Swedish progressive metal band Opeth released their 14th studio album, The Last Will And Testament, on November 22, 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music.
Opeth bassist Martin Mendez was recently interviewed by Andrew Slaidins for The Rockpit. An excerpt follows:
When it comes time to write for an album, how does the band go about writing? Is it primarily Michael (Åkerfeldt – vocalist / guitarist)? Obviously you’ve been with the band for 25 or 26 years now. How does writing work as a band?
Martin: “In our case, Michael writes the songs, and he usually records the demos and then sends them to us. We listen to the songs and then once everything is finished. Personally, I get like a version of the demo without the bass, then I start learning the songs, and start putting together ideas to add to the songs, and once I have everything, I present the guys with everything I have done in the studio. That’s pretty much the way we work; we don’t rehearse much as a band. I think the week before we came into the studio, had a few rehearsals just to get more of the songs inside the body in a way and make sure all of the structures are right. The way I work is I get the demos from Michael and then I spend like a month or two months just listening to the songs, learning the songs and trying to write the bass lines for them, then I go into the studio, show the guys what I have done, and then record it.”
Simplifying the titles of the tracks on the album. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, but ending the album with “A Story Never Told”, a song with a title. What was the mindset behind that? I guess when you look at the record and the tracklisting and you go, okay, what’s going on here? Why the change in mood in the way that the tracks have been titled?
Martin: “I think that the whole story, it’s a concept album and the numbers are this symbol is we call a paragraph, it’s put together like a legal document, like a testament, like a real testament document. It’s written that way and the last song is like a letter that they left for the family, so it is one thing, the testament as a legal document, and then it’s a letter, telling the last things, in the story. So that was the idea behind it, to make it like a real document.”
To read the complete interview, visit this location.
The Last Will And Testament tracklisting:
“§1”
“§2”
“§3”
“§4”
“§5”
“§6”
“§7”
“A Story Never Told”
“§1” (Radio Edit) lyric video:
“§3”:
“§4” lyric video:
Opeth is currently out on a headlining tour throughout Europe and The UK. Tickets can be purchased here.
Remaining Tour Dates (with Grand Magus):
February
17 – Cologne, Germany – Palladium
18 – Berlin, Germany – Tempodrom
19 – Munich, Germany – Muffathalle
21 – Paris, France – L’Olympia
22 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – AFAS Live
23 – Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique
25 – Bristol, UK – Bristol Beacon
26 – London, UK – Roundhouse
28 – Birmingham, UK – Symphony Hall
March
1 – Manchester, UK – Albert Hall
2 – Glasgow, UK – Barrowland
The post OPETH – “We Don’t Rehearse Much As A Band” appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
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Opeth bassist Martin Mendez was recently interviewed by Andrew Slaidins for The Rockpit. An excerpt follows:
When it comes time to write for an album, how does the band go about writing? Is it primarily Michael (Åkerfeldt – vocalist / guitarist)? Obviously you’ve been with the band for 25 or 26 years now. How does writing work as a band?
Martin: “In our case, Michael writes the songs, and he usually records the demos and then sends them to us. We listen to the songs and then once everything is finished. Personally, I get like a version of the demo without the bass, then I start learning the songs, and start putting together ideas to add to the songs, and once I have everything, I present the guys with everything I have done in the studio. That’s pretty much the way we work; we don’t rehearse much as a band. I think the week before we came into the studio, had a few rehearsals just to get more of the songs inside the body in a way and make sure all of the structures are right. The way I work is I get the demos from Michael and then I spend like a month or two months just listening to the songs, learning the songs and trying to write the bass lines for them, then I go into the studio, show the guys what I have done, and then record it.”
Simplifying the titles of the tracks on the album. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, but ending the album with “A Story Never Told”, a song with a title. What was the mindset behind that? I guess when you look at the record and the tracklisting and you go, okay, what’s going on here? Why the change in mood in the way that the tracks have been titled?
Martin: “I think that the whole story, it’s a concept album and the numbers are this symbol is we call a paragraph, it’s put together like a legal document, like a testament, like a real testament document. It’s written that way and the last song is like a letter that they left for the family, so it is one thing, the testament as a legal document, and then it’s a letter, telling the last things, in the story. So that was the idea behind it, to make it like a real document.”
To read the complete interview, visit this location.
The Last Will And Testament tracklisting:
“§1”
“§2”
“§3”
“§4”
“§5”
“§6”
“§7”
“A Story Never Told”
“§1” (Radio Edit) lyric video:
“§3”:
“§4” lyric video:
Opeth is currently out on a headlining tour throughout Europe and The UK. Tickets can be purchased here.
Remaining Tour Dates (with Grand Magus):
February
17 – Cologne, Germany – Palladium
18 – Berlin, Germany – Tempodrom
19 – Munich, Germany – Muffathalle
21 – Paris, France – L’Olympia
22 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – AFAS Live
23 – Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique
25 – Bristol, UK – Bristol Beacon
26 – London, UK – Roundhouse
28 – Birmingham, UK – Symphony Hall
March
1 – Manchester, UK – Albert Hall
2 – Glasgow, UK – Barrowland
The post OPETH – “We Don’t Rehearse Much As A Band” appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
Continue reading...
