OPETH
Family drama, a pair of prog legends and the bloke who sang The Final Countdown? The Swedish prog metal kings have made a concept album like no other.
Words: David West
Illustration: Pete Fowler
Edited by Dave Everley prog.reviews@futurenet.com
It’s been a long wait for new Opeth music. In the five-year interim between releases, the band have switched record labels, leaving Nuclear Blast for Reigning Phoenix Music, and there’s a fresh face on the drums as Waltteri Väyrynen replaces Martin Axenrot. Yet despite the newness of these changes, musically, The Last Will And Testament feels somehow very old-school for the Swedes. Mikael Åkerfeldt and his bandmates have crafted a full-blown, unabashed concept album, a format they haven’t explored since Still Life way back in 1999. Twenty-five years on, Opeth’s sound has evolved by leaps and bounds, but Åkerfeldt’s ability to build an album rich in atmosphere, characters and drama remains as impressive as it’s ever been.