Tenebrous – Opus Magnum (2009)

Featuring Armanen of Kult ov Azazel on guitars and vocals, and VJS (Kult ov Azazel, Nightbringer,etc) on bass and drums, today we have Tenebrous and their soul crushing release “Opus Magnum”. Filled with hate and destruction, the 10 tracks presented in this release feature a hectic and diabolical Black Metal sound with a USBM edge to it.

Not for the weak of mind and soul, “Opus Magnum” delivers its first aural assault with “What Death Has Fallen”. In this very hectic and destructive song, we can immediately hear the band’s pure aggression channeled through shrieks of pain, distorted guitars and bestial drumming. This is in fact the way most of the album goes with a few very interesting changes in the pace of some songs. “Wallachia Weywoden” is a clear example of some nice slow-downs with brutal sections galore.

The riffing on tracks like “Ars Moriendi”, “Monoliths of Thule”, and “Lords of the Blackstone” is just phenomenal and gives the true Black Metal feeling that many new releases fail to capture. However, this is not your typical ‘Norwegian Black Metal’ release; instead we have the USBM rawness very attached to it, setting it apart from European releases.

“Magisterium” nicely divides the album and we are then treated to “Opus Magnum”, the best song in this release. Featuring some sick riffing that creates a very diabolical an thick atmosphere, this song is one of the best BM tracks we have heard in quite a while due to its awesome melody. “Imperium” delivers a crazy semi-acoustic guitar opening that will make you scratch your head before fully exploding into another BM anthem, very interesting indeed. The crazy ending of “Triumph Des Willens” reminds us of earlier Bethlehem and we LOVE IT.

With the lush closing track “Solemnity of Ages”, “Opus Magnum” comes to a very satisfying ending. This two man band surely knows what there are doing and deliver a very punishing (and rewarding) Black Metal album. If you are a fan of USBM, this release should be in your collection as soon as you can get your hands on it.

Release: April 2nd, 2009

Country: USA