In a recent interview with Australia’s Heavy, Opeth guitarist Fredrik Åkesson delved into the musical direction of their upcoming fourteenth studio album, “The Last Will And Testament,” set for release on November 22nd via Reigning Phoenix Music/Moderbolaget.
Åkesson described the album as a dynamic blend of Opeth’s classic sound and their more progressive recent work, with a “restless, compressed” approach. “The songs are slightly shorter,” he explained, “but packed with more ingredients than ever before. It reflects modern society, even though the album’s theme is set in the 1920s.”
He contrasted this with their earlier work, saying, “Take ‘Blackwater Park’ (2001). Certain sections were drawn out considerably. This album’s different – it’s action-packed! It still retains Opeth’s signature ‘yin-and-yang’ dynamic, with heavy sections juxtaposed by beautiful, melancholic, and almost foresty soundscapes.”
Regarding the press release describing “The Last Will And Testament” as Opeth’s “darkest and heaviest record” in decades, Åkesson expressed enthusiasm. “I love that,” he said. “It’s definitely dark – that was a key goal. But it’s also beautifully dark at times. Beauty can be dark as well, you know? It’s quite evil-sounding, and we dig that.”
