Review Summary: Opus Dai create a thoroughly enjoyable release, emulating styles of punk, metal, and progressive. They show energy and youthfulness, though the latter part of the EP slows down and ends on a sour note.
The first time I listened to Opus Dai, a relatively unknown group from Southern California, was after receiving a spam-ish message on Youtube requesting me to listen to their new song “Sinking Ship”. In most cases, I would dismiss spam such as this and not bother to take a listen. This was a different case, however. In the message, it told me that fans of The Mars Volta would likely enjoy them. A big fan of the eclectic styles of the Volta, I decided to take a listen, and I was not disappointed.
The song was good. Really good. While it certainly had a stronger and more noticeable metal influence than The Mars Volta, I was able to draw parallels between both the style of the vocalist and the punk-influence, akin to early Mars Volta and At the Drive-In. This was all mixed with a fluid progressive edge, which piqued my interest.
Sinking Ship convinced me to download the EP, which (I learned later) is not the first release of Opus Dai. They, in fact, had released a full-length debut album, but have since changed their personnel, gaining a new lead vocalist, and releasing a new EP, Touch the Sun. This EP is filled with energy and youth. The music feels thrashy and alive, mixing feels of punk with progressive rock/metal. Opening with Sandcastles, the band gives off the feeling that they know their niche, and are not afraid to show it off. I don’t know why, but they seem to like an oceanic theme (Sandcastles, Sinking Ship, cover art with sea creature holding trident over ocean). Perhaps this is due to their proximity to the Pacific.
There are some cool, bursts of effect on this EP. Sandcastles features very short bursts of guitar compression and the like, and the opening to Sinking Ship feels quite compressed as well. Accompanying this is a few buzzing and static effects throughout both songs. The Day the World Stopped Turning begins calmly, and turns into a quite good prog/alternative rock tune, with dark undertones – I can really feel some Karnivool rubbing off in this song, á la Umbra and New Day. It also features a guitar solo, which is cool, though I personally am not big on them.
Touch the Sun somewhat seems to lack the flair of the rest of the album, and isn’t really too enjoyable. The lyrics are somewhat sickening, and the song just doesn’t fit with the rest of the work very well. It more so feel tacked on at the end as some sort of bitter treat. I think the following song should have ended the EP. Cry of Architeuthis, which comes before Touch the Sun, is a fun little interlude piece, and it’s enjoyable for what it is, though I’m not sure it was the best idea to use up one track space with this on an EP.
Opus Dai make a strong impression on this EP, showing their youthful energy and eagerness to churn out heart-pulsing riffs. The first tracks are very worthwhile, and have great riffing, emulating a mix of The Mars Volta, At the Drive-In, and Karnivool. Fans of any of those artists should be able to connect with Opus Dai’s energetic and lively mix of progressive, punk, and metal. The songs feel very down-to-earth. Following the first three tracks, the EP somewhat dies off, which hurts its overall impression. Still, this is a thoroughly enjoyable release, worthy of many listens. The band may have a bright future, so long as the world doesn’t stop turning.
