Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt has penned a tribute to vocalist Paul Di’Anno. The former Iron Maiden vocalist died in October 2024 at 66 years old.

The tribute reads: “I know this eulogy arrives quite a bit too ‘late’, but there you go. I have been thinking of paying tribute to Paul since the day he passed away. His influence on metal music and on Opeth cannot be understated. I remember a vivid conversation with my buddy Jonas Renkse where we almost fought about who’s the better singer for Iron Maiden. All credit and respect to Blaze Bayley, but we’re talking about the older albums that we both grew up listening to. Jonas was adamant that the best singer was Paul and not Bruce. 

“‘Why?’ I asked. Based on the track record Bruce has done way more great albums when Di’Anno ‘only’ did two. However great they are, Bruce has simply had a longer career with Maiden. Jonas reply was ”his soft voice!”. I got it! Where Bruce [Dickinson] is the ‘air-raid siren’ Paul had a more sensitive side to his voice when needed. Songs like ‘Prodigal Son’ and ‘Remember Tomorrow’ (which we did a rather terrible cover of) are great showcases of this beautiful side to the otherwise snarling and confident voice of Paul. On top of that Killers is one of the best ‘fist-on-face’ heavy metal records ever released! I’ve yet to deepen my knowledge of his solo band as well as other projects, like Battlezone. I never met Paul but he stood in front of me in line at an airport once and I got too starstruck (of course) to say hi. Our late, but deepest condolences go out to his family, friends and fans. – Mikael”

Opeth's 14th studio album, The Last Will And Testament, was officially released on November 22, 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music / Moderbolaget. The album lands at #26 on BraveWords' BravePicks 2024 Top 30 here.

Opeth's fourteenth album was written by Mikael Åkerfeldt, with lyrics conferred with Klara Rönnqvist Fors (The Heard, ex-Crucified Barbara). The Last Will And Testament was co-produced by Åkerfeldt and Stefan Boman (Ghost, The Hellacopters), engineered by Boman, Joe Jones (Killing Joke, Robert Plant), and Opeth, with Boman, Åkerfeldt, and the rest of Opeth mixing at Atlantis and Hammerthorpe Studios in Stockholm. The strings on The Last Will And Testament were arranged by Åkerfeldt and returning prog friend Dave Stewart (Egg, Khan) and conducted by Stewart at Angel Studios in London. Not one to miss a beat, visual artist Travis Smith returns to the fold, crafting his 11th cover, a haunting "photograph" reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's infamous "Overlook Hotel" photograph. Miles Showell (ABBA, Queen) also revisits mastering and vinyl lacquer cutting at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Åkerfeldt rolls out the red carpet for storied flautist and Jethro Tull main man Ian Anderson. Not only do Anderson's signature notes fly on "§4" and "§7", he narrates on "§1", "§2", "§4", and "§7". Joining Anderson, Europe's Joey Tempest lends a backing vocal hand on "§2”, while Åkerfeldt's youngest daughter, Mirjam Åkerfeldt, is the disembodied voice in "§1".

The Last Will A Testament is gripping from start to finish, jaw-dropping inside and out, representing some of Opeth's finest material to date. Just as Opeth welcomed many into its distressed arms over the years, the Swedes again deliver on the promise that great music always tells a compelling story—this time with growls.

The Last Will And Testament is available worldwide via Moderbolaget / Reigning Phoenix Music. Order here.

Album cover by Travis Smith.

"§4" lyric video:

"§3":

"§1" (Radio Edit) lyric video:

Track by track video:

After conquering North America this past October, Opeth will embark on a headlining tour throughout Europe and the UK starting February 9 of next year. The full itinerary can be found below. Tickets here.

Tour dates (w/ Grand Magus):

February
9 - Helsinki, Finland - Ice Hall
11 - Stockholm, Sweden - Cirkus
12 - Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene
14 - Copenhagen, Denmark - DR Koncerthuset
15 - Hamburg, Germany - Docks
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