OPETH and EUROPE might be able to hit the street in combination for a co-headlining excursion in the future
OPETH‘s Mikael Åkerfeldt and Fredrik Åkesson presented fanatics a glimpse into the band’s extremely expected new album, “The Ultimate Will And Testomony,” throughout an interview eventually weekend’s Wacken Open Air competition in Germany. The duo sat down with Marcus Schleutermann of EMP to speak about the approaching unencumber, set to drop on October eleventh by way of Reigning Phoenix Song/Moderbolaget.
Mikael stated (as transcribed by way of BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “We recorded [it] in February, I feel.” Fredrik added: “I’m in point of fact pleased with it. We recorded as soon as once more at Rockfield in Wales. So that is the 3rd time we went to Rockfield. I’d say it’s other from each different album. Indubitably.”
When requested how “The Ultimate Will And Testomony” isn’t the same as different OPETH albums, Mikael spoke back: “I don’t know. It’s bizarre. That’s no longer in point of fact other for us, I suppose. However I’m doing one of the crucial screams once more, which I haven’t executed for a very long time. And there’s some visitors on there. Ian Anderson from JETHRO TULL is on there doing spoken phrase and taking part in flute. And Joey Tempest [of EUROPE] is on it. However, yeah, it’s an idea report.
“Any person stated it sounds claustrophobic. It’s a claustrophobic-sounding report. And there’s a large number of concepts. It’s a stressed report. There’s no longer meandering stuff going down always. Even I don’t in point of fact know the songs but. However, after all, I’d say that, however I feel it’s just right — it’s a just right report.”
Discussing additional Joey Tempest‘s contributions to “The Ultimate Will And Testomony”, Mikael stated: “Tempest doesn’t sound like Tempest on [EUROPE‘s biggest hit] ‘The Ultimate Countdown’.
“I had him over at my space. I requested him, ‘May you sing a couple of traces?’ ‘Let’s push the report button,’ he stated. On the time I didn’t have the lyrics in a position, so I used to be, like, ‘I’m sorry. I’ve to report it from in other places.’ However he’s in point of fact going for it. He sounds superb. I imply, I’m a large EUROPE fan, being Swedish. I really like them. And I feel for him to be in this report, it’s a little bit other by way of his requirements as it doesn’t in point of fact sound like a EUROPE report in any respect.”
When requested if he and Joey have been buddies, Mikael spoke back: “I suppose. I suppose we’re buddies. Yeah. He despatched me a textual content someday. It’s, like, ‘What’s up?’ And I used to be, like, ‘Good day, Joey Tempest.’ And we met at gala’s, and he invited me over to his space. I imply, we all know the EUROPE guys. Fredrik, considered one of his best possible buddies is [John] Norum, the [EUROPE] guitar participant. So, we’re just right buddies with the entire band. However, yeah, Joey Tempest, we hang around now and again.”
The probabilities of an OPETH/EUROPE joint excursion got here as much as which Mikael spoke back: “We mentioned it, nevertheless it’s exhausting to understand… In the end, we make the requires who we gonna excursion with. For example, we gonna excursion in North The us quickly with TRIBULATION, and so they’re buddies. After which we’re going to excursion in Europe with GRAND MAGUS, which could also be buddies. And EUROPE, we have now mentioned traveling in combination, nevertheless it’s exhausting to understand if folks like that bundle or no longer. I’m no longer positive… I feel [EUROPE] must play after us then, since you don’t need to cross up after ‘The Ultimate Countdown’.”
OPETH‘s fourteenth album was once written by way of Åkerfeldt, with lyrics conferred with Klara Rönnqvist Fors (THE HEARD, ex-CRUCIFIED BARBARA). “The Ultimate Will And Testomony” was once co-produced by way of Åkerfeldt and Stefan Boman (GHOST, THE HELLACOPTERS),engineered by way of Boman, Joe Jones (KILLING JOKE, ROBERT PLANT) and OPETH, with Boman, Åkerfeldt and the remainder of OPETH blending at Atlantis and Hammerthorpe Studios in Stockholm.
The strings on “The Ultimate Will And Testomony” have been organized by way of Åkerfeldt and returning prog pal Dave Stewart (EGG, KHAN) and performed by way of Stewart at Angel Studios in London. No longer one to omit a beat, visible artist Travis Smith returns to the fold, crafting his eleventh duvet, a haunting “{photograph}” paying homage to Stanley Kubrick‘s notorious “Fail to remember Resort” {photograph}. Miles Showell (ABBA, QUEEN) additionally revisits mastering and vinyl lacquer chopping at Abbey Highway Studios in London.
Åkerfeldt rolls out the purple carpet for storied flautist and JETHRO TULL mainman Ian Anderson. No longer best do Anderson‘s signature notes fly on “§4” and “§7”, he narrates on “§1”, “§2”, “§4”, and “§7”. Becoming a member of Anderson, EUROPE‘s Joey Tempest lends a backing vocal hand on “§2”, whilst Åkerfeldt‘s youngest daughter, Mirjam Åkerfeldt, is the disembodied voice in “§1”.
“The Ultimate Will And Testomony” is an idea album set within the post-International Battle I technology, unfolding the tale of a rich, conservative patriarch whose final will and testomony unearths stunning circle of relatives secrets and techniques. The narrative weaves throughout the patriarch’s confessions, the reactions of his dual youngsters, and the mysterious presence of a polio-ridden woman who the circle of relatives have sorted.
The album starts with the studying of the daddy’s will in his mansion. Amongst the ones in attendance is a tender woman, who, in spite of being an orphan and polio-ridden, has been raised by way of the circle of relatives. Her presence on the will studying raises suspicions and questions some of the twins.
“The Ultimate Will And Testomony” is the darkest and heaviest report OPETH has made in many years, and it is usually the band’s maximum fearlessly innovative. An idea album recounting the studying of 1 not too long ago deceased guy’s will to an target market of his surviving members of the family, it brims with haunting melodrama, stunning revelations and one of the crucial wildest and maximum unpredictable song that Åkerfeldt has ever written.
The follow-up to 2019’s extensively acclaimed “In Cauda Venenum”, “The Ultimate Will And Testomony” is about within the shadowy, sepia-stained Nineteen Twenties. It slowly unearths its secrets and techniques like some vintage mystery from the far away, cobwebbed previous, with each and every successive track shining extra gentle at the mentioned machinations of our lifeless (however surely no longer innocuous) protagonist. The emotional chaos of the tale is completely matched by way of OPETH‘s vibrant however claustrophobic soundtrack, which artfully winds its approach against a crestfallen however luxurious finale. Masters of their very own idiosyncratic musical area, OPETH have by no means sounded extra distinctive.
“The Ultimate Will And Testomony” is destined to be a milestone in OPETH‘s illustrious recorded historical past. The band’s first out-and-out idea report, it options visitor cameos from JETHRO TULL legend Ian Anderson and Joey Tempest, frontman with Swedish rock gods EUROPE. Best probably the most album’s 8 songs has a identify: ultimate ballad “A Tale By no means Advised”. The remaining are merely classified as numbered chapters on this slowly unfolding saga of deceit, recrimination and betrayal. Enigmatic, unsettling and immersive, “The Ultimate Will And Testomony” is a turbulent, prog steel story like no different.
