Opeth is a Swedish prog-rock/progressive death metal band consisting of drummer Waltteri Väyrynen, keyboardist Joakim Svalberg, guitarist Fredrik Åkesson, bassist Martín Méndez & of course frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt. They would go on to put out 8 consecutive classics in a row after their acclaimed debut Orchid including Morningrise, My Arms, Your Hearse, Still Life, their MNRK Music Group debut & my favorite Blackwater Park, Deliverance/Damnation, their Roadrunner Records debut Ghost Reveries & Watershed. They’ve mainly diverted from the death metal elements since although I prefer In Cauda Venenum & Pale Communion over their Nuclear Blast Records debut Sorceress also marking Moderbolaget Records’ formation & Hertiage respectively. 16 years later, they’re returning to their progressive death metal roots for their 14th album.

“§1” begins with this progressive death metal intro with additional elements of symphonic prog confessing as part of his final plight whereas “§2” gives off more of a standard rock vibe altogether singing about a child in the night cursed to survive. “§3” takes the symphonic progressive metal route stylistically to sing about all being still when he broke the seal just before “§4” gets back on the progressive death metal tip addressing the shifting sands of time.

Meanwhile on “§5”, we have Opeth continuing to further embrace the progressive death metal sound that they made a name of themselves with pledging themselves to us all the secrets revealed in paragraphs leading into “§6” pulls from traditional prog metal singing about tragedies of future past now being chained to your neck. “§7” serves as a progressive death metal reminder of the fragility of heritage & “A Story Never Told” ends by singing that there is indeed a road that leads to home.

Although I personally have always had Damnation as my favorite prog rock offering of theirs, these guys have always been at their strongest when performing in the prog death metal style & their return to form after 16 years happens to be a well crafted concept album set in the post-World War I era unfolding the story of a wealthy, conservative, infertile patriarch whose last will & testament reveals shocking family secrets.

Score: 4.5/5

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