The legendary progressive metallers OPETH have won the Best Hard Rock & Metal award at this year’s Swedish Grammis ceremony, which took place on the evening of Thursday, March 27, 2025, at Annexet in Stockholm. The nominated bands competed with their most recent releases, all of which came out in 2024.
The nominees in the «Best Hard Rock/Metal» category were:
AMARANTHE – «The Catalyst»
HORNDAL – «Head Hammer Man»
NESTOR – «Teenage Rebel»
OPETH – «The Last Will And Testament»
SKRAECKOEDLAN – «Vermillion Sky»
The award follows the release of «The Last Will & Testament,» the band’s 14th studio album, which is already available. Composed by frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt, the album features lyrics co-written by Klara Rönnqvist Fors and showcases OPETH’s signature progressive sound. The production was handled jointly by Åkerfeldt and Stefan Boman (GHOST, THE HELLACOPTERS), while recording was undertaken by Stefan Boman, Joe Jones, and the OPETH members themselves. Mixing took place at Atlantis and Hammerthorpe Studios in Stockholm, with contributions from Stefan Boman, Åkerfeldt, and the rest of the band.
The string arrangements were orchestrated by Åkerfeldt and Dave Stewart. The atmospheric album cover was created by visual artist Travis Smith. Mastering and vinyl cutting were completed at Abbey Road Studios in London by Miles Showell (ABBA, QUEEN).
One of the album’s standout features is the participation of JETHRO TULL frontman Ian Anderson, whose distinctive flute graces the tracks «§4» and «§7,» while his narration appears in «§1,» «§2,» «§4,» and «§7.» Additionally, EUROPE’s Joey Tempest provides vocals on «§2,» and Mikael Åkerfeldt’s youngest daughter, Mirjam Åkerfeldt, lends her ethereal voice to «§1.»
«The Last Will & Testament» is set in the post-war period following World War I, telling the story of a wealthy, conservative patriarch whose will reveals shocking family secrets. The album begins with the reading of the father’s will inside his grand estate. The narrative unfolds through the father’s confessions. Among those present is a young girl who, despite being an orphan and afflicted with polio, was raised within the family. Her presence during the reading of the will raises suspicions and questions among the patriarch’s twin children.
You can watch OPETH’s acceptance speech in the video below:
