OPETH

Sometimes you need to go away to get a better handle on where you come from. Every so often, a band comes along who ends up going on a musical journey far away from the style which they originally made their names with, only to return to that genre and produce some of their best material within that format thanks to the broader musical perspective and the expanded range of techniques that journey has invested them with. Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride, for instance, drifted away from their early death-doom style for much of their middle career, only to produce some of their best albums in that vein once they came back to it.

Now, with The Last Will and Testament, Opeth have pulled off the same trick. For their run of albums from Heritage onwards, they've been more in a traditional progressive rock vein than the blend of proggy death metal and death-inflected prog metal that put them on the map. However, in the album preceding this one - In Cauda Venenum - echoes of heavier styles could be heard if you listened carefully, spurring speculation that they might one day make their big return to metal. That's what they have done here. Sure, it has plenty of quieter passages - but so has Still Life or Blackwater Park; unambiguously, The Last Will and Testament sees Opeth returning to the prog-death kingdom they founded, Mikael Åkerfeldt even breaking out old-school harsh vocals here and there alongside his clean vocals.

At the same time, this isn't a retreat to Opeth's comfort zone so much as it's a new departure. It's a concept album, like Still Life, but goes deeper into that territory than that album did, with an even bigger focus on presenting a narrative and even throwing in a touch of theatrical flair absent from that work. The story is all about a family who come together to hear the reading of the titular will - the final testament of their tyrannical, estranged patriarch. In that sense, bringing back the harsh vocals just plain makes sense - if you want to capture all these characters' perspectives, the more distinct voices the better. In fact, Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull fame not only provides some flute contributions here and there, but also throws in some narration here and there.

But where this really offers a departure is the way that Opeth's four-album expedition into retro-prog territories has polished and refined their command of the less heavy side of their sound, with quiet moments of folk-tinged or classically orchestrated music worked in to excellent effect. Having Anderson along for the ride becomes doubly appropriate, because whilst the style here is far from retro, it's learned enough lessons of the past to truly claim to be part of a musical tradition you can trace back all the way through Anderson's pioneering work with Jethro Tull (along with Anderson's other first-wave prog peers).

Maybe you love both classic-period Opeth and their more recent prog-embracing, metal-abjuring works, in which case you don't really need this review - you're going to listen to Last Will and Testament sooner or later anyway and you'll probably enjoy it just as much as the rest of their discography. But this is also an excellent album for anyone who's pickier about their Opeth. If you loved their metal-oriented work but felt that the albums from Heritage on went in a direction you weren't inspired to follow, then this may well be a great point to get back on board, because they're offering sounds here they've allowed to lie fallow for over a decade. If, on the other hand, you came onboard with their recent work but aren't quite keen on their metal side, this might put you off - but I'd encourage you to give you a try, because this might be the "in" you needed to really get to grips with the band's metal roots.

As for me, I think it easily slots into the top tier of Opeth releases. At the very least, it's their best metal-oriented album since Ghost Reveries, and it may well be on a par with any of their other studio efforts.

'The Last Will and Testament' is in many ways a look back for Opeth - the growling vocals are re-introduced in the music by band leader Mikael Åkerfeldt and the album is a concept record that follows the reading of the protagonist's last will and testament, with multiple family members in attendance of this reading, revealing long-kept and previously unknown secrets and of their family history. This is a very fascinating concept that gives way to some dramatic, dense and epic music, which is exactly what this album is all about. And while 'The Last Will?' might not be sonically invigorating but a safer embrace of what had made Opeth special in the first place, it is a brilliantly conceived and well-executed amalgamation of their more recent experiments with progressive rock and their old-school harshness and extremity, and what a better occasion to say that the listener shall be able to unpack elements from most of the band's preceding albums, like 'Sorceress', 'Pale Communion', 'Watershed', and even 'Ghost Reveries'.

