Satanic Truth About False Union is OPUS DRACONIS’ first full-length. Bearing in mind the fact that the band was formed by Aeturnus back in 2002, the discography department is quite prolific, as it also includes Necrodesecration of Christendom (2003) and Enslave by Light (2004). Our advance copy does not have full songs; some of them are incomplete, but the core of the other songs gives us a pretty neat idea as to the band’s sound and purposes.
Prolific does not necessarily mean quality – in the new album, of which we were given an advance copy, the intro is a mood-setter. It is actually good, but overall the feeling does not quite apply to the remainder of the songs. The latter did not meet the expectations generated by the orchestral intro. OPUS DRACONIS stand for Black Metal, with a number of commonplaces, still undeniably BM. As mentioned above, their music has some neat orchestrations and some catchy riffs. But the feeling of the whole is not there.
Another aspect that definitely interferes with a positive absorption of the album is the use of English. Kicking the grammar may be radical, but it is not always a sound option.
The risk of releasing so many EPs, splits and whatnot in so short a period is precisely that of releasing low-quality music with much to be improved. The vocals are quite frequently unsatisfactory; some of the passages do not seem to make much musical sense and the production is not ideal either. Drums and remaining backline are not in accordance; some of the instruments seem to have been put in the background in the final mix. While some of the aspects are manifestly insufficient, orchestrations and arrangements are one too many. As a result, songs are confusing and excessive.
Given the band’s recent foundation (despite the mentor’s years of previous experience) and the frequent line-up changes, one of the wisest measures to take is certainly to spend more time in the rehearsal room before releasing an official ‘opus’.
Official Site Opus Draconis | Myspace Opusdraconis
Cover Opus Draconis – Satanic Truth About False Union Front
Opus Draconis – Pure Depressive Funeral Emotion
Additional Information
OPUS DRACONIS emerged from the Norwegian black metal scene during the early 2000s wave, when many bands were exploring symphonic and orchestral elements within the traditional BM framework. Aeturnus, the driving force behind the project, had previously been involved in various underground metal acts throughout the late 90s. The band’s approach to incorporating classical arrangements into their black metal foundation was part of a broader movement that included contemporaries like Dimmu Borgir and Emperor, though OPUS DRACONIS remained firmly in the underground sphere.
The production issues mentioned in this review were unfortunately common among many independent black metal releases of this era, where limited budgets often resulted in unbalanced mixes that buried crucial instrumental elements. The frequent lineup changes that plagued the band during their early years contributed to the inconsistent songwriting approach evident on Satanic Truth About False Union.