Metal Hammer's 50 best albums of 2024 From Judas Priest's Invincible Shield to Nightwish's Yesterwynde and Opeth's return to extremity, these are the metal albums that ruled 2024 Metal Hammer · Dec 31, 2024
“I could be listening to Abba one minute and then Morbid Angel. It doesn’t seem strange to me”: How Porcupine Tree reinvented progressive rock for the 21st century metal generation Porcupine Tree’s 2010 album The Incident capped their rise from cult psychedelicists to prog metal giants Metal Hammer · Dec 28, 2024
“We did ask him… he replied, ‘You can’t afford me!’” Steven Wilson didn’t work on Opeth’s new album, but Ian Anderson did – while fans are still processing the return of growl vocals after 16 years Mikael Åkerfeldt and guitarist Fredrik Åkesson regret that people focus so much on one element of their sound, when there’s so much more to The Last Will And Testament Louder · Dec 26, 2024
The 10 best prog metal albums of 2024 Leprous, Opeth, Slift and others have presented some truly forward-thinking excellence this year Metal Hammer · Dec 6, 2024
“I only asked for the spoken-word part, then an email comes in – ‘Do you need some flute?’ I wasn’t going to say no!” How Opeth’s The Last Will And Testament wound up featuring Ian Anderson, Joey Tempest and growled vocals Mikael Åkerfeldt insists his band’s new concept album, featuring Jethro Tull and Europe men, is no return to their death metal past – and won’t keep prog fans away Louder · Nov 22, 2024
“Mikael Åkerfeldt’s growls sound suitably deep… he hasn’t lost any power. And there’s much more than menace to his performance”: Opeth’s The Last Will And Testament Family drama, a pair of prog legends and even the bloke who sang The Final Countdown… Swedish prog metal kings have made a concept album like no other Louder · Nov 22, 2024
"A tremendous album, up there with their turn-of-the-millennium high-water marks": Opeth return to extremity on the inventive The Last Will And Testament Succession meets Edgar Allan Poe on prog metal kingpins Opeth's fascinating fourteenth album Louder · Nov 21, 2024
“I wouldn’t normally be caught dead with a Tele because I think they’re ugly, but that’s the only guitar I used”: Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt and Fredrik Åkesson on their love of “stupid riffs,” and “recapturing that old death metal magic” Opeth may have returned in a way to their sonic roots on their new album, The Last Will And Testament, but – with appearances from a Neal Schon signature model and a “not very metal” trick picked up from Eddie Van Halen – there are still plenty of quirks to… Guitar World · Nov 21, 2024
"This is Opeth’s best since the career-making heights of Blackwater Park and Ghost Reveries." The Last Will And Testament is Opeth at their most groundbreakingly brilliant Opeth go Miss Marple via Edgar Allen Poe on the prog-death-jazz metal odyssey that is The Last Will And Testament Metal Hammer · Nov 19, 2024
“What we are after is not perfection. You’re looking for the flaws… the noise… earth hum. You’re looking for the arm-tight playing… the human aspect”: Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt on inspirations, intuition, shred, and the problem with modern metal A sprawling story of dark familial secrets, freewheeling prog and Åkerfeldt death growls, solos inspired by Peter Green and Ritchie Blackmore, Opeth bequeath everything a prog-metal fan could ever want on The Last Will And Testament MusicRadar · Nov 14, 2024
"I’ve thought about writing a will, just to make sure my daughters don’t throw my records away." With guest appearances from Ian Anderson and Joey Tempest, plus the return of death metal, The Last Will And Testament is Opeth's biggest swing yet Mikael Åkerfeldt spills the tea on Opeth's prog metal rock opera The Last Will And Testament Metal Hammer · Nov 13, 2024
At war with their producer. At war with their label. At war with each other: The chaotic making of Van Halen's 1984 - only in the new issue of Classic Rock Also in this issue: Alex Van Halen, the Rolling Stones, Opetrh, George Murray, Queen, Vion Hdertzen Brothers, Meat Loaf, Joan Armatrading, Michael Monroe, Rosalie Cunningham, The Sheepdogs, Koyo, The Darkness, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Starbenders and more Louder · Nov 8, 2024
