we can expect that this is going to be on everyone’s wish lists when December comes around and asking Santa if he’s both a huge prog head and huge fan of Opeth. Because if he is, let’s not give him a shit load of milk and cookies, let’s give him a huge electrical jolt of the band’s music 24/7!
