Opeth is back and they're heavier than they've been in quite some time! Opeth is now streaming the growl-heavy new single "§1" from their upcoming record The Last Will & Testament due out October 11. Pre-orders are available here.
"I love this record. I have to say it (write it). Maybe I'm proud even? There are some familiar ingredients in there I suppose. Most of our music has sprung from the same source, so I guess it's not much of a shocker if it's going to sound like 'us'," said Opeth vocalist and guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt.
"I'm a bit in awe of what we did with The Last Will and Testament. It feels like a dream. There is some 'coherence' and 'songwriting skills' I hope, but what do I know? I tend to favour the 'strange' over the 'obvious,' but I feel like I'm in the minority, and that's fine. So…fair warning! Don't expect an instant rush (as per usual), but if you do 'get it' (have you got it yet?) right away, that's ok too!"
What is the concept behind The Last Will & Testament?
The Last Will & Testament is a concept album set in the post-World War I era that tells the the story of a wealthy, conservative patriarch whose last will and testament reveals shocking family secrets. The narrative weaves through the patriarch's confessions, the reactions of his twin children, and the mysterious presence of a polio-ridden girl who the family have taken care of.
"This is the first record with Walt on drums," said Åkerfeldt. "Seeing and hearing him record his bits was otherworldly and what went through my head was something like: How can a human being play this stuff? The older cats (myself, Mendez, Fred and Jocke) did our bits in due time. We did them well (I like to think) and the alcohol concentration in our blood was mostly quite low as the red light was on. We're professionals, you see! Rockfield Studios treated us well and we love that place!
"Stefan Boman recorded and mixed it all (CAPTURED it on TAPE… kind of…). Miles Showell did the master at Abbey Road Studios and then we (myself and Stefan) took him for a curry in Covent Garden. Travis Smith has done this odd-masterpiece-artwork that put 'clothes' on the music. All in all, we hope we've put together a nice little morsel of information for you to nibble on when it's raining out. Thank you for your time. Thank you for reading. Thank you for listening. Thank you for giving us a respectable past. I'll thank you for our future in the actual future, OK?"
Who is featured on The Last Will & Testament?
The strings on The Last Will & Testament were arranged by Åkerfeldt and Dave Stewart (Egg, Khan). and conducted by Stewart at Angel Studios in London. Flautist and Jethro Tull main man Ian Anderson provides narration on "§1", "§2", "§4", and "§7"; and flute on "§4" and "§7". Europe's Joey Tempest lends his backing vocals on "§2”, while Åkerfeldt's youngest daughter Mirjam Åkerfeldt is the disembodied voice in "§1".
Where can I see Opeth on tour?
Opeth will hit the road throughout October with Tribulation, and in Europe come early 2025 with Grand Magus. Check out the full list of dates below and get your tickets here.
w/ Tribulation
10/11 Milwaukee, WI The Rave / Eagles Club
10/12 Cleveland, OH Agora Theater & Ballroom
10/14 Toronto, ON Queen Elizabeth Theatre
10/15 Montréal, QC L'Olympia
10/16 Worcester, MA Palladium
10/18 Brooklyn, NY Kings Theatre
10/19 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE
10/20 Washington, DC -– Warner Theatre
10/22 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
10/23 New Orleans, LA Fillmore New Orleans
10/24 Austin, TX Emo’s Austin
10/25 Dallas, TX Majestic Theatre
10/27 Denver, CO Mission Ballroom
10/29 Phoenix, AZ The Van Buren
10/30 Los Angeles, CA YouTube Theater
10/31 San Francisco, CA The Warfield
w/ Grand Magus
2/9 Helsinki (FI) Ice Hall
2/11 Stockholm (SE) Cirkus
2/12 Oslo (NO) Sentrum Scene
2/14 Copenhagen (DK) DR Koncerthuset
2/15 Hamburg (DE) Docks
2/17 Cologne (DE) Palladium
2/18 Berlin (DE) Tempodrom
2/19 Munich (DE) Muffathalle
2/21 Paris (DR) L'Olympia
2/22 Amsterdam (NL) AFAS Live
2/23 Brussels (BE) Ancienne Belgique
