Opera IX
Encyclopedia
Opera IX is an Italian pagan symphonic black metal
(Occult Pagan Black Metal) band, founded in the city of Biella by the guitarist Ossian, in 1988.
tape "Gothik". There were many line-up changes, eventually settling with Cadaveria's vocals, Ossian at guitar, Vlad at bass and Flegias at drums. The band's early occult metal sound was switched to a mix of Gothic
, Death
, and Black metal
. The second demo, which contained 4 songs, led to a contract for a 7" EP, which came out in 1993. The first 500 copies were sold out in 2 months. In the meantime, the band filmed "The Triumph Of The Death" containing 2 videos
.
At the end of 1993, Silent Bard, a musician with classical
background, joined the line-up on keyboard. The band released its first full album, The Call of the Wood
, in 1995 under Miscarriage Records. The album contains 5 long songs and has a play time of about 60 minutes. After the CD
was released, Opera IX replaced the keyboard player with a new member: Triskent.
Opera participated in A Call To Irons an Iron Maiden
tribute album, also for Miscarriage Records. The cover chosen by the band was "The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner". Other bands on the album included Vital Remains
and Absu.
was released by the Belgian label Shiver Records. There are six songs in total, for a duration of 70 minutes. The new keyboardist on the album is Lunaris. The CD was presented in digipak
format and a video was made for "Fronds of the Ancient Walnut".
In the Biella
year 2000, Opera IX signed to Avantgarde Music
. In January of the following year they recorded their third album, The Black Opera - Simphoniae Misteriorum in Laude Tenebrarum, at the Underground studios in Sweden
. Black Opera sold approximately 18,000 copies. In September 2001 Avantgarde released a remastered The Call of the Wood with new cover artwork and two bonus tracks: "Rimes About Dying Stones" and "Born In The Grave".
. Opera IX reformed with Taranis on drums and Madras on vocals. Their fourth album, entitled Maleventum
, is a concept album about witchcraft and paganism. It was recorded in January 2002 at The Damage inc studios in Ventimiglia
.
Madras and Taranis left the band at the same time it was finishing the new album Anphisbena
. As of December 2003, the current Opera IX line up features M The Bard on vocals and Dalamar on drums.
. The drum recording has been completed by Dalamar, the bass recording has been completed by Vlad, the recording of the first guitar has been completed by Ossian. The band also posted two video previews of the new album on YouTube.
On the 15th of April, 2011 the band terminated the contract with Displeased Records because the label "would no longer guarantee the conditions in the signed contract". Shortly thereafter, the band signed a contract with Agonia Records. A music video for the song Mandragora has been released.
Symphonic black metal
Symphonic black metal is a black metal subgenre that emerged in the mid to late 1990s. The genre is known for its symphonic and orchestral elements and is centralized in Europe.-Characteristics:...
(Occult Pagan Black Metal) band, founded in the city of Biella by the guitarist Ossian, in 1988.
Early years: 1990-1995
In 1990 the band made the first demoDemo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
tape "Gothik". There were many line-up changes, eventually settling with Cadaveria's vocals, Ossian at guitar, Vlad at bass and Flegias at drums. The band's early occult metal sound was switched to a mix of Gothic
Gothic metal
Gothic metal or goth metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that combines the aggression of doom metal with the dark melancholy of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music...
, Death
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
, and Black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
. The second demo, which contained 4 songs, led to a contract for a 7" EP, which came out in 1993. The first 500 copies were sold out in 2 months. In the meantime, the band filmed "The Triumph Of The Death" containing 2 videos
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
.
At the end of 1993, Silent Bard, a musician with classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
background, joined the line-up on keyboard. The band released its first full album, The Call of the Wood
The Call of the Wood
-Line-up:*Cadaveria - vocals,*Ossian - guitars,*Vlad - bass,*Flegias - drums....
, in 1995 under Miscarriage Records. The album contains 5 long songs and has a play time of about 60 minutes. After the CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
was released, Opera IX replaced the keyboard player with a new member: Triskent.
Opera participated in A Call To Irons an Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
tribute album, also for Miscarriage Records. The cover chosen by the band was "The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner". Other bands on the album included Vital Remains
Vital Remains
Vital Remains is an American death metal band from Providence, Rhode Island formed in 1988.- History :Created in 1988 by guitarist Paul Flynn, Vital Remains' first line-up consisted of guitarist Butch Machado, vocalist Mike Flynn, bassist Tom Supkow, and drummer Chris Dupont. Searching for better...
and Absu.
