The Last Will and Testament

The Last Will and Testament
Studio album by Opeth
Released	22 November 2024 (2024-11-22)
Recorded	February – March 2024
Studio	Rockfield (Monmouthshire) Angel Recording (London) Hammerthorpe Flowcreations The Tower (Stockholm)
Genre	Progressive death metal
Length	50:52
Label	Moderbolaget Reigning Phoenix
Producer	Mikael Åkerfeldt Opeth Stefan Boman Dave Stewart
Opeth chronology
In Cauda Venenum (2019) The Last Will and Testament (2024)
Singles from The Last Will and Testament
"§1" Released: 1 August 2024 "§3" Released: 6 September 2024

The Last Will and Testament is the fourteenth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. The album was originally set to be released on 11 October 2024 through Reigning Phoenix Music, but was pushed back to 22 November 2024 due to manufacturing delays. It will be the band's first studio album since In Cauda Venenum (2019), marking the longest gap between studio albums in their career as of 2024, and its first release with drummer Waltteri Väyrynen, who in 2022 officially replaced Martin Axenrot after his departure the year before. It also marks the return of death metal elements such as death growls since Watershed (2008), as well as being their first fully conceptual album since Still Life (1999).

Concept

The album is a concept album set in the post-World War I era, unfolding the story of a wealthy, conservative patriarch (who is infertile) whose last will and testament reveals shocking family secrets. The album begins with the reading of the father's will in his mansion. Among those in attendance are three siblings, twin boys and a young girl, who, despite being an orphan and polio-ridden, has been raised by the family. Her presence at the will reading raises suspicions and questions among the twins. The twins are the result of a donor procreation. During the reading of the will, the twins find out that they are not related to the patriarch, and consequently they are left out of the will. The girl is the patriarch's only child by blood and so she is his true heiress, although she is the daughter of the patriarch's maid. Nearly all songs on this album start with a section symbol and a number next to it in their title, except for the closing track "A Story Never Told"; this was explained by frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt:

The lyrics are like the reading of the testament. That's why the songs don't have titles, just paragraph one... two... down to seven.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mikael Åkerfeldt.

The Last Will and Testament track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"§1"	5:56
2.	"§2"	5:33
3.	"§3"	5:10
4.	"§4"	7:00
5.	"§5"	7:29
6.	"§6"	6:03
7.	"§7"	6:30
8.	"A Story Never Told"	7:11
Total length:		50:52

Personnel

Opeth

• Mikael Åkerfeldt – guitars, lead and backing vocals, cittra, Mellotrons, percussion & FX, string arrangements, art direction, lyrical concept
• Martín Méndez – bass, backing vocals
• Fredrik Åkesson – guitars, backing vocals
• Joakim Svalberg – piano, Hammond organ, Mellotrons, Fender Rhodes & Moogs, backing vocals and FX
• Waltteri Väyrynen – drums, percussion

Additional personnel

• Ian Anderson – flute (§4 and A Story Never Told), spoken word (§1, §2, §4, and §7)
• Joey Tempest – backing vocals (§2)
• Mia Westlund – harp
• Mirjam Åkerfeldt – spoken word (§1)
• London Session Orchestra – strings
• Dave Stewart – string arrangements

Technical personnel

• Stefan Boman, Joe Jones and Opeth – engineering
• Stefan Boman, Mikael Åkerfeldt and Opeth – mixing
• Miles Showell – mastering
• Kit Cunningham – drum technician
• Travis Smith – cover art
• Terhi Ylimäinen – photography
• Amanda Martinez & Independent Kostym – clothing
• Klara Rönnqvist Fors – dramatic consultation