Swedish prog legends Opeth will be releasing their 14th studio album, “The Last Will & Testament” on October 11, 2024, via Reigning Phoenix Music / Moderbolaget. Following the critical acclaim of the album’s first single, the band now reveals the second offering from the record, “§3,” which can be streamed below.
900k Spotify listeners, 500M cross-platform streams, 1M+ albums sold, multiple #1 albums, Swedish Grammy wins, and numerous multiple world tours – Opeth are one of the most important bands in metal music. Their unique sound and compelling storytelling made them a genre leader and highly respected artists among musicians and audiences alike.
Opeth’s frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt comments: “So put yourself in my position for a minute: Your band has this new album. You like it. In fact, you love it! It’s got this elaborate concept running through all 8 songs on there. You’ve written it over the timespan of say 6 months, effective time. You’ve invested a lot of passion into putting it together. You’ve recorded it together with your friends/colleagues. You’ve had a good time in the process. Now, said album is on the verge of being released and you’re expected to talk about it. Prepare your audience for its coming. Talk it up! You do want people to hear it, right? You love the album so it should be easy, right? At this point, all you have to do is put together a few words for the new ‘single.’ But you’re confused with the use of the term ‘single,’ as you connect it to the olden days where ‘singles’ often had the word ‘hit’ next to it. And you know that won’t happen! Still, you want people to hear it. Your loving ‘fans’ might think it’s awesome. But you don’t want to come across as a salesman. On top of that you’re not a complete self-absorbed asshole who thinks you’ve got the Midas touch (well….). Also you have a bad case of that inborn Swedish modesty, sprinkled with some impostor syndrome. What do you say? ‘§3′ is out now!’”
Pre-orders for “The Last Will & Testament” are now available.
“The Last Will & Testament” is a concept album set in the post-World War I era, unfolding the story of a wealthy, conservative patriarch whose last will and testament reveals shocking family secrets. The narrative weaves through the patriarch’s confessions, the reactions of his twin children, and the mysterious presence of a polio-ridden girl who the family has taken care of. The album begins with the reading of the father’s will in his mansion. Among those in attendance is 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.
“This is the first record with Walt on drums,” Åkerfeldt shared. “Seeing and hearing him record his bits was otherworldly and what went through my head was something like: How can a human being play this stuff? The older cats (myself, Mendez, Fred, and Jocke) did our bits in due time. We did them well (I like to think) and the alcohol concentration in our blood was mostly quite low as the red light was on. We’re professionals, you see! Rockfield Studios treated us well and we love that place!”
The album’s production involved several notable collaborators. Stefan Boman handled the recording and mixing, capturing the essence of the music on tape. Miles Showell mastered the album at Abbey Road Studios, after which Boman and Åkerfeldt treated him to a curry in Covent Garden. The album’s artwork, described as an “odd-masterpiece,” was created by Travis Smith, adding a visual layer to the music.
The strings on “The Last Will & Testament” were arranged by Åkerfeldt and Dave Stewart (Egg, Khan) and conducted by Stewart at Angel Studios in London. Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson provided narration and flute on several tracks, while Europe’s Joey Tempest contributed backing vocals. Åkerfeldt’s youngest daughter, Mirjam, lent her voice to the opening track, adding a personal touch to the album.
“All in all, we hope we’ve put together a nice little morsel of information for you to nibble on when it’s raining out. Thank you for your time. Thank you for reading. Thank you for listening. Thank you for giving us a respectable past. I’ll thank you for our future in the actual future, OK?”
“The Last Will & Testament” is gripping from start to finish, jaw-dropping inside and out, representing some of Opeth’s finest material to date. Just as Opeth welcomed many into its distressed arms over the years, the Swedes again deliver on the promise that great music always tells a compelling story—this time with growls.
