Opera IX Anphisbena
Peaceville CDVILE223 2008
By Russell Garwood
Opera IX have been around since 1988, and in that time released five albums, of which Anphisbena is the latest. Originally issued through Avantgarde Music, it is now being
re-released in a super jewel box (!) courtesy of the lovely people at Peaceville Records. For those unfamiliar with these Italian stalwarts, the quintet play extreme metal encompassing both black and folk, symphonic in nature and touching on other sub-genres along the way. Think fairly organic metal, without the truly polished production values often associated with symphonic genres; melodic guitars, strong drums, and growled vox abound. The orchestrations are ever-present yet do not dominate, so the songs retain an aggressive edge.
The lyrics follow mediaeval and battle themes reflected in the kitsch artwork, which features band members in chain mail and hooded cloaks, castles and mediaeval illuminations. Hell, were a just a load of pilgrims and Saint Thomas Becket short of a Chaucer tale. All in all Anphisbena is a solid release. It features a lot of variation, some unusual instrumentation, and some very strong ideas, all epic in scope. At times the inspiration feels like it has outstripped the execution, and the music can be disjointed and clumsy. These moments rare, however, and do not mar an otherwise solid release. Opera IX have bold ambitions, and I look forward to seeing where they go from here.
Official Opera IX website
Official Opera IX myspace
Official Peaceville website
Peaceville CDVILE223 2008
By Russell Garwood
Opera IX have been around since 1988, and in that time released five albums, of which Anphisbena is the latest. Originally issued through Avantgarde Music, it is now being
re-released in a super jewel box (!) courtesy of the lovely people at Peaceville Records. For those unfamiliar with these Italian stalwarts, the quintet play extreme metal encompassing both black and folk, symphonic in nature and touching on other sub-genres along the way. Think fairly organic metal, without the truly polished production values often associated with symphonic genres; melodic guitars, strong drums, and growled vox abound. The orchestrations are ever-present yet do not dominate, so the songs retain an aggressive edge.
The lyrics follow mediaeval and battle themes reflected in the kitsch artwork, which features band members in chain mail and hooded cloaks, castles and mediaeval illuminations. Hell, were a just a load of pilgrims and Saint Thomas Becket short of a Chaucer tale. All in all Anphisbena is a solid release. It features a lot of variation, some unusual instrumentation, and some very strong ideas, all epic in scope. At times the inspiration feels like it has outstripped the execution, and the music can be disjointed and clumsy. These moments rare, however, and do not mar an otherwise solid release. Opera IX have bold ambitions, and I look forward to seeing where they go from here.
Official Opera IX website
Official Opera IX myspace
Official Peaceville website
