ALBUM REVIEW: Death On A Pale Horse – Opera Diabolicus
Music with a story to tell is always going to be an interesting ride, never knowing what to expect as the musicians weave a tale with poetic lyrics and scene-setting music. Doing so in a subgenre like horror metal is bound to be even more interesting, given the heavy nature of the sound. For Sweden’s OPERA DIABOLICUS, this didn’t seem like a massive challenge considering they had already been to this rodeo before with 2012’s †1614, but will the duo do it again with their latest album Death On A Pale Horse? Does this diabolical tale see the band ride once more to glory, or does this sequel stink like a stable?
Safe to say that this album proves that sequels can be just as good as the first outing. Continuing the story of rivals David Grilmore and Adrian de Crow, the members of the band, the lyrics tell a fantastical tale of witchcraft, magic, and schemes against each other. From the mysterious and eerie piano opening to Listen Everybody, it’s a brilliant track to catch everyone’s intrigue and bring them to the album whilst setting the scene for what’s to come in the next hour or so.
As the album continues onto the second track and onwards, the music captivates the listener on this journey in a way that does feel like they’re attending a heavy opera. The drumming is fierce and strong, helping create the foundation to every track whilst also adding flourishes of rhythm here and there. On the topic of musical flourishes, additional elements bring a nice touch to certain songs, adding beautiful layers and body to many of the tracks. For example, the vibraphone in Little Sister creates that uncertain atmosphere, whilst the choir and organ in Night Demon set the tone for a gothic and dark song that the listener can prepare to rock out to.
As mentioned, the lyrics do a great job of telling the story and painting the tale for anyone who listens to the album. This is especially the case when the band add a female vocalist to a few songs, as if to give another point of view to the situation or adding a side character to the story, like in Second Coming and Night Demon. Darkest Doom On The Brightest Days, for example, weaves in Macbeth-like imagery with a discussion about witches and the power they have, adding a climatic edge to the album. Siren’s Call, meanwhile, is very descriptive in how the vocalist is captured by this hypothetical siren, revealing so much about this character getting wrapped up in this hypnotic sound. Despite songs extending to the eight or even nine-minute mark, there’s hardly a dull moment within this album from beginning to end and it’s always exciting to listen through when you don’t know what’s coming around the corner, either musically or within the story.
People have called the metal genre ‘heavy classical music’, and OPERA DIABOLICUS are the perfect example of this statement. This stunning album is expressive, exciting, gripping, and one that would work perfectly on the stage – imagine seeing this and †1614 combined into a production that would put something like Phantom Of The Opera to shame. Death On A Pale Horse is not just an example of excellent horror metal, but also of operatic metal, one that even sees the band join the ranks of Jim Steinman and his work. A fantastic hour to get stuck into.
Rating: 9/10
Death On A Pale Horse is set for release on November 26th via Season Of Mist.
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