Description
Pre-sale
Releasedate: 22-11-2024
Swedish prog titans Opeth will be releasing their 14th studio album, “The Last Will & Testament,” via Reigning Phoenix Music / Moderbolaget! Opeth’s fourteenth album was written by Åkerfeldt, with lyrics conferred with Klara Rönnqvist Fors (The Heard, ex-Crucified Barbara). “The Last Will & Testament” was co-produced by Åkerfeldt and Stefan Boman (Ghost, The Hellacopters), engineered by Boman, Joe Jones (Killing Joke, Robert Plant), and Opeth, with Boman, Åkerfeldt, and the rest of the band mixing at Atlantis and Hammerthorpe Studios in Stockholm. 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. Not one to miss a beat, visual artist Travis Smith returns to the fold, crafting his 11th cover, a haunting “photograph” reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick’s infamous “Overlook Hotel” photograph. Miles Showell (ABBA, Queen) also revisits mastering and vinyl lacquer cutting at Abbey Road Studios in London.
Åkerfeldt rolls out the red carpet for storied flutist and Jethro Tull leader Ian Anderson. Not only do Anderson’s signature notes fly on ‘§4’ and ‘§7’, he narrates on ‘§1,’ ‘§2,’ ‘§4,’ and ‘§7’. Joining Anderson, Europe’s Joey Tempest lends a backing vocal hand on ‘§2,’ while Åkerfeldt’s youngest daughter, Mirjam Åkerfeldt, is the disembodied voice in ‘§1’.
“The Last Will & Testament” is gripping from start to finish, jaw-dropping inside and out, representing some of Opeth’s finest material to date. Just as Opeth welcomed many into its distressed arms over the years, the Swedes again deliver on the promise that great music always tells a compelling story – this time with growls we had not heard since the 2008 “Watershed”.
Available on:
Digipak CD, Digipak CD+BluRay, Clear with Black Cassette, 2LP Gatefold Vinyl Black 180g 45 RPM and on 2LP Gatefold Vinyl Opaque Silver 180g 45 RPM.
BluRay Content:
1) Documentary: 01 Opening Titles – 02 Q – Rockfield – 03 §1 – 04 Q – Album – 05 Q – Stefan – 06 Q – Concept Album – 07 §2 – 08 Q – Joey Tempest – 09 §3 – 10 Q – Intro Waltt – 11 §4 – 12 Q – Ian Anderson – 13 §5 – 14 Q – Growls – 15 §6 – 16 Q – Backing Vocals – 17 §7 – 18 Q – Visual + Art – 19 §8 + Closing Titles
2) Dolby Atmos Mix: §1 – §2 – §3 – §4 – §5 – §6 – §7 – A Story Never Told