MUMBAI: Vancouver, Canada’s Opus Arise is an orchestral metal ensemble that brings together classical strings and metal rhythms to create luscious soundscapes to dissonant chaos. Their second album “The Network” teleports listeners into a cyberpunk world filled with neon lights, and punctuated with progressive riffs. Compared to their last album “Revelation”, released in 2016, their compositions have become slightly less metal, but they have upped the ante in the string section going from a trio to a quintet. The third single “Change” is a pivotal point in the album, where it is at its heaviest. The band comments on it and the album as a whole:
“The album builds itself up with steady grooves that lead into some of the heaviest moments on the album. We then break into a thoughtful, atmospheric middle section with a triumphant ending that leads to the climax of the album. After many years that seemed like forever, we’re extremely excited to release our follow-up “The Network”. Thanks to the experience and wisdom of Maor Appelbaum, we’re very stoked that we brought the album to what it needed to be after much trial and error. We hope everyone will enjoy this journey through this Cyberpunk-inspired world!”
The eight-track album features a wide arrangement of influences performed by nine members. It was primarily composed by Matthew Logan and Matthew Hannah but former members have also left a bit of material to be used for future albums. They tried many different guitars and tones for this record, and through much trial and error, they finally settled on the John Petrucci Majesty 7 with his Neural DSP, which they will use going forward. They cite that it really allows the space for the strings to come out while still being heavy and crunchy.
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Influenced by prog, neo-classical, and even extreme genres like black and death, Opus Arise is recommended for fans of Liquid Tension Experiment, Powerglove, and Scale The Summit.
The video for “Change” can be watched via its premiere on AllAboutTheRock HERE.
Album pre-order – https://opusarise.bandcamp.com
Music Video – Inner Skepticism –
Music Video – Reminiscence –
Track Listing:
1) Inner Skepticism – 5:50
2) Electric Jungle – 6:02
3) Antimatter – 3:22
4) Digital Soundscape – 4:38
5) Reminiscence – 5:21
6) Change – 5:23
7) Timeshift – 5:21
8) The Unanswered Question – 5:13
Album Length: 41:13
Album Band Lineup:
Shawn Hillman Guitar, Cello on “Digital Soundscape”
James Readman: Guitar
Daniel Carmago: Bass Guitar (Tracks 1-3, 5-7)
Matthew Logan: Drums, Violin II
Matthew Hannah: Keyboards
Michelle Gao: Violin I
Ellen Smith: Viola
Darrell Bennett: Cello
Kyle Hagen: Contrabass, Bass Guitar (Track 8)
