THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

OPETH is a snub to the old progs who shouted at me at the beginning that it wasn't prog because it shouted... And then with time, they praised this group, turning their cutie! So when I heard for some time that it was growling again in the last one, I concocted an intense sequence to listen to it seriously on repeat!! Note that we are on a concept album listing a testament, so no titles just chapters.

1. §1 a clock time is running out, an old dated sound, a growl voice yes we were warned and it will thumb its nose at the progs who didn't like Opeth before, and who had been praising it for 3 or 4 albums; a tune that smells good however of Gentle Giant for the instrumental parts, the growl being soft, contained, the high choirs much more incisive; the symphonic finale to cast even more doubt, I love it, it's Opeth! 2. §2 continues, grandiloquent air, like a Mr Bungle bazaar, hilarious, festive on the circus; the growl that was the prerogative of the group comes back at a gallop, the pads and the riff are played at a gallop; it dies out, jazzy- bluesy air on the Albionesque nursery rhyme, well aren't they Swedish, the buggers? In short, surprise every minute or almost with a superb guitar solo 3. §3 continues, instrumental in the spearhead, a little orientalized; the low choirs come to give enthusiasm on a syncopated air, the Balkan violin imprinting the progressive fusion spirit that suits them well; the mix between the hard typed of yesteryear and the lively bass bordering on disco makes the sound diverse and captivating, on the edge of musical fury, controlled but evil; the cinematic outro with choirs a time just before the apocalypse in this soft non-growled title 4. §4 returns to basics, it's extreme tech prog metal as announced; noise and the Japanese, Achillean break that kills; we think of KITAJIMA, VOLLENWEIDER for these refined, crystalline notes; the pad and the keyboard continue to amaze with a jazzy air with a flute, hold on that of JETHRO TULL passing by; the wave rises and explodes growly-belching, I guess the fright of prog friends. Another ambient break sows doubt again for sharp ears before the heavy fruity experimental finale; a little wind and

5. §5 arrives, like the symphony that resembles it; Mikael speaks there and takes us on a mid-tempo title until the associated growly surge; a deep voice to take as an instrument under penalty of panicking before this musical maelstrom; it tinkers with a phrased voice and its assumed oriental air; wild guitar solo before the orchestral return, the folk-jazzy air worthy of a Zappa before the strong finale then in decrescendo bringing a tortured organ of time on 6. §6 which could be suitable on a Deep Purple, a symphonic Black Sabbath and the zen, ambient, atmospheric, progressive rise; vocal placed on the left, poof not long the growl returns at triple gallop; twirling synth halfway followed by a guitar, the voice settles, becomes musical; final break with the aerial guitar that stands out, the keyboard of time even more, the piano notes launched at the end even more 7. §7 frantic riff, progressive start, undergone break with opera vocal, spoken voice, one would think oneself in the lair of the extreme prog mountain, the one from which animal cries come out; here it is the cry, here it is the classical choir, this piece bewitches or captivates or both; the guitar at one time jazzy, at another time bluesy, the bass all the time heavy, heavy and heavy hard; one begins to get used to this ultimate sound when the bass strikes a metronomic pompous air that will rise again and again, the cinematic air in fashion since the new decade 8. A Story Never Told with the soft, ethereal crystalline guitar, I check yes it is indeed Opeth again on a title named there; flute, piano and syrupy voice for the ageless aerial ballad; a sweetness to clean the ears of those who do not know the true blood of OPETH surely. A beautiful guitar solo all in color comes to shine the cover.

A slap at the end of this year which demonstrates that prog does not belong to the 70s or the 80s but to Opeth, that's written!!