Opeth: Last Will & Testament Tour 2026

Phantom Light Media
Mar 1
3 min read

I feel the need to start this review by stating for the record that I am a fairly new metalhead - I got my start with the genre in 2020 off of Architects, Spiritbox, We Came As Romans, and the like. But I’ve done my research and delved deep into many facets of the genre’s long and storied history, and so I was beyond excited to see a Seattle date listed among Opeth’s second leg for the Last Will & Testament Tour. My last travel dates for a show were in April of 2025 and I was very up for a trip, so I hopped on the Amtrak and spent the next 20 hours in Seattle, for what I was sure would be a phenomenal performance from the progressive titans.

For this leg of the tour, Opeth had tapped longstanding prog-death cohorts Katatonia to open the shows, but due to bus troubles they were unfortunately unable to make it to the Seattle date on time. Opeth moved their start time up accordingly and then opened doors a bit early to accommodate, so I got to spend some time exploring the absolutely stunning Paramount Theater. It’s been a staple of Seattle’s live entertainment scene since its grand opening in 1928, and the building has been phenomenally well-preserved ever since. I couldn’t think of a more perfect visual accompaniment for Opeth’s musical style, and the room began to fill rapidly to the sounds of Van Halen and the Scorpions. Tonight’s show was nearly sold out, and it really put into perspective the sheer size of the Paramount as the crowd continued to grow and grow.

Soon, the lights dimmed to the sound of tolling church bells and raucous cheers that rang through the room, setting an incredible atmosphere as Opeth’s ornate logo rose onto the stage from the giant monitors mounted on the back wall. Mikael Akerfeldt and company made their grand entrance and immediately launched into “§1 (Paragraph One)”, a fitting first track for the show that also opens the Last Will & Testament album. The musical expertise that unfolded before me sounded like it was ripped straight off the digital record and streamed through the room’s speakers - but it was very real and very live. Akerfeldt traded riff passages with second guitarist Fredrik Akesson and bassist Martin Mendez, while keyboardist Joakim Svalberg filled in the sonic spaces with lush synthwork. And of course there was Waltteri Vayrynen on drums, the newest addition to Opeth’s lineup, playing patterns and fills that broke my brain in real-time as I watched him work. The production detailing was equally incredible and worthy of mention. Opeth’s stage setup consisted of eight various-sized LED screens supported by cascading strobes and spotlights, all working together to deliver captivating visuals that matched the tone of the songs. For tunes from Last Will, warm colors and images of a grand parlor room backed the band, while other songs received mixed palettes and geometric patterns or grainy filmstrip footage. Opeth’s sound filled the room with majestic dread for the next two hours as they played cuts from eight of their 14 studio albums. Last Will got its time in the spotlight, of course, but they made room for fan favorites through the main set such as “Godhead’s Lament” and “Demon of the Fall.” To nobody’s surprise, the set ended with the stunning back-to-back of “The Drapery Falls” and “Deliverance,” which finally spawned a moshpit at Akerfeldt’s lengthy encouragement. It truly impressed me that Opeth were onstage for two full hours and yet were only “able” to play 11 songs in that time. I genuinely don’t know how they have the stamina to perform at that scale night after night on tour, but they’ve clearly mastered their craft over the near-30 years they’ve been in operation. It was a privilege to see such legendary musicians bring down the house at such a gorgeous venue, and I left with high hopes that I’d be back at the Paramount someday soon.

Opeth setlist: