Opeth - The Last Will And Testament review
| Band: | Opeth |
| Album: | The Last Will And Testament |
| Style: | Progressive metal |
| Release date: | November 22, 2024 |
| Guest review by: | Blackcrowe |
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08. A Story Never Told
Opeth’s Last Will.
We are first row witnesses to the evolution of bands and their music, yet sometimes, these shifts take us to places we’re not ready or willing to appreciate.
Who am I to judge the evolution of music in bands like Rush, Metallica, and Opeth, or other bands that doesn’t have the need to evolve and keep their music sounding the same over the years, like Motörhead, Iron Maiden or Slayer; neither approach is inherently right nor wrong. Everyone is free to do or not do what they want or choose where they feel more comfortable with their music.
I started to listen Opeth with Still Life; I found everything that I love about music was there, including prog metal and extreme metal. I was astonishing by the brilliant opener, "The Moor", featuring guitars that sound like a mellotron, with that chorus containing Mikael Åkerfeldt’s special nod to ABBA’s "Lay All Your Love On Me." Still Life is Opeth’s masterpiece, marking their first departure from a purely death metal sound.
When I first listened to Heritage, I loved it, but immediately felt that this is the definitive turning point that Åkerfeldt’s looking for away from their older style. Heritage is a heavy prog record infused with the sound of classic prog bands like King Crimson or Änglagård.
The Last Will And Testament combines Opeth’s intricate musicianship with a concept that tells the story of a wealthy patriarchal family and the aftermath of their sins during World War I. The album’s intense moments seamlessly blend with beautiful melodies and haunting atmospheric textures, transporting the listener to another time. Guest musicians - such as Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull (flute and narrator), Dave Stewart, the genius pioneer of the Canterbury prog scene Hatfield And The North and Egg (strings and orchestral arrangements), Joey Tempest of Europe (backing vocals), and Mia Westlund (who delivers an outstanding performance on the harp) - make significant contributions to the final sound of The Last Will And Testament.
The Last Will And Testament is Opeth’s “magnum opus”. Åkerfeldt delivers his best composition and his best guitar work ever. The riffs shift between heavy and soft, creating a perfect balance. Every member of the band, including Martin Mendez (bass), Fredrik Åkesson (guitar), Joakim Svalberg (keyboards), and the new guy Waltteri Väyrynen (drums), has pushed themselves beyond their limits to make the band sound like it never has before.
The production, handled by Mikael Åkerfeldt, Stefan Boman, and Dave Stewart, has exceptional sonority, achieving a pristine balance between the obscure, the old, and the modern—perhaps owing to the fact that the record was mastered at Abbey Road Studios.
The Last Will And Testament marks the definitive end of the Opeth that many fans nostalgically hope will one day return. At the same time, it establishes the band as a fully transformed entity.
Opeth find their trail and definition after Heritage, but in The Last Will And Testament, Opeth found their sound they were looking for after years of experimenting.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 7 |
| Production: | 10 |
Written by Blackcrowe | 15.12.2024
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Rating:
7.8
7.8
|
Rating: 7.8 |
Has there ever been so much fervour and anticipation ahead of an album’s release due to a change in vocal style when there’s not been a change in vocalist? Opeth’s move away from growling caused an alarming schism in the band’s fanbase, but those growls’ return may not herald what those lost along the way were expecting. Read more ›› |
Comments
Comments: 15
Visited by: 83 users
| Vellichor Posts: 609 |
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62136  |
I think band should split up and re start as Mikael Åkerfelt and his opethians. Otherwise they ruin legacy
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| John doe Posts: 5144  |
Written by Bad English on 15.12.2024 at 18:48 You said the same thing on the album page, it was nonsense then, it's still nonsense (to put it gently). 
---- I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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| A Real Mönkey Posts: 1206  |
Another one of those albums that made me think “Why am I listening to this when I could be listening to Still Life/Blackwater Park/Ghost Reveries/Watershed instead?”
---- Need a break from headbanging? Restore your street cred by visiting my hip-hop list! Tha Swagnum Opus: A Selection Of Hip-Hop For The Curious Metalhead
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| Blackcrowe Posts: 566  |
Written by Vellichor on 15.12.2024 at 17:23 I don’t know man, technically the guitar work it is outstanding, in fact is the best instrumental work that the band did, you have to listen the record without the popular thinking that this is a comeback album it is another kind of music of the same band that you heard before.
---- Invisible To telescopic eye, Infinity. The star that would not die. Slayer vs. Slayer: 1,000 MPH or Death
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| Blackcrowe Posts: 566 |
Written by Bad English on 15.12.2024 at 18:48 It is always the Åkerfelt project , he is the man on the band, and im my opinion the legacy it is stronger with every record they made.
---- Invisible To telescopic eye, Infinity. The star that would not die. Slayer vs. Slayer: 1,000 MPH or Death
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| Blackcrowe Posts: 566 |
Written by A Real Mönkey on 15.12.2024 at 18:58 This record is totally different to those records in fact. I’ve never been on BWP as much as I want it… GR is Great and Watershed it is from other planet.
---- Invisible To telescopic eye, Infinity. The star that would not die. Slayer vs. Slayer: 1,000 MPH or Death
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62136 |
Written by Blackcrowe on 15.12.2024 at 20:02 Yes but I would prefer drum for Paradise Lost as this band, Mr Waltteri Väyrynen
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die" I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| Blackcrowe Posts: 566 |
Written by Bad English on 15.12.2024 at 20:29 He made another landmark of the record with the drums work…
---- Invisible To telescopic eye, Infinity. The star that would not die. Slayer vs. Slayer: 1,000 MPH or Death
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| Opethian Posts: 1764  |
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| Blackcrowe Posts: 566 |
---- Invisible To telescopic eye, Infinity. The star that would not die. Slayer vs. Slayer: 1,000 MPH or Death
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| 24emd Theory Snob Posts: 1088  |
Written by Bad English on 15.12.2024 at 18:48 By saying this in the shoutbox, the album thread and now the review thread, are you hoping that just maybe ol' Mikael will see your messages and take on your advice? 
---- "I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense." - Proverbs 30:2 "Music? Well, it's just entertainment, folks!" - Devin Townsend Best 2024 Albums
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| Blackcrowe Posts: 566 |
Written by 24emd on 17.12.2024 at 11:43 Maybe he will send us some t shirts for Christmas 
---- Invisible To telescopic eye, Infinity. The star that would not die. Slayer vs. Slayer: 1,000 MPH or Death
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| Blackcrowe Posts: 566 |
Written by John doe on 15.12.2024 at 18:54 Cmon John, admit it, it’s a good joke
---- Invisible To telescopic eye, Infinity. The star that would not die. Slayer vs. Slayer: 1,000 MPH or Death
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| John doe Posts: 5144 |
Written by Blackcrowe on Today at 03:50 I don't think he's joking. 
---- I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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