Sacro Culto & The Black Opera: 1996-2001
In April 1998 the band's second full-length album Sacro CultoSacro Culto
-Personnel:*Cadaveria: Vocals*Ossian: Guitars*Lunaris: Keyboards, Synthesizers*Vlad: Bass*Flegias: Drums...
was released by the Belgian label Shiver Records. There are six songs in total, for a duration of 70 minutes. The new keyboardist on the album is Lunaris. The CD was presented in digipak
Digipak
Digipak is a patented style of CD, DVD or BD packaging, and is a registered trademark of AGI World Ltd., an Atlas Holdings company.-Features:...
format and a video was made for "Fronds of the Ancient Walnut".
In the Biella
Biella
Biella is a town and comune in the northern Italian region of Piemonte, the capital of the province of the same name, with some 45,800 inhabitants as of 2009. It is located about 80 km northeast of Turin and about 80 km west-northwest of Milan.It lies in the foothills of the Alps,...
year 2000, Opera IX signed to Avantgarde Music
Avantgarde Music
Avantgarde Music is an Italian record label, formed as a continuation of Obscure Plasma Records, focusing on black and doom metal artists. The label has a sub-label called Wounded Love Records, which has released albums by Dolorian and Taake....
. In January of the following year they recorded their third album, The Black Opera - Simphoniae Misteriorum in Laude Tenebrarum, at the Underground studios in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Black Opera sold approximately 18,000 copies. In September 2001 Avantgarde released a remastered The Call of the Wood with new cover artwork and two bonus tracks: "Rimes About Dying Stones" and "Born In The Grave".
Maleventum and Anphisbena: 2002-2008
Flegias and Cadaveria left the band to form a new musical project, CadaveriaCadaveria
The extreme metal band Cadaveria was born in April 2001, forged by the erstwhile Opera IX personnel Cadaveria and Flegias, , the latter reverting back to his real name. The band signed to Scarlet Records for the opening 2002 album The Shadows' Madame...
. Opera IX reformed with Taranis on drums and Madras on vocals. Their fourth album, entitled Maleventum
Maleventum
:For the italian city, originally named "Maleventum", see: Benevento....
, is a concept album about witchcraft and paganism. It was recorded in January 2002 at The Damage inc studios in Ventimiglia
Ventimiglia
Ventimiglia is a city and comune in Liguria, northern Italy, in the province of Imperia. It is located southwest of Genoa by rail, and 7 km from the French-Italian border, on the Gulf of Genoa, having a small harbour at the mouth of the Roia River, which divides the town into two parts...
.
Madras and Taranis left the band at the same time it was finishing the new album Anphisbena
Anphisbena
-Track listing:...
. As of December 2003, the current Opera IX line up features M The Bard on vocals and Dalamar on drums.
New album: 2009-present
The band has recorded a new album which was planned to be released sometime in the beginning of 2011 by Displeased RecordsDispleased Records
Displeased Records is a Dutch independent record label, founded by Lars Eikema and Ron Veltkamp. The label has many Dutch and other extreme metal bands on its roster, but has also rereleased many classic albums, including albums by Agathocles , Cryptopsy, Infernäl Mäjesty, Sadus, Toxik and Whiplash...
. The drum recording has been completed by Dalamar, the bass recording has been completed by Vlad, the recording of the first guitar has been completed by Ossian. The band also posted two video previews of the new album on YouTube.
On the 15th of April, 2011 the band terminated the contract with Displeased Records because the label "would no longer guarantee the conditions in the signed contract". Shortly thereafter, the band signed a contract with Agonia Records. A music video for the song Mandragora has been released.
Discography
- Gothik (Demo, 1990)
- Demo '92 (Demo, 1992)
- The Triumph Of The Death (7" EP, 1993)
- The Call of the WoodThe Call of the Wood-Line-up:*Cadaveria - vocals,*Ossian - guitars,*Vlad - bass,*Flegias - drums....
(CD, 1995) - Sacro CultoSacro Culto-Personnel:*Cadaveria: Vocals*Ossian: Guitars*Lunaris: Keyboards, Synthesizers*Vlad: Bass*Flegias: Drums...
(CD, 1998) - The Black Opera - Simphoniae Misteriorum in Laude Tenebrarum (CD, 2000)
- MaleventumMaleventum:For the italian city, originally named "Maleventum", see: Benevento....
(CD, 2002) - AnphisbenaAnphisbena-Track listing:...
- (CD, 2004) - Opera IX - The Early Chapters (CD,2007)
- Opera Ix - Mythology XX Years of Witchcraft (DVD,2008)
- Strix - Maledictae in Aeternum (CD, November 2011)
Former
- Cadaveria - Vocals
- Madras - Vocals
- Marcelo Santos (Flegias) - Drums
- Taranis - Drums
- Silent Bard - Keyboards
- Triskent - Keyboards