Opus Majestic – Temptation of the Ring
One thing is certain, with the success of the amazing film adaptation of the Lord of the Rings, one could guarantee there would be a fresh new crop of Tolkien worshiping black metalers eager to pour their appreciation into the music they create. Where Peter Jackson handled the books about as carefully as one can with respect and a desire to see that Tolkien’s work wasn’t butchered for the silver screen, Opus Majestic run the imagination that comprises the majesty of Middle Earth, into the ground with embarrassing lyrical ideas (roll playing and direct quotes from the books that sound comical with the vocal style being used) and some of the most laugh inducing, out of tune pitch singing I have ever heard, found on the track “Mithrander.” The black metal side of Opus Majestic’s delivery is the most passable, if predictable screams and cheap sounding synth tones that mirror the guitar lines verbatim are your idea of “cutting edge” blackness. O.M. try to capture the epic feel of the books/movies with the frail synth accompaniment and try to rouse the spirit of majesty with go nowhere repetition. Such a tactic has worked in the past for other artists, but in this bands case, minimalism is far from hypnotic… rather, the outcome is very boring as this corpse painted quartet forcibly tries to drag the listener into a sound and mental space where their music can’t even reach. As “Temptation of the Ring” journeys ever closer to Mount Doom, it becomes painfully evident that no one in the band told the singer that he can’t sing and should never try to croon ever again, as the pitch style continues to bring a snicker to my lips. If this band would only drop the synth work and concentrate on the straight forward side of their sound, there is a spark of talent there and an obvious desire for the members to try to musically expand within a smaller circle of exploration until they can become successful there. As it stands, “Temptation of the Ring” is a mess that trades atmosphere for moments of comedy. I’m certain this wasn’t Opus Majestic’s intention. If you want your Tolkien metal pure and full of symphonic brilliance, leave the driving to Austria’s Summoning. – Marty
OPUSÂ MAJESTIC
ebausch@hotmail.com
www.bythebloodrecords.com
Worm Gear 