I stumbled upon Opus Irae because of their Latin name while randomly perusing the metal archives. There are some good Christian metal bands waiting to be discovered and Latin can be a flag. Not always, but I’d say it’s a 50/50 chance. For example, the legendary Antestor has a name from Latin. When I saw Opus Irae was signed to Endtime Productions with an upcoming album release, I knew that I had found something special.
Formed back in 2011, Opus Irae is a symphonic black metal sextet hailing from a dark corner in Germany. They are mysterious with the use of heavy eye shadow and stage names with no ready meaning. Although they have been around a while, “Into the Endless Night” is their debut album, which strings together singles from mid to late 2010s and new material. They may be slow to record, but they have been active in festivals and concerts over the years playing at Brainstorm, Nordic Fest, and Blast of Eternity. Now that they have something for the rest of the world to hear, what is it like?
Dark, mysterious, underground, and utterly beautiful. Their sound makes use of an underground black metal sound that reminds me a lot of Parakletos and early Antestor that has ferocity in guitars and vocals that is tempered through an understated drum mix and additional synths. But this is balanced with classical music episodes that are rather delicate, contrasting quite nicely with the black metal fury. Vocals vary between deep growls, gravely rasps, clean female vocals, and full choir.
When one says symphonic, that usually translates into lush, thick instrumentation that blends all instruments into a mega voice. That is not the case here. I like that there is a simultaneous individuality and concert within the musical texture across all of the voices that gives a lighter feel to the mix, making listening easy even over repeated plays. The black metal parts have all the usual elements like blast beats, tremolo guitar riffs, and a mix of raspy and deep black metal vocals, but there is quite a bit of keyboard where every part has its own sonic space. As a result, the keyboard driven classical interludes are delicate with drums and bass often being the continuous elements.
There is an apocalyptic tone to much of the lyrics, particularly from Revelation in “Furosis Irae,” along with open questions of suffering that believers and non-believers can relate to. Although most of it is English, Latin makes appearances in “Lament” and the choir parts in “Requiem Æternam” and “Streams of Sorrow.” This and the depth of the lyrics give the band an esoteric air that is attractive to metal fans regardless of faith.
Their songwriting is a study in dualism. The black metal is balanced with classical instrumental interludes. The harsh vocals are balanced either by clean female vocals or a backing choir. “Requiem” is the best example of how these elements go back and forth with brutal metal, sublime instrumental interludes, and a chorale at the end that has shades of Orff’s “Carmina Burana.” That said, the contrasting elements tend to sit next to each other without mixing much.
The album flows well and at a perfect length. Continuing with this idea of dualism, the songs tend to take on one or the other of the main characters. For example, the opener “Burden of Man” is on the more brutal side while “Lament” (my favorite on the album) is a beautiful aria focusing on piano and Stern’s clean vocals although with heavy guitars coming in later in the song. There is a cool two-part piece that starts with “The Vision of Resurrected Flesh” that leans on the heavy side that seamlessly flows into “Strict Canon in A Minor,” a darker imagining of Pachabel’s Canon. The guitar riffs from “The Visions” comes back towards the end to pull the two part song all together. The final track is a narrative from Revelation with melodic themes from earlier in the album. Upon finishing the album, it feels like a complete work without feeling exhausted.
Black metal by itself isn’t usually my genre, but adding in symphonic and gothic elements to add that emotional element to balance the raw fury piques my interest. Opus Irae not only piqued that interest but exceeded my expectations. I love how it is esoteric, but is very relatable and just utterly beautiful. Highly recommended for almost anyone, particularly for fans of the early unblack scene.
Rating: 9.0/10
Written by Sean Bailey
Tracklist
1 – The Burden of Man
2 – Requiem Æternam
3 – The Battle at His Great Return
4 – The Vision of Resurrected Flesh
5 – Strict Canon in A Minor
6 – Lament
7 – Light of the Morning Star
8 – Streams of Sorrow
9 – War Everlasting
10 – Furosis Irae
Opus Irae Is:
Dorn – male vocals
Stern – female vocals
Regen – guitars
Nacht – grand piano and keyboards
Feuer – guitars
Wut – drums
Release Date: November 15, 2024
Record Label: Endtime Productions
Social Media: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | Bandcamp
Video for The Burden of Man
Video (audio) for Requiem Aeternam
Video (audio) for Lament