Silver Tiger Media caught up with Opeth guitarist Fredrik Åkesson to discuss the making of the band's new album, The Last Will And Testament. Following is an excerpt from the chat, which can be viewed below.
Åkesson discusses the return of growling vocals on the new record:
"'§7', that was the first track that was completed, and when I heard it in its entirety - with the vocals, with the growls coming back and everything - I was, 'Wow, this is gonna be heavy, man. This is really cool.' That element has been with us all the time because we play a lot of those tracks live, and I noticed that Mikael (Åkerfeldt) seemed to think it's fun again to do it, that he was commenting on his own ability in that element of his singing. Like, 'Wow, that was really guttural this night,' and stuff like that. I could tell just the vibe of him that he was enjoying it again. That's very important, that if we bring the element back, it shouldn't be there as a gimmick; it has to be a reason for it. We knew, of course, there was gonna be a lot of talk about it, but also it suits these songs and it's also suits the concept. So it's not just about, yeah, a gimmick thing. And it also makes sense after doing four albums without it. And it's always been a big part element of the band also. But I think it's in a different way."
Opeth's 14th studio album, The Last Will And Testament, was officially released on November 22 via Reigning Phoenix Music / Moderbolaget. The album lands at #26 on BraveWords' BravePicks 2024 Top 30, currently counting down here.
Opeth's fourteenth album was written by Mikael 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.
The Last Will And Testament is available worldwide via Moderbolaget / Reigning Phoenix Music. Order here.
Album cover by Travis Smith.
The Last Will And Testament tracklisting:
"§1"
"§2"
"§3"
"§4"
"§5"
"§6"
"§7"
"A Story Never Told"
"§4" lyric video:
"§3":
"§1" (Radio Edit) lyric video:
Track by track video:
After conquering North America this past October, Opeth will embark on a headlining tour throughout Europe and the UK starting February 9 of next year. The full itinerary can be found below. Tickets here.
Tour dates (w/ Grand Magus):
February
9 - Helsinki, Finland - Ice Hall
11 - Stockholm, Sweden - Cirkus
12 - Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene
14 - Copenhagen, Denmark - DR Koncerthuset
15 - Hamburg, Germany - Docks
17 - Cologne, Germany - Palladium
18 - Berlin, Germany - Tempodrom
19 - Munich, Germany - Muffathalle
21 - Paris, France - L'Olympia
22 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - AFAS Live
23 - Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique
25 - Bristol, UK - Bristol Beacon
26 - London, UK - Roundhouse
28 - Birmingham, UK - Symphony Hall
March
1 - Manchester, UK - Albert Hall
2 - Glasgow, UK - Barrowland
