Opeth: The Last WILL and TESTAMENT | Extended Play Lounge (Ep. 81)
Added 2024-12-11 03:44:09 +0000 UTCAs we close out a great year of Extended Play Lounge episodes, I think this album has a bit of music for everyone. The story and concept are quite engaging, taking us through the reading of a patriarch's last will and testament in front of family who get news they weren't expecting. It's an engrossing psychological ride, and the music ranges to meet the story's needs as only Opeth can. I hope you enjoy!
Comments
Mikael is a genious. His bandmates are outstanding musicians. The more I listen to this album, the more I get it and the more it becomes a part of me.
Jean-Michel LaFontaine
2025-01-15 09:26:07 +0000 UTCNot heard anything from this band before. It might not be a favourite of mine but it is interesting. This is one of the things I love about this Patreon is becoming familiar and liking "new" music to me which in my 60's I didn't expect, to be honest.
Ruth James
2025-01-10 19:15:41 +0000 UTCVery entertaining, very insightful EPL. Thanks for taking the thread of the story. I'm too lazy to go through lyrics (unless it is great lyricists like Peter Hammill, Peter Gabriel, or Tatiana Shmayluk) as it is the music being my excitement. About the growls: I like them as any vocalist's contribution, as a means of delivery. Jon Andersonish singing fits more to fairy tales, while death metal and black metal topics are more authentic with growls, shrieks, whatever.
Frank H
2024-12-25 14:01:53 +0000 UTCThe run from 4-7 is especially special.
Lee Brennan
2024-12-21 10:45:27 +0000 UTCI listen to it constantly and each time something new is revealed. The musical composition is so complex.
Lee Brennan
2024-12-21 10:43:50 +0000 UTCNot only that, but also: "I hope they can serve as a reminder of the fragility of heritage". It's almost as if he was giving them those artifacts with sadistic intention.
Berniyh
2024-12-15 07:23:42 +0000 UTCMaybe you should suggest it then on the discord. ;) As far as I can see it's neither on the list of accepted recommendations nor in the current votes for recommendations.
Berniyh
2024-12-15 07:21:43 +0000 UTCthis album needs a grammy! Just a side note, the way i interpreted the heirloom distrubution, was he didnt really care what happened to them, because although he said 'of immense personal value to me..' the way it was narrated when he said ' pass them on for generations to come..' it just sounded like he didnt give a crap haha With the story never told, i think the patriach is sterile, the maid is the mum and the withered heart in heavan is the real father of the girl. So basically her real dad died. i could be wrong
Luke Swift
2024-12-14 13:26:53 +0000 UTCI didn't expect to like this, and I enjoyed it and was very impressed. It's the first time I've heard metal go to prog rather than end in a cul-de-sac, and it's great to hear the range in this album. It's a little bit gothic for me, but I would certainly listen to another album by this very capable and imaginative band. It's one of the joys of following Doug that I would never have bothered listening to this band if I had not been in the community, but, once again, my ears are opened to new music that communicates to me. It changes my supposition that the best has passed - perhaps the best is yet to come!
Adie
2024-12-13 23:23:39 +0000 UTCThis is a great album and an episode from you Doug! I love Opeth and I love how you pull the songs apart and help me understand and appreciate music more. You put words to some of the reasons why I love Opeth but can’t describe. Opeth sets the standard for metal and progressive metal/ rock in my opinion.
Oliver Prins
2024-12-12 16:32:04 +0000 UTCHopefully Episode #100 will be epic (maybe a time to introduce the Beatles with "Sgt. Pepper"?). Just like "Dark Side," I think it's an album that inevitably has to be addressed. . .
Allen
2024-12-12 00:10:54 +0000 UTCI'm still not a fan of that growly voice, but musically, these guys know their stuff!
Bill Coonley
2024-12-11 23:22:35 +0000 UTCI just can't stop listening to this album. Opeth was already one of my favorite bands. Well, I think they just outdid themselves with this one. It has everything I love about rock/prog/metal music. The crunchy metal riffs, the prog epicness, some jazzy moments, this is so right up my wheelhouse. There is also a very cinematic feel to the whole thing, so you can really get into the storytelling. I mean, the outro of paragraph 7, I have to listen to this walking in the woods on a moonless night, it's so creepy sounding.. The intro to paragraph 6 with the sweeping organ is certainly one of the highest point for me. Just an amazing 50+ minutes of music. Thanks for doing this! And Happy Hollidays to you and Megan! Peace.
Jean-Michel LaFontaine
2024-12-11 17:57:58 +0000 UTCThat is a harp in paragraph 4 not an ancient guitar.
Frank Bernard
2024-12-11 14:02:56 +0000 UTCThanks for the great EPL Doug, especially so short after release!
Berniyh
2024-12-11 10:22:26 +0000 UTCI still remain with §5 being my favorite. I just like the combination of those eastern melodies combined with the prog rock/metal elements as well as the general progression of the piece. But in general, I think that §4-§7 are absolutely magnificent.
Berniyh
2024-12-11 10:11:17 +0000 UTCI needed the interview with Mikael to follow along with the story, but then took what I know now that the lyrics made more sense. I view it as the Patriarch being told the girl was his as a way to hold his head high as his heritage will continue. HE put it all on his blood only to never know he as duped and betrayed by the maid. Someone thought lower status then himself. He really was fertile. Paragraph 4 is my favorite and Mikael said in an interview he had to find a harp player in the newspaper to play a real harp during the song. The flute transition the the heavier guitar riff is probably my favorite part in the album. I also feel like Paragraph 6 could almost be a Dream Theater song. Especially with those solos. Loved the playfulness of that track. Opeth is known for having that syth melodic line play over the harder edge stuff. We usually get extended parts where we are lulled by the beauty of the organ, fender rhodes or meltron before getting these extended progressive riffs. I adore this album, but it seems they are always moving onto the next idea before I am lulled or ready to move on, so I agree with the assessment that the music could have been extended a bit. However, I bet it was done so the flow of the story did not feel like it broke up.
Arrow2theACL
2024-12-11 06:01:09 +0000 UTCThank you for doing this, Doug. It's such a unique and incredible album. I can't stop listening to it, and I haven't been this fascinated by new music in a long time!
Norrin Radd
2024-12-11 05:27:44 +0000 UTC
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