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/:: Artist :: Opeth ::\
:: Album :: The Last Will and Testament ::
:: Year :: 2024 ::
:: __ _ _ __ ::
-:--\\-----------------------------------------------------------------//--:-
:: \ / ::
:: . Genre :: Metal Source :: CD . ::
:: Label :: Valhall Music R.date :: 2024-12-18 ::
_::__ Cat.nr. :: SCR056 S.date :: 2024-11-22 __::_
::// \\::
::/---------------------------------------------------------------------\::
:: ::
/: Encoder :: LAME 3.100 -V0 :\
..: Bitrate :: avg. 270kbps :..
. Quality :: 44.1 kHz/Joint Stereo .
. Size :: 103.59MB .
. .
__ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __
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+/ -\------- | | ----\ tracklist /---- | | -------/- \+
/: . : : . :\
/:: ::\
:: 1. §1 5:57 ::
:: 2. §2 5:33 ::
:: 3. §3 5:10 ::
:: 4. §4 7:00 ::
:: 5. §5 7:29 ::
:: 6. §6 6:03 ::
:: 7. §7 6:30 ::
:: 8. A Story Never Told 7:14 ::
:: ::
:: ::
:: ------- ::
.. >> 50:56 ..
__ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __
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+/ -\------- | | ----\ release notes /---- | | -------/- \+
/: . : : . :\
/:: ::\
:: ::
:: Opeth is a band that needs zero introduction at this point, but ::
:: I'll do one anyways. The Swedish prog legends were renowned due ::
:: to their unique mix of death metal devilry and soothing ::
:: progressive rock segments, shifting and entwining both of them ::
:: to their whim, without feeling forced in any way. This formula ::
:: was pretty much unique to them and they kept going with it for ::
:: many years. Watershed, released in 2008, was the last album to ::
:: feature this formula, as it was evident that the band was ::
:: moving into more prog territory from earlier albums, and it was ::
:: more than notorious here, with a bigger emphasis on clean ::
:: vocals and a somewhat more subdued approach that, nevertheless, ::
:: was still Opeth. ::
:: ::
:: Heritage, the follow-up, saw Opeth discarding the entirety of ::
:: the death metal elements, with the band going full prog metal. ::
:: This creative choice was met with quite some disapproval at the ::
:: time, but the decision was final. Later releases were in line ::
:: with this choice, and while there were still some embers of the ::
:: sound of yore, the band embraced a more 70's prog-rock approach ::
:: that still was good, but left many fans disappointed with many ::
:: stating that "Opeth doesn't sound like Opeth anymore". ::
:: ::
:: And it was so for 16 years. It was assumed that kerfeldt and ::
:: company would not return to their former sound. And while ::
:: Mikael never fully stated that he was "done" with doing death ::
:: growls, it was no longer a topic of discussion. Opeth moved on, ::
:: and many of the faithful moved on with them. And so, when The ::
:: Last Will and Testament was announced, everyone (myself ::
:: included) presumed that it would be one more excellent prog ::
:: release from Opeth... until " 1" was released. ::
:: ::
:: Not only did we get a song reminiscent of the Watershed era, ::
:: but the growls were back, baby! The moment many of us wanted ::
:: was here. kerfeldt's vocals returned and this was just a taste ::
:: of what was to come. This was just the beginning of The Last ::
:: Will and Testament. I don't think it is hyperbole to state that ::
:: this was the most anticipated album of the year. And it does ::
:: not disappoint... at least, not entirely. ::
:: ::
:: From start to finish, this is still the Opeth that fully ::
:: embraced the 70's prog-rock sound, but now in a darker, ::
:: claustrophobic shade. The reincorporation of the extreme vocals ::
:: and approach was made while tinkering very little with the new ::
:: essence of the band. While there are exquisite moments of ::
:: brutality and fiendish riffs, it never strays too far from what ::
:: Opeth is now. The overall sound of the album serves as a ::
:: reminder of this, yet barely needs any discussion. They sound ::
:: as good as ever, with constant shifts in tempo, mood and ::
:: rhythms. It is as groovy as it can be demolishing, as ::
:: suffocating as it can be soothing. It is a joy to listen to. ::
:: The guitars and synths complement each other, and drift between ::
