OPETH - THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

It's always a musical and emotional journey listening to an Opeth album. Many questions arise – will it be melodic death metal, how progressive will it be, will the vocals be melodic and will there be any new instrumentation?

This 14th studio album, each song (with the last one the exception) is titled by a section sign (§), as per the definition a typographical character for referencing individually numbered sections of a document. The concept is set in the post-World War I era, the story of a wealthy, conservative father whose last will and testament reveals shocking family secrets. I am listening to a stream so it’s good to pick up a format that includes lyrics.

Musically, it’s progressive as you would want it, with first single and opener begun by drum patterns and melodic guitars before the rhythm kicks in to familiar musical territories, the death metal vocal a counterbalance to the melodic parts, representing two emotions. And for Opeth it’s nothing new and works for the composition as it travels from hard to melodic parts, Hammond organ, and guitar solo. After becoming familiar with Opeth, you know this all works within an arrangement. The last minute ride out incorporates a melodic orchestral part, voices that flows right in to “§2” which at the start is angry and aggressive, music and vocally. But then all of a sudden, a switch to a melodic verse with another orchestra piece and spoken words with Joey Tempest (Europe), to further the story.