Progressive metal kings Opeth have released two tracks ahead of their album release later this year.
It’s been their longest gap in albums since their dual English-Swedish release of In Cauda Venenum in 2019, and it also marks Opeth’s second foray into a fully conceptual album. The album, titled The Last Will and Testament, follows the story of a conservative patriarch in the post-World War I era, whose aforementioned ‘last will and testament’ causes havoc as family secrets get spilled.
Having sadly been postponed from an October release to November 22nd due to issues with manufacturing, the two pre-release tracks from Last Will and Testament, named “§1” and “§3.”
“§1” roars into a somewhat nostalgic Opeth style as singer Mikael Akerfeldt brings back his guttural roars, the likes of which fans haven’t heard a lot of since 2008’s Watershed. Also notable is the drumming from new band member Waltteri Väyrynen, who replaced longtime drummer Martin Axenrot after he and the rest of the band parted ways.
“§3” forgoes the guttural growls of “§1” and harkens back to more recent Opeth work such as Sorceress – no less heavy, but more instrumentally rhythmic and vocally lyrical, featuring several abrupt musical style changes throughout the track.
Opeth’s The Last Will and Testament will be released on November 22, 2024.