:: discordant darkness and hopeful serenity, with many solos to be ::
:: found (check the synth solo in 6). The bass oscillates around ::
:: the guitars while never losing any sense of cohesion. The ::
:: drums, which are played by the relatively newest addition to ::
:: the band, Waltteri V yrynen, are executed flawlessly and pack ::
:: quite a punch at moments. ::
:: ::
:: While every member executes their role perfectly, with no ::
:: noticeable flaws, I think it is time to discuss the biggest ::
:: element to return to Opeth: the growls. ::
:: ::
:: Back in 2008, kerfeldt's vocals were showing some signs of ::
:: decline that only accentuated in the following years (the worst ::
:: offender being Bloodbath Over Bloodstock), which would ::
:: eventually lead him to stop doing harsh vocals entirely, at ::
:: least in the studio. Anyone that attended any Opeth live show ::
:: since Heritage's release can attest that his harsh vocals had ::
:: lost significant power and depth, so the choice was ::
:: understandable. It wasn't until very recently that his harsh ::
:: vocals recovered some of their former glory. Since Heritage, ::
:: kerfeldt's clean vocals have shown an outstanding progress, ::
:: even more so in the last few years, and he unleashes every ::
:: flavor possible in this new album. Falsetto, Vibrato, ::
:: harmonies, everything is here. His growls have recovered some ::
:: more depth and resemble his work back in 2008 with Watershed & ::
:: Fathomless Mastery, perhaps even a bit more energetic. And ::
:: unlike the aforementioned Opeth album, the vocals are more ::
:: evenly distributed here. However, I do have some issues with ::
:: the record as a whole... ::
:: ::
:: First of all, as I stated before, Opeth is now a prog-rock band ::
:: and have been so for the last decade. While the old formula is ::
:: back, the old sound as a whole is not. It lacks bite and ::
:: weight. Make no mistake, The Last Will and Testament is heavy, ::
:: just not as heavy as many expected it to be. Second, the ::
:: closing track "A Story Never Told" feels an underwhelming ::
:: closure to the album and the story it presents. It is beautiful ::
:: and a bit mournful, but it barely holds a candle to other album ::
:: closers like "White Cluster" or "Hex Omega". Then again, Opeth ::
:: is not that way anymore. Third, and the worst offender by far, ::
:: the hideous visualizers for 1 and 4. The cheap AI images may ::
:: be disguised in flashy effects and transitions, but they are ::
:: still noticeable. While this is something more and more common ::
:: nowadays and slowly making its way into a semblance of ::
:: acceptance, it is a shame that a band of this caliber would ::
:: take the cheap route for a couple of videos, maybe even their ::
:: Single's artwork. ::
:: ::
:: The Last Will and Testament marks Opeth's return to the dark ::
:: familiar soundscapes of their early repute, while showing quite ::
:: the restraint to embrace it. I have constantly compared this ::
:: album to Watershed, their last album with extreme elements from ::
:: 2008. And I have done so as it is the most thematically ::
:: similar, but also because this was (at the time) the weakest ::
:: album they had released of that era. And if the weakest of ::
:: their early repute can kick the shit out of what is essentially ::
:: the comeback everyone wanted, then it means Opeth is still some ::
:: steps away from achieving a full return to form. But they are ::
:: now, with some odd choices, on the right path. ::
:: ::
:: Opeth's new album serves a double purpose: to retread their ::
:: previous path in a different manner (very successfully) and to ::
:: introduce their newer fans to their former repute and renown ::
:: brutality and duality in a more accessible way. The Last Will ::
:: and Testament is the sound of a new era for this band, one that ::
:: hopefully continues to improve in the future and deliver more ::
:: masterpieces like 1, 2 and 6. If you are a longtime fan, ::
:: chances are you already enjoyed this work, but if by any chance ::
:: you still haven't, give yourself the time to listen to The Last ::
:: Will and Testament. It is a trip worth taking. ::
:: ::
:: . _ _ . ::
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