OPIA
I Welcome Thee, Eternal Sleep
Hammerheart Records
The gothic doom metal landscape is about to be forever changed as OPIA present their incredible debut album, “I Welcome Thee, Eternal Sleep”. The crushing heaviness, ethereal melodies and deep atmospherics will no doubt leave an everlasting mark on the musical world’s soul.
OPIA were formed just a few years ago in 2022 between the UK and Spain and I was lucky enough to catch them live earlier this year, supporting Countless Skies on their UK tour. I had only listened to the first single so my first real experience of OPIA was in the live setting and they do not disappoint. The pure, raw emotion on display was incredible, the songs really lend themselves well to an intimate live setting. This all bodes well for the album so let’s jump in.
“These Pristine Memories” is a short instrumental intro, but it really sets the tone with the drums sounding like a heartbeat as we arrive “On Death’s Door Part I”. The vocal range of Tereza Rohelova is very impressive and whilst her classical training ensures all of the clean parts are absolutely beautiful, it’s the growls where I find myself a bit in awe. The power and emotion that she is able to convey is astounding and the seamless switches between the two vocal styles are executed flawlessly. This in turn helps maintain the amazing atmosphere that the twin guitars work so hard to create.
Another single released from the album, “Man Proposes, God Disposes” is our next track and it has a beautiful bass line underneath a sombre melody that builds before the ethereal vocals join in and carry us off into the darkness. A crunching guitar riff then heralds the harsh vocals to come as the song shifts gear before returning to the softer more ethereal tones of before.
The subjects delved into in this album are all deeply emotive and you find yourself seconds away from tears one minute and then swept up in a cloud of anguish, rage and despair the next and both “Silence” and “The Eye” are perfect examples of this. The moments of soft, tender beauty paired with the sorrow filled, cries of anguish just work so well together and really help tell the story. I am such a huge fan of this style and OPIA deliver it to extremes.
The guitar work throughout is sublime, but special mention must go to the riff in “Days Gone By”, it will be in your head for the rest of time, so good! The keyboards are also used so well throughout, never overpowering a moment, just enhancing all of the atmospheres and adding flourishes of emotion here and there.
“On Death’s Door Part II” is my favourite track on the album, the soul crushing heaviness and the anguished melodies are all brought together in a way that leaves you utterly destroyed but still yearning for more. The black metal blast about two thirds in is a great twist before the guitar solo tries its best to drain you of what little energy you may have left, in a good way. The human fragility shouldn’t be capable of experiencing such levels of emotion for a sustained period, but we are left with no choice but to listen and drown in the perfection.
Words sometimes fail us when we are faced with such raw emotion and to try to adequately put the last forty one minutes into context would do it an injustice. You need to listen to this album, it will change you or awaken something deep within you. OPIA have stood on the edge of the abyss and delivered excellence. I for one am very excited to see where their career takes them.
Russell Mulock-Bentley