Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt and Fredrik Åkesson recently sat down with Guitar Interactive's Jonathan Graham to discuss their upcoming album, The Last Will and Testament, set for release on November 22 via Moderbolaget / Reigning Phoenix Music. The pair talk about the challenges of crafting their first concept album in 25 years, collaborating with Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson on the new release, their evolving dynamic as guitarists — and a chaotic story about one of the band’s early performances.
Mikael: "Generally, I don't consider myself a good lyric writer. I don't consider myself a good anything, but I love doing all of the above (lyric writing, playing guitar), so to speak. I didn't want to do an instrumental record so there had to be some lyrics, and concepts make it easier for me, because if I finish one song about 'the war', what's the next song going to be about? What do I care about? I don't write about contemporary society that often, so it makes it easier as a lyric writer to have a story."
Opeth recently announced that the release of their 14th studio album, The Last Will And Testament, has been postponed to November 22 due to unforeseen delays in the manufacturing process.
A message reveals: "We strive to deliver the highest quality product possible, and to achieve that, we need a bit more time to ensure the final release meets our standards. We understand this may come as a disappointment, but we sincerely appreciate your patience and continued support. We can't wait to share this new music with you, and we are confident it will be worth the wait."
Opeth's fourteenth album was written by Åkerfeldt, with lyrics conferred with Klara Rönnqvist Fors (The Heard, ex-Crucified Barbara). The Last Will And Testament was co-produced by Åkerfeldt and Stefan Boman (Ghost, The Hellacopters), engineered by Boman, Joe Jones (Killing Joke, Robert Plant), and Opeth, with Boman, Åkerfeldt, and the rest of Opeth mixing at Atlantis and Hammerthorpe Studios in Stockholm. The strings on The Last Will And Testament were arranged by Åkerfeldt and returning prog friend Dave Stewart (Egg, Khan) and conducted by Stewart at Angel Studios in London. Not one to miss a beat, visual artist Travis Smith returns to the fold, crafting his 11th cover, a haunting "photograph" reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's infamous "Overlook Hotel" photograph. Miles Showell (ABBA, Queen) also revisits mastering and vinyl lacquer cutting at Abbey Road Studios in London.
Åkerfeldt rolls out the red carpet for storied flautist and Jethro Tull main man Ian Anderson. Not only do Anderson's signature notes fly on "§4" and "§7", he narrates on "§1", "§2", "§4", and "§7". Joining Anderson, Europe's Joey Tempest lends a backing vocal hand on "§2”, while Åkerfeldt's youngest daughter, Mirjam Åkerfeldt, is the disembodied voice in "§1".
The Last Will A 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.
Pre-order The Last Will And Testament here.
Album cover by Travis Smith.
The Last Will And Testament tracklisting:
"§1"
"§2"
"§3"
"§4"
"§5"
"§6"
"§7"
"A Story Never Told"
"§3":
"§1" (Radio Edit) lyric video:
Trailer:
