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. They are about to drop their second album this winter, entitled The Network, which will send listeners headfirst into a cyberpunk world where frequencies and chord progressions are believed to be catalysts for time travel. Although there are no lyrics, the theme is easy to pick up on, as the tension, the relief, and the drama of the story are within. The second single to be bestowed upon listeners is “Reminiscence”, where the album departs from the chaotic nature of the cyberpunk city into nature. It starts with a chamber-esque intro that leads to progressive grooves and ultimately back to the dark nature of the album. 

The band comments on 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!”

Compared to their previous album Revelation (2016), their compositions have become less metal driven and they have grown the string section from a trio to a quintet and are planning to incorporate more orchestral instruments. The nine members play guitar, cello, drums, keyboards, violin, viola, bass, and contrabass on eight tracks that clock in at just over forty minutes. They plunge the listener into a wild and intricate world that is easy to interpret and get lost in.

Opus Arise’s instrumental music is inspired by life experiences, classical symphonies, and movie and video game soundtracks. It is recommended for fans of The Black Mages, Liquid Tension Experiment, and Powerglove.

The music video for “Reminiscence” can be seen and heard via its premiere on BraveWords! Watch below:

Preorder on Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

“Inner Skepticism”
“Electric Jungle”
“Antimatter”
“Digital Soundscape”
“Reminiscence”
“Change”
“Timeshift”
“The Unanswered Question”

(Photo – Jade Weekes)