From their record label’s website, “The Last Will and Testament” is a concept record, a restless musical journey in a way mirroring the band’s own relationship with music as a consumer of it. There are some familiar ingredients, as most of the band's music has sprung from the same source, so it’s naturally going to sound like OPETH. Instead of the usual instant rush, expect to favour the ”strange” over the ”obvious,” sonically speaking.” The album delves into themes of legacy, deception, regret, and the search for identity. The poetic lyrics and ramblings of the dying patriarch provide a haunting and introspective look into his troubled mind and the impact of his actions on his family. Many fans were upset that years ago, they abandoned their harsh vocals. I found that refreshing, because then the music really has to stand out. Growls back, let’s dive into the album.

It’s divided into seven parts, and the symbols mean “paragraphs” or various stories in the tale. “§1” is first, and coincidentally, it was also the first song released ahead of the album. Immediately, it pulls you into the story, with a roaring grab. Bass and drum notes thud away gently, until a menacing guitar riff breaks the veil. Spacey keyboards soar behind the clean vocals, and the sound is thick, Progressive, and smacks of 70’s Prog and Doom. The harsh vocals give the song a very dark quality, something that was missing from previous albums. The chord progressions are unusual as well, something that I have come to expect from OPETH. “§2” comes out of the gate with a faster and hastier sound, and the roar of the harsh vocals reminds me of being chased by a shadow. It turns on the stop of a dime however, to more gentle and melancholy sounds, and then shifts back just as quickly.

“§3” bears teeth that are more like fangs. The chord progressions are again unusual, and they toy with meter shifts like they are masters. It settles into a groove of tension and darkness that hang in the air like a dense fog, unable to be reduced. The story is growing with shadows. “§4” has a masterful blend of time shifts high with haste. Just when you can feel the wheels starting to come off however, it calms to warm, inviting tones. The darkness returns, with suspense, and you find yourself on the edge of your seat, and the guitar solo section is fantastic. Before it ends, it roars up for one final bite. “§5” enters with gentler tones, and suddenly, I am taken back to the doom and psychedelic laces of Progressive music of the 1970’s. Harsh vocals break through the warm interior of the room and shatter the glass into pieces, and this constant push and pull is a major feature on the album.

“§6” has a soft entrance that quickly transitions to a sturdy sound but also one that breathes with melody, and you can feel the story take a shift out of the shadows. But again, harsh vocals explode outward with the force of a bomb, and Åkerfeldt reminds you of his dazzling lead guitar skills. There is a smooth, bluesy cool down at the end. “§7” has a staccato attack at first that lessens and gives way to melancholy tones that are still very tense. The sheer amount of times it shifts in and out of the light is incredible, and behind it looms an obscure umbrage. It’s a story that is very hard to keep up with emotionally. “A Story Never Told” is the final song, and it closes the album with smooth, poignant qualities a big hook in the form of a bright crescendo that still wallows in the darkness, and the unknown.

This album strikes a rare balance between Progressive intricacy, dark storytelling, and glimmers of light that struggle to break through its somber and angry tones. These stories unfold over a meticulously crafted backdrop of shifting time signatures, complex layers, and atmospheric transitions that leave each track feeling like an unfolding chapter in a larger, haunting novel. Each song feels carefully plotted, its emotional intensity mounting steadily, only to shift directions unexpectedly—a trademark of great Progressive music. This album stands as a masterful blend of Progressive ambition and lyrical poignancy, immersing the listener in a carefully crafted sonic landscape. For anyone who seeks music that is as intellectually stimulating as it is emotionally resonant, a powerful journey not to be missed, and their best album in many years.