The conceptual side is noteworthy here as well as the impressive performance of debuting drummer Waltteri Väyrynen and the great contributions from Jethro Tull's very own Ian Anderson. Divided in paragraphs, '§1' of the album offers a heavy prog onslaught and introduces what could be seen as a main theme here, followed by the gorgeous main riff of '§2', a more melodic entry with some spoken word from Anderson. '§3' is an interesting synthesis between 'Sorceress' and 'Watershed', while the next track keep the refined flow of the album, introducing the next big "theme", a jazzier interplay between the flute and the lead guitar, an excellent moment. '§5' is dense and precise in execution, another piece of the puzzle, which alongside the epic and mysterious '§6' (replete with flashy soloing) harkens back to the density of 'In cauda venenum'. The closing paragraph seven is technical, ominous and vivid, on display is the intuitive heavy writing of Åkerfeldt, while the closing track is a moody, mellow conclusion disclosing the aftermath of the concept's story. This is an excellently crafted conceptual work that celebrates past glories instead of attempting to bring Opeth one square ahead, still a delightful entry in an otherwise magnificent discography.

The most cinematic Opeth album of them all has to be 2019's 'In cauda venenum' and its brooding eclecticism and cosmic moodiness, the band's thirteenth studio album is the creative culmination of the so-called "prog rock era", even if this record remains a work defying any categorizations but inherently progressive in nature, if we have to consider this musical realm. 'In cauda venenum' encompasses a wide range of influences, sounds, moods and recording techniques, it sees the use of various instruments (some of which might not necessarily be typical for a metal band) as well as the wide usage of string arrangements, making it an incredibly demanding listen that shall even challenge avant-prog addicts, for example. Some might see this release as a summation of everything that Opeth stand for as there really is a bit of everything in what is to this day the band's longest album, an expansive listen that transcends genre and structure and subordinates itself more to the likes of a soundtrack or a score.

Released both in Swedish and English, this album ventures into psych-prog territories with ease, capturing some majestic moments of instrumental brilliance, combining lustrous riffage with melodically alluring acoustic arrangements. The immersive use of keyboards and effects adds a further layer of depth to the sound of the album, which would necessitate repeated listens in order to fully consume all that is being "served" here. A good suggestion would be trying out the Swedish-language version first (which is also the original one), perhaps offering the most authentic taste of this esoteric rendition of the Opeth sound. World music, folk music and art rock notches prevail on one of the most delirious, dreamy and memorable releases of 2019, and definitely one of the most consistent recordings from the band. With its evasive melancholic atmosphere, unorthodox sounds and infectiously satisfying shifts between light and dark as the songs' different sections ebb and flow with grace, 'In cauda venenum' deservedly remains a highly-rated album from a band that is free to experiment in every imaginable way; plus, it is difficult to discuss any highlights from an album that should be taken as a continuous whole.

Building upon their rediscovered musical identity, Opeth released what is often considered the second installment of their "prog rock era" - 2014's 'Pale Commuion', a satisfyingly ominous album with a strong influence from classic rock and exuding this alienated sense of longing that defines many of the band's best works. For this album the keyboard duties are handed over to Joakim Svalberg who does a pretty fine job and provides a very brooding and solid Hammond organ sound to the album, which is at times incredibly acutely informed by hard rock and prog-folk from the early seventies, definitely two of the genres over which Mikael Åkerfeldt obsesses. Stylistically 'Pale Communion' takes up where the band had left off with the "shaky" 'Heritage' album but offers a much more focused sound, an overall better production and better writing as we have much more compelling compositions that often reminisce some of the classic albums like 'Damnation' or 'Ghost Reveries'.