“No-one’s seen me with a Tele before. I wouldn’t normally be caught dead with one – I think they’re ugly”: Mikael Åkerfeldt explains why a Fender Telecaster was the only guitar he used on Opeth’s new album Åkerfeldt had secretly used a Tele when he recorded the soundtrack to Netflix's 2022 miniseries Clark, but never wielded one with Opeth before recording The Last Will and Testament Guitar World · Oct 21, 2024
Kate Bush graces the cover of the new issue of Prog, which is on sale now! Plus Tony Banks, John Lees Barclay James Harvest, Opeth, Phil Manzanera, Frost*, Von Hertzen Brothers, Stuckfish, Haze and more Louder · Oct 18, 2024
Metal Hammer · Oct 17, 2024 "I’m so glad I still live in a world where Ozzy walks the Earth." The greatest Ozzy Osbourne songs as picked by members of Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Halestorm and more To celebrate Ozzy Osbourne's solo induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, we asked some of metal's biggest stars for the ultimate Ozzy playlist
Metal Hammer · Sep 30, 2024 “I used to do these very gloomy and dark paintings, and Opeth’s music really inspired my creativity”: Jinjer’s Tatiana Shmailyuk gets goosebumps even thinking about Damnation, and likes to fall asleep to Sorceress The discovery of Mikael Åkerfeldt’s band when she was 16 led the Ukrainian artist into a big new world of prog – but she’s not sure about actually meeting him
Metal Hammer · Sep 25, 2024 “I watch it, love it, like pretty much everyone I talk to”: Opeth explain how hit TV series Succession inspired new album The Last Will And Testament Mikael Åkerfeldt talks about the impact that one of the 2020s’ biggest TV shows had on Opeth’s new music
Metal Hammer · Sep 24, 2024 “You could argue we were the quintessential cult band. But I was thinking, ‘We can be more than this’”: In Absentia sold poorly, influenced greatly, and marked the beginning of the end for Porcupine Tree They delivered a defining moment in progressive metal with their 2002 album, but it wasn’t easy to do it – and once they had, Steven Wilson didn’t want to do it again
Louder · Sep 23, 2024 Opeth push back release of The Last Will & Testament to November 22 Opeth will tour Europe and the UK in February and March 2025
Metal Hammer · Sep 21, 2024 “Had we not made this record the way it sounded, I’m not certain there would have been another album”: How Opeth ditched the death growls and fully embraced prog on Heritage In 2011, Opeth released Heritage – and cut the the last cord with their death metal past
Metal Hammer · Sep 20, 2024 The 15 best new metal songs you need to hear right now Wardruna, Body Count and Nightwish are among the best new metal songs this week. Plus, vote for your favourite!
Metal Hammer · Sep 16, 2024 “There’s some screams on there. It’s cool that people appreciate it. It’s also a bit annoying.” Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt is slightly irritated by all this talk about his growls We’re all happy that Opeth are screaming again, but Mikael Åkerfeldt isn’t happy with how happy we are
Metal Hammer · Sep 13, 2024 "He's the king of death metal." Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt and Fredrik Akesson name the greatest death metal band of all time, and discuss their own journey through the genre From inverted crosses in flowerbeds to failing to blow Morbid Angel off-stage and petty larceny, Opeth talk their journey through death metal
Louder · Sep 12, 2024 All hell breaks loose! Inside Thin Lizzy's first hit album and the campaign to break America - only in the new issue of Classic Rock Also in this issue: Motörhead, Jerry Cantrell, Jon Anderson, The Cold Stares, Fleetwood Mac, Terrorvision, Michael Schenker, Idles, The Hot Damn!, Bad Religion, Paul Gilbert and more
Metal Hammer · Sep 6, 2024 The 14 best new metal songs you need to hear right now Linkin Park, Opeth and Spiritboxare among the best new metal songs this week. Plus, vote for your favourite!