In an interview with the Australian magazine Heavy , guitarist Fredrik Åkesson spoke about how the sound of the new album, The Last Will and Testament , differs from previous Opeth and detailed the story that will be told on it.
The release will be on November 22nd, through the Reigning Phoenix Music/Moderbolaget label.
He comments that he is excited about the album's reception, since the tracks released so far, "§1" and "§3", have been highly acclaimed by the public. "Our first criterion is to make an album that we are 100% happy with, which is the case here," he says.
Regarding the album's sound, the guitarist says that it "is somewhat reminiscent of old Opeth and the more progressive Opeth." The songs will be shorter, but with more elements than ever before. "If you listen to Blackwater Park (2001), certain parts extend for quite a while, and that's different on this album. There's a lot of action, it's an exciting album, but not in an exaggerated way. It has a strong Opeth sound signature, which is a kind of Yin-yang, a very heavy section and another more melancholic one."
Fredrik also agrees with the description that defines the new work as the band's "heaviest and darkest" in decades. "I love it. Yes, it's quite dark. That was one of the goals, to make it really dark, but it's also very beautiful at times. Beauty can be beautiful, even in a dark way. It sounds quite evil. We like that."
Opeth uses a will reading as the plot of their new album
The album's narrative was described in more detail during the interview. It's worth remembering that this isn't the first time Opeth has released a concept album, as seen with My Arms, Your Hearse (1998) and Still Life (1999), but this new work develops a deeper story than their previous albums.
Set in the post-World War I period, the plot revolves around the reading of the will of a wealthy and conservative patriarch, which reveals shocking family secrets. The confessions are presented to his twin sons and a girl suffering from polio, whom the family cares for. Their presence at this time will bring suspicion and questions to the descendants.
“The album is composed of the seven paragraphs of the will, and the last track, 'A Story Never Told,' is a letter revealing something that even the patriarch didn't know. It's a turning point in the plot,” Fredrik adds.
To further heighten the anticipation, it has been confirmed that The Last Will and Testament will feature special guests, including Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull and Joey Tempest from Europe . It will be the first recording with drummer Waltteri Väyrynen (ex- Paradise Lost ), who joined the band in 2022.
The full interview can be listened to here:
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