Rejoice, fellow death metal fans, Opeth has brought back the harsh vocals! That’s right. Mikael Ackerfeldt and company figured now was the time, as their new album, The Last Will & Testament (Reigning Phoenix Music), has the perfect concept to complement it. The reading of a post-World War 1 patriarch’s last will and testament that spills out family secrets, track by track, section by section of the document (the first seven tracks are named simply after which paragraph is being recited). In terms of instrumentals, this album is my favorite mix of the melodic death metal era of Opeth and the more recent prog-rock era of the band. Continue reading →