At the same time, 'Pale Communion' only reveals its novelties upon repeated listens as this is somewhat of a colder album, not necessarily among the more overwhelming Opeth releases; instead, this album requires a bit of effort from the listener who ought to be duly invested in the album in order to appreciate it for what it is. And with all this in mind, we have a really solid first half, containing the more straightforward tracks, some of which are truly magical and among the best pieces of this era of Opeth. The opening notes of 'Eternal Rains Will Come' are gorgeous and retro, almost as if they have come out of a Purple or a Uriah Heep album. The song then becomes quite moody and ethereal, followed by the monstrous 'Cusp of Eternity', this is a moment of sheer brilliance from the band. The 10-minute-long 'Moon Above, Sun Below' is another strong entry that is rather proggy and memorable. We also have the more acoustic 'Elysian Woes', a song that might have been influenced by Steven Wilson who mixed the album and the quirky instrumental 'Goblin', an ode to the namesake Italian band. The rest of 'Pale Communion' is more experimental but lacks the excitement of the typically longer Opeth compositions, wandering around between various ideas, some of which might seem too pastoral or too folky. The album is an ostentatious improvement over 'Heritage', occupying an interesting place in the discography - equally melancholic and moody, many of the ominous textures of 'Pale Communion' look back at past achievements, while trying to lead the contemporary band into unexplored territories.

'Heritage' remains one of the most boring Opeth albums, which is rather unfortunate, since the bold shift in sound and the complete embracing of classic progressive rock and folk rock as well as the upfront keyboard-heavy rock mentality that is presented here together with the unusual song structures and the quirky levels of experimentation even by Opeth standards should have been a formula for an exciting release. On the contrary, large chunks of this album seem to be directionless despite being full of with majestic or ominous sounds that either become too monotonous as the songs unfold, or are led astray by an additional instrumental section or a riff that does not fit the general idea of the composition, and with a prominent influence from the more avant-garde side of the 70s prog scene, 'Heritage' stands as a fine but not too convincing heavy rock (meets psych-prog) album from a legendary band responsible for some iconic metal albums.

Lacking heavy guitars and completely omitting the harsh vocals of previous albums, 'Heritage' gives space to a much more keyboard-centered sound, where all the Mellotron and Hammond organs can dominate the build-up of the songs. Acoustic guitars and drums are also widely used here, often as elements adding up to the shifting moods of the songs. With this in mind, we might say that this album conserves the darker themes from 'Watershed' and even expands upon the symbolic imagery and the like. This is a befitting quality of the music on 'Heritage', which can often be described as "lacking a clear form" - this is due to the seemingly open approach to writing as well as the embracing of a more eclectic range of influences. And in this regard, songs like 'I Feel the Dark', 'Häxprocess' and 'Folklore' epitomize this fleeting sound, failing to make any lasting impression, meandering and overly psychedelic. Contrarily, 'Slither', 'Nepenthe' and 'Famine' are all really strong and serve as fine examples of the true possibilities of this iteration of Opeth. 'Heritage' is an interesting album, quite different from anything else the band has done, but it is way less impactful and more forgettable than a lot of preceding releases.

Released in 1995, 'Orchid' is the debut album of Opeth, a record that is both harsh and adventurous, packed with epic moments and exuding somewhat of a progressive pretention, this is a dense death metal album that dares to go into some unusual territories and apart from the more traditional blackened sounds, it also has a few more classic metal riffs thrown around. 'Orchid' also mixed harsh and clean vocals in a fine way, and while Mikael Åkerfeldt sets the standard for other death metal vocalists, few of his peers are able to offer such a decent (at this early stage) palette of clean vocals. Unlike traditional death metal bands, Opeth were signed because of their epic sound and experimental nature and this album certainly depicts this side of the band - the extended song lengths and multiples shifts within them would be developed with later releases but 'Orchid' remains a promising and solid first glance into this band. 'In Mist She Was Standing', 'Forest of October' and 'The Apostle in Triumph' are all quite good yet at times really abrasive and unrefined, contributing to what can be seen as an overall successful first studio album for a previously unknown band.

Effectively one of the lesser known Opeth albums with death growls, 2008's 'Watershed' has remained somewhat of an enigma, given its place in the band's discography as well as the slightly more experimental sounds and unusual variations to the progressive death metal formula. This album introduces then-new guitar player Fredrik Åkesson, who would become recognizable for his pivotal role in crafting the more "retro progressive" sound of Opeth, while his performance on this release is quite impressive, fitting in perfectly with the massive and often aggressive tones, together with drummer Martin Axenrot, quite a technically gifted player. With the band relying on slightly shorter compositions here, 'Watershed' is a bold follow-up to the mesmerizing 'Ghost Reveries', simply because it is starkly different, it exists within a somewhat desperate, sorrowful ambience and pertains to a more crossover style between the harsh death metal grooves and the more folky and experimental influences of Åkerfeldt.

