It’s no secret that Opeth have consistently done quite well on this publication, flooring us again and again with the brutality of their death metal riffs, as well as the sweet melancholy that finds its way into their jazz and folk passages: we’ve even enjoyed their forays into full-on progressive rock in the last decade, even if it’s been a somewhat rocky road. With the release of their 14th studio album ‘The Last Will And Testament,’ the band have cast that era (that the fans affectionately call ‘New-Peth’) aside, drawing from both their old school metal roots as well as their recent experimentation to create something entirely new. Opeth have a lot to juggle with this album— a lyrical concept, death metal influences, orchestral additions and more make this, in Mikael Åkerfeldt’s own words, a “claustrophobic” listen— and the band have taken the bull by the horns in every aspect. Though this may not be their most cohesive or consistent release, the group’s commitment to evolving their sound is more than commendable, and ‘The Last Will And Testament’ is a truly exciting addition to their catalogue.

For the first time since 1999’s ‘Still Life,’ Opeth have ventured back into concept album territory, using their new release to tell the story of a recently departed patriarch and the family secrets found within his will. It’s a refreshing change of pace to see the group ground their new crop of songs in a concretely defined narrative, especially after ‘In Cauda Venenum’ left us scratching our heads as to what that album’s lyrics were describing. ‘The Last Will And Testament’ does an admirable job conveying its story, with the only real obstacle to understanding it on a first-listen being the share of lines conveyed via death growls: the concept doesn’t stop there though, as this tale of betrayal and revenge seeps into every aspect of the record. 

This is undoubtedly Opeth’s most theatrical release to date, embellishing each track with strings and flutes that sit alongside the band’s more conventional instruments nicely. Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull) provides narration throughout the project— his haunting speeches do a frighteningly good job conveying the dominating presence of the patriarch— and the album takes on a cinematic approach in tracks like ‘§7,’ where the music feels more like a film score than a piece of progressive metal. Even the more conventional songs have a grandiose flair to them, speeding between lavish orchestral arrangements and soft piano-driven moments in an effort to keep up with the whirlwind narrative: this may not be Opeth’s heaviest release to date, but it might be their most suffocating, immersing you in this dramatic tale about as thoroughly as any concept album we’ve come across.

Make no mistake though: this album is heavy in more than just theming. Åkerfeldt’s growls haven’t missed a beat since Watershed, sounding absolutely commanding whenever they appear, and the album takes on a darker, more menacing tone as a result. From the dissonant riffs of ‘§1,’ the band are hitting you with their most brutal material since 2008, helped out immensely by the record’s gorgeous production: though it’s not the flashiest mix, ‘The Last Will And Testament’ balances its layers immaculately without skimping out on the balls-to-the-wall aggression that death metal is based on. The rhythm section, featuring new drummer Walterri Väyrynen, takes centre stage in many moments, letting Mendez’s fearsome bass lines provide the central hook of a number of passages, though the rest of the band are hardly pushed to the side. Rather, the freedom allowed to the guitars, keys, strings and other elements makes this a unique but powerful piece of audio engineering capable of sitting alongside the band’s classics.

Despite the reintroduction of death metal influence though, ‘The Last Will And Testament’ isn’t a full-on return to the sounds and songwriting of, say, ‘Blackwater Park:’ instead, the band have combined heavier tones with the unconventional style of ‘Sorceress’ or ‘Pale Communion,’ creating something wholly new in the process. Though the barrage of aggression that opens ‘§2’ may harken back to the 2000s, the following hard-rock grooves and wintery acoustic sections that the track morphs into would never have fit onto any previous Opeth record: neither would the harp interlude and following flute solo on ‘§4,’ though both make for gorgeous inclusions here. Much praise has been given to the following ‘§5’ for its intrepid, Middle-Eastern inspired guitar grooves, and while we’d argue the track lacks some momentum in places, we can’t deny that the song is another impressive feather in Åkerfeldt’s cap. For our money though, we’ll take the anthemic folk metal and Dream Theater-esque shredding of ‘§6’ or the beautiful melodies and climactic guitar solos of ‘A Story Never Told,’ which stand as some of the most definitive and indispensable tracks Opeth have put out in recent memory. 

The issue, however, stems from that suffocating feeling that haunts ‘The Last Will And Testament:’ for as excellent as many— or even most— of the ideas throughout the record are, the band can struggle to transition between them cleanly: take that harp inclusion in ‘§4,’ for instance, which barges in to interrupt an otherwise momentum-filled track and brings it to a screeching halt. Call these songs ‘progressive’ all you want— truly, the band’s evolution on this album is wonderful— but the fact remains that much of the group’s classic material was more soundly-structured than this, even despite the varying dynamics that Opeth have always employed. Looking at ‘§2,’ which changes style and tempo so frequently that you’d swear it was a medley, or ‘§7,’ which never really finds its footing, one could argue that perhaps Åkerfeldt should’ve sat on these ideas for a little while longer.

Don’t take our criticism as a condemnation of the entire project though: ‘The Last Will And Testament’ is meant to be crushing, and it succeeds in spades. Though not every moment is sequenced as cleanly as we would’ve preferred, the plethora of excellent new ideas and sounds Opeth have brought to the table here is mind-boggling, proving that even on their 14th studio album, the group are far from running out of fresh material. This is undoubtedly the band’s most brutal and all-consuming release since ‘Watershed,’ and that alone will be enough for many fans: for others, the intricate storytelling, theatrical sound inclusions and excellent performances should be more than enough reason to hold this record in high regard.