Opeth – "The Last Will and Testament"

So... am I supposed to remember any of this?

I've written about Opeth that you can like the band's newer direction or not, but you can't argue with its creativity or level of ambition. And whether you like the band's 14th studio album or not, that statement remains true, for what that's worth. Adding to this is the fact that "The Last Will and Testament" is a concept album, the lyrics reading like – yes, indeed – the testament of a deceased family overhead, and the songs not even having titles, but simply paragraph numbers.

Much has long been said (and written) about Opeth finally going back to incorporating growls on "The Last Will and Testament". And the album has garnered positive critical acclaim, being called a return to form. Well, stuff like that tends to raise one's expectations. Not the least of all with yours truly since, like many another fan, I got estranged when Opeth suddenly went all-out progressive and shed the metal entirely.

Not that there's anything wrong with progressive music – I love everything from the old Jethro Tull to the not-that-old Riverside. But because the band's new songwriting was simply random. Granted, what I heard from "Sorceress" (2016) sounded like Opeth were finally making the whole prog thing work for them. But their latest effort, 2019's "In Cauda Venenum", never caught on with me, sounding – again – most of all like a haphazard concoction of unmotivated ideas that weren't necessarily related to the previous ones.

By and large, this is also how this newest LP sounds like to me, even after several spins thereof. Sure, things do get heavy pretty quickly. But the keyword here is intangible, the different sections incorporating far too many variations and changing way too rapidly to indent any lasting impression in me. Yes, it's wonderful to hear Mikael Åkerfeldt growling again, but then, the band goes back into a clean section again way too quickly. The heavy dramatic chorus section in "§1" is cool, but the time meter is too crooked for things to properly rock, and even if it did, it still ends too quickly.

Opeth were so good back in the day because they insisted upon every single riff, melody, and idea, giving each one space to grow and flourish. Today, the band is kinda doing the exact opposite.

I have written more notes for each song on this album than on any other album I've ever reviewed. But this is not because the music excites me; it's simply because a lot of different things are happening all the time. Shit, I could've just as well used that sentence as a headline. Here are some paraphrasings so you can get an idea...:

"§2": We're off with a growl! And into a grim, heavy waltz. But then there's a break and a new, clean section before the previous one had time to develop. Then it turns into this big, semi-militant 2/4-time – almost like an evil tango. And then there's a growl section, but then, there's a new break, this time featuring a Moog. But then, there's a heavy growl section again. It's impressive and ambitious, but it simply does not have time to catch me. Then, there's a quiet part with a Moog again, and this time, it's in a Major key – or at least, so we think, until it turns Mixolydian. And then, back into 2/4-time. I'm not quite sure what the purpose is to all those sections. Then there's a sort of keyboard solo. And then, a section with clean vocals. And then, the song ends.

"§4": The rhythm has a jumping-kinda feel to it. Everything is constantly changing; I can't keep up with it any longer. This is sports music more than anything else: Impressively written and played, but incoherent and unrewarding. There are new drum patterns and fills constantly; there are new sections constantly. Now there's a fucking harp break and a harp-based section. Then it goes all quiet, and then there's a drum rhythm fading in. An odd time signature and a chase between the lead guitar and a traverse flute. Huge, electric lead in this one section that actually sounds like old Opeth. And then a growl. But then there's a break with all these little details and background noises. This is a big part of what makes it so unrewarding: There aren't a lot of melodies, vocal lines or themes stepping into character; it's all this experimenting, atmospheric stuff that's mostly just… there. Now there's a heavy section with clean vocals; then there's a spacy outro that's not satifying or memorable, either. It's all the same that the songs don't have any titles, because they don't have any distinct personalities.

This tells you all you need to know, and these impressions last until the end, whether through sections featuring Middle-Eastern strings, uncountable time meters, female background vocals, weird solos, modulations and what the fuck not. Not a single riff sticks here – in fact, are there even any actual fucking riffs on this entire album?? And in fact, is there even one drum beat that's allowed to go on for more than two measures? Virtually everything's random, intangible, and instantly forgettable. Just like on "In Cauda Venenum", the only memorable track (albeit probably unintendedly) is the mellow ending "A Story Never Told" – only song with an actual title – because, waddyaknow, it gives its theme time to live, breathe, and settle with the listener. What a concept, huh?!

The keyword here is intangible, the different sections incorporating far too many variations and changing way too rapidly to indent any lasting impression in me.

Overall, I still consider myself enough of a fan of Opeth to wear that t-shirt featuring the artwork from the band's 2002 masterpiece "Deliverance". The reason that album is a masterpiece is that it encapsulates the essence of Opeth's golden age, uniquely merging mysteriously compelling beauty with monstrously complex brutality. The creative supremacy of the group back in the day practically can't be overstated. Shit, even the clean 2003 follow-up "Damnation" is a perfect fucking album. And the reason Opeth were so good back then is because they insisted upon every single riff, melody, and idea, giving each one space to grow and flourish – whereas today, the band is kinda doing the exact opposite. Shit, remember how that main riff in "Bleak" kept on growing and unfolding within itself and how it was repeated the perfect amount of times? Man, I miss riffs like that.

Paraphrasing one YouTube user commenting on a song from the new album, "It's like Mr. Bungle, only it's Opeth". But whereas with Mr. Bungle the constant flux of ideas and different modes of expression is integral to the band's weird and wacky personality, this same restless multi-schizophrenia simply doesn't suit a band that gave us such stately albums as the aforementioned ones and "Blackwater Park" (2001). Furthermore, constant flux and complexity are impressive when combined with the otherworldly aggression of bands like, say, Job for a Cowboy or Archspire. But Opeth aren't on that same merciless mission to deconstruction and slaughter; they're still attempting to write songs in the classic sense of the concept. Well, songs are supposed to be fucking memorable.

I know: A lot of people – metal journalists, not the least – seem to be hella digging on Opeth being hella random and forgettable. Maybe those people simply confuse convoluted song structures with genius. Maybe Opeth has reached that critical mass of repute where any name becomes a self-sustaining mechanism only due to its repute. Maybe a lot of the group's fans have simply invested so much energy into the group that it'd create too much cognitive dissonance to set aside their fandom enough while listening to recognize a haphazard concoction of unmotivated ideas for what it is.

For the sheer impressiveness of being able to write and perform music this varied and convoluted, and for the production value in and by itself, I am willing to grant a medium rating. If things continue like this, however, I will not be as generous next time.

Rating: 3 out of 6

Genre: Progressive metal / rock
Release date: 22/11/2024
Label: Reigning Phoenix
Producer: Åkerfeldt / Opeth + Stefan Boman + Dave Stewart