An interesting beginning in the face of the melodic and folky 'Coil', a duet between Mikael Åkerfeldt and Nathalie Lorichs. This sets a somewhat mysterious, medieval tone, almost like a tune that could been written by Ritchie Blackmore. 'Heir Apparent' then enters solemnly with its dense first notes. This is a more "traditional" Opeth track with harsh vocals and a lots of technical playing intertwined with peculiar shifts as well as several interesting passages. 'The Lotus Eater' is another intense and fast-paced piece that even introduces a jazzy keyboard section later on - the entire song is heavy and quirky, equally grim and abrasive and perhaps one of the best numbers on the album together with the sorrowful and ballad-y 'Burden', both of which seem to anticipate the future direction of the band's style, brimming with prog rock references. 'Porcelain Heart' is really strong and the vocals of Åkerfeldt sound fantastic here, while 'Hessian Peel' might as well be the most complex and hardly digestible track off of 'Watershed', an unconventional but appealing epic with interesting effects and dense production. With the exception of the less characteristic closing track 'Hex Omega', this entire album is a gorgeous, grim and powerful addition to the Opeth catalogue, introducing a peculiar sound that anticipates a future shift in style, as mentioned previously, rather than trying to be just another one of the band's heavier albums.

In a musical landscape dominated by nu metal, post-grunge and indie rock, Opeth's 'Ghost Reveries' stands as one of the most grandiose and majestic musical releases of 2005, with its elusive, heavy sounds, rich and embracive production, and ambitious and eclectic nature. This is the eighth studio album by the Swedish band and the last recording with guitar player Peter Lindgren and drummer Martin Lopez, also being the debut album of versatile musician Per Wiberg, handling all the keyboards on the album, and with Steven Wilson temporarily parting ways with the band, we have an interesting situation in the history of the band, still capturing that monumental period of high creativity and brilliant writing, as Opeth are seemingly led by the desire to create innovative works that transcend the pre-conceived notions of the genre, navigating the path of contemporary progressive metal and its extreme outbranches.

With a structure more similar to 'Blackwater Park', we have an eight-track album that overcomes the difficulties surrounding the 'Deliverance/Damnation' project, and with the inclusion of Jens Bogren as the album's producer, Opeth attempt a classy return to a style they are surely the forerunners of. The instant attack of 'Ghost of Perdition' smoothly transitions to a psych-prog bridging section and those first few minutes of music put on display the fabulous drumming and the wicked growls of Mikael Åkerfeldt, sounding as good as ever. The structure and the shifts within this track reminisce the far-reaching experiments of the previous albums. This is followed by 'The Baying of the Hounds', another enchanting and substantial piece of music with magical guitars all over and a gorgeous Hammond organ sounds, with some occult imagery going on in the lyrics. The influence of Wilson then lingers on with the following tracks 'Beneath the Mire' and 'Atonement', exhibiting a more classic rock sound with retro influences and a greater use of clean vocals, acoustic guitars and the Mellotron. Another great variation of the 10-minute form is developed on 'Harlequin Forest', another darker track ripe with sublime moments and a technically acute outro, while the dreamy and mournful 'Hours of Wealth' almost reminds you of a pop song's performance.

The last big entry on the album is 'The Grand Conjuration', a powerful exercise in writing and production and a prog metal masterclass - all of the influences and experiments of this album triumph with this song's unfolding. The perfect conclusion to a perfect album comes with 'Isolation Years', a glimpse of brilliance in simplicity from Åkerfeldt. Opeth boldly march forward with 'Ghost Reveries' and return to their glorious form displayed on 'Blackwater Park'.

