As Opeth release their fourteenth studio album, The Last Will And Testament, Sara Harding caught up with guitarist Fred Åkesson to discuss this brilliant new record. And what better place to host Åkesson than the one and only Karma Sanctum in Soho. Part owned by Iron Maiden with none other than Bruce Dickinson’s Darlek (Doctor Who’s arch nemesis for those who have steered clear from the sci-fi for the last sixty years) guarding the hallways, the Sanctum has been the heart of all things music in London. Now, it welcomes one of the world’s most successful Progressive Metal bands. 
“It is fantastic to be here,” Åkesson says with a smile, “A few weeks back, when we spoke about this trip, I asked Mikael (Åkerfeldt) if he had ever been to the Maiden Hotel, but we didn’t realise until we got here that this was the one. I thought it was some kind of sanctuary by the name.”
The Last Will And Testament is receiving immediate acclaim for its conceptual direction. Set in the post-World War I era, the album unfolds the story of a wealthy, conservative patriarch (who is infertile) whose last will and testament reveals shocking family secrets.
“We worked on it for such a long time,” Åkesson continues, “so we have all been digesting it. There were so many fine tunings and tweaks in the mixing process. But we are really happy. Everybody has their opinions in the studio. Wanting this a bit louder, but then that might affect that part. It is a lot, but I think we landed well in the end with the final product. The reception so far has been overwhelmingly positive. It is very exciting.”
Writing and recording a concept album can only be assumed to come with many different variants required to make it work. Åkesson was vocal about the task at hand but spoke only positively about the process.
“Well, Mikael wrote the album. He came up with the concept. Then, I, of course, focused more on the guitar leads and all the guitar parts. But it does inspire you to have some storyline there to work off.
“Also, the fact that we had Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) guesting on the album was amazing. Since I joined Opeth, we hadn’t done a concept album until now. Especially with this one that has so many twists in the story that people will be able to dig deeper into in the entirety of the record.”
Along with Anderson, the band also worked with Joey Tempest (Europe), which proved to be a collaboration very close to home for Åkesson. “We grew up in the same suburb in Stockholm. Then, not long before we recorded the album, Joey was at Mikael’s house for lunch, and he told us he had this track.
“The lyrics were not finished, but he said he would love us to put our spin on it, and I think it came out very cool. So we had the unique combination of Joey’s music, Mikael’s lyrics and also Ian doing spoken word.” The result can be heard on track §2, and a full album review can be found here.
How did you lay down your guitar parts? Did you hear what Mikael had written and then jam out your sections in the studio, or was there another method?
“For the solos, I recorded a lot of songs that still needed to be finished. I didn’t hear any vocal arrangement; it was just the part I was recording guitar over. On our past records, I usually did improvise a few takes in the studio, and then Mikael would tell me when we had the take. But this time, I was paying a lot of afterthought to it.
“I could dwell on a song for a week until I felt like there was room to push it to the next level. My ambition is to keep developing, and that was my goal. I am quite happy with it all, but it is up to the listener to decide. It was a slightly different way to approach it.”
For a band like Opeth, who have been championing the scene for as long as we can remember, it was great to hear the guys are still eagerly evolving into bigger sounds with deeper senses of journey within their music.
“When it came to the rest of the guitars, the heavy riffs, we would use different guitars to get the sound, then put in all the additional leads in which I played a big part. Mikael played all the acoustics. We tend to split it up that way because Mikael is an amazing guitarist, and I always encourage us to do more trade-off solos as we have done in the past.”
As the album hits the shelves, Opeth are now in the midst of rehearsing for their upcoming tour dates. On 25 February, they will begin their UK leg in Bristol and head up through the country, ending with a date in Glasgow on 2 March.
“First, we will hit America, then Scandinavia and Northern Europe. Then, the UK tour in February. We are looking to rehearse about five songs from the new album to add to the set. A good thing is that these new songs are slightly shorter than the usual Opeth sound, but they don’t have any less ingredients.”
For the fandom wondering how the new material will fit into their live set, you have your answer there.
“We can definitely fit in four new songs, at least three. We will see. But we will rehearse at least five because we have to keep in mind that we are trying to build up our stage show a bit more. Trying to step up the game and see what happens. Maybe we will bring out a dragon or something.”
We do love a good dragon. But mythical creatures aside, Opeth are relentless with their work ethic and after all these years, the madness of touring might have slightly subdued in the nature of familiarity.
“Well, we used to tour seven or eight weeks in a row,” Åkesson says, “But now we only do about three. We are fortunate in that way. But it is only now that we have the luxury to do that. I think it is healthy for the longevity of the band. So we are doing this tour now and then doing more tours that are planned in Europe. It is exciting to be playing a new set with the new album out. New songs with a brand new show.”
As with most musicians we have spoken with, the joys and adrenaline of being able to live out what most can only dream of never leaves them. Åkesson agrees. “It is fantastic. But, it is not like a regular job where you can cut off at 5 pm and go home and not think about everything you are working on.
“You are always thinking about it. I always feel I should practice more guitar, go to rehearsals, fix my guitars, and think about logistics. And gear, lots and lots of gear. You’re never really free, but I love it.
“It is so important to appreciate it. You have to be humble about what you get to do every day. It is very important to have that mindset and be grateful. Of course, it is a struggle sometimes and a lot of hard work, but you’re living your dream.”
As talented as he is humble, Åkesson ends the interview with kind words and a huge hug. As we count down the months for Opeth’s UK tour, we have The Last Will And Testament to keep our stomachs full.