The second part of what Opeth had planned as a double album comes as the band's seventh studio release, 2003's 'Damnation', released just five months after the brutal and mechanical 'Deliverance'. Abandoning all heaviness, this is the first album in the band's history to feature all clean vocals as well as a much more prominent use of acoustic guitars and the Mellotron, serving as the most dramatic stylistic departure in the classic period of the band, together with being the third and last album of this decade to be co-produced by Steven Wilson, whose work with Porcupine Tree could have been a strong influence here as one should find some similarities. With the "unplugging" of the heavy guitars and the removal of the menacing riffs, 'Damnation' allows Åkerfeldt's songwriting capabilities to come through entirely, in a way cementing the Swedish musician as one of the most versatile and masterful modern rock composers.

Now, the drab sounding of this album shall not mislead the listener, since 'Damnation' is full of moments of sheer beauty intertwined with a touch of mournful melancholy, allowing Opeth to expand and develop their sound and completely embrace their progressive and folk rock influences. With several gorgeous entries, we have the opening track 'Windowpane', an elegantly sorrowful song with an interesting structure and a dazzling guitar solo. This one sets the tone of the record and offers a great use of the backing vocals of Steven Wilson, who is once again responsible for all the additional keyboards and pianos. The creeping Mellotron on 'In My Time of Need' gives this number a strong classic prog feel, while it remains another really moody offering. 'Death Whispered a Lullaby' is a sombre piece that puts the songwriting to the fore, with lyrics from Wilson, while 'Closure' has a folky influence that would be more thoroughly developed later on with the album 'Heritage'. The lush Mellotrons purvey the soundscapes of the next two tracks, which perhaps exhibit a distant Camel inspiration in the phrasing, followed by a fine instrumental and the stripped-down 'Weakness' with its sombre keyboards.

'Damnation' is an important album of the Opeth canon featuring some of the most beautiful and mellow songs Mikael Åkerfeldt has ever recorded, and as the conclusion of the collaboration with Steven Wilson, it is a gorgeous piece of evidence of the band's immense scope and talents.

Still artistically acute, 'Deliverance' serves the purpose of being the heaviest and most unleashed Opeth album, originally intended as part of a double with 'Damnation', both of which were recorded at the same time but left as separate entries into the band's catalogue. This album was recorded by the same lineup which produced 'Still Life' and 'Blackwater Park' and is the second in-studio collaboration between Opeth and Steven Wilson, making it an important part of the classic period of the band. 'Deliverance' is often blatantly aggressive and harsh but being less intricate and less melodic than its predecessor, it might seem like a more digestible listen overall. After all, this is the album that had to portray just one side of Opeth's music, the one pertinent to the world of progressive death metal, almost entirely leaving the acoustic and melancholic duties to 'Damnation'. And as a metal album, it works extraordinarily well, featuring impressive moments and episodes of songwriting brilliance all throughout.

Here we see the further development of the 10-minute song format that Opeth generally work within, providing enough space for each composition to reveal itself, something done brilliantly on the previous studio album. Opening the album with 'Wreath', we have a very dark and menacing entry, depicting the brutal side of the band's music. Unlike some of other opening tracks from the band's discography, this one seems a little confined by the desire of being presented as such a harsh piece of music. The magnificent title track follows, which is among the band staples - this song sees the songwriting prowess of Åkerfeldt, with each section of it being flawless, topped by the strident and genial outro. 'A Fair Judgement' is heavy and drab but in a more restrained manner, entirely features clean vocals, while the short instrumental 'For Absent Friends' (named after the Genesis song) is pure magic. 'Master's Appentices' reminisces a battle march and has an interesting development a la Porcupine Tree in the second half, while the last track on the album 'By the Pain I See in Others' is the most experimental and devilish piece of music on here, gritty and unpredictable, it bolsters a dramatic sound closing off with a haunting backmasked hidden track.

The desire to dedicate 'Deliverance' to the heavier side of Opeth's sound strips some of the complexity and variety achieved on 'Blackwater Park' off, which still does not compromise the powerful, dark and menacing approach in writing exciting death metal pieces with a progressive twist. The title track is immense and the album is fraught with memorable and impressive moments.