Opus Dai
0
Posted
January 7, 2009 in
Let’s be frank: very few bands offer us anything truly, utterly original. So the interesting stuff happens when acts at least combine familiar genres in incongruous or imaginative ways. And so it is with L.A.’s Opus Dai, who masterfully meld metal, goth and prog into something ambitious of vision and epic in execution. Opus Dai navigate Muse-like, falsetto prog-pop; Coheed and Cambria-style adventure metal; and—like any decent rawk band—some introverted acoustic interludes. In a mark of true quality, they do so with such spirit and musicality that, even if this subculture-collision isn’t your cup of tea, you’ll at least find yourself respecting the sheer craft and dedication. Singer Tim Neighbors can meander through a verse with a wizened, woodsy timbre but then dramatically bloom into a reach-for-the-sky, Bruce Dickinson warble. Like Neighbors’ voice, HYPERLINK "http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lm15c3BhY2UuY29tL2F0c3VzaGlkYWk=" Atsushi Miyamoto’s guitar is a supple instrument, with only his solos occasionally summoning unwelcome images of arenas full of drunk Germans. In 1984. The rhythm section of Jagger Gonzales (drums) and Murv Douglas (bass) are purposeful yet gritty—though indulging in salvoes of horns-aloft unifying bombast, they avoid the clinical delivery of the soulless, dickhead shredders who blight the metal world. It’s not easy to be an amateur band peddling such a grandiose, some might even say pompous, sound in Californian dive bars. This sort of ornate, cinematic metal is more warmly embraced in Europe, and Opus Dai are built for theatres at the very least. With all due respect, songs with titles like “Cry of Architeuthis” simply don’t belong in a place called Q Bonkers on a Friday night—so more power to Opus Dai for being there to do what they so palpably believe in. (Paul Rogers)
Opus Dai, Stella Vicarious, Planes Crash, Aepnia at Q Bonkers, 9364 Magnolia Ave., Riverside, (951) 688-4866, Fri., Jan. 9, 8PM, $5
0
Posted
January 7, 2009 in
Let’s be frank: very few bands offer us anything truly, utterly original. So the interesting stuff happens when acts at least combine familiar genres in incongruous or imaginative ways. And so it is with L.A.’s Opus Dai, who masterfully meld metal, goth and prog into something ambitious of vision and epic in execution. Opus Dai navigate Muse-like, falsetto prog-pop; Coheed and Cambria-style adventure metal; and—like any decent rawk band—some introverted acoustic interludes. In a mark of true quality, they do so with such spirit and musicality that, even if this subculture-collision isn’t your cup of tea, you’ll at least find yourself respecting the sheer craft and dedication. Singer Tim Neighbors can meander through a verse with a wizened, woodsy timbre but then dramatically bloom into a reach-for-the-sky, Bruce Dickinson warble. Like Neighbors’ voice, HYPERLINK "http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lm15c3BhY2UuY29tL2F0c3VzaGlkYWk=" Atsushi Miyamoto’s guitar is a supple instrument, with only his solos occasionally summoning unwelcome images of arenas full of drunk Germans. In 1984. The rhythm section of Jagger Gonzales (drums) and Murv Douglas (bass) are purposeful yet gritty—though indulging in salvoes of horns-aloft unifying bombast, they avoid the clinical delivery of the soulless, dickhead shredders who blight the metal world. It’s not easy to be an amateur band peddling such a grandiose, some might even say pompous, sound in Californian dive bars. This sort of ornate, cinematic metal is more warmly embraced in Europe, and Opus Dai are built for theatres at the very least. With all due respect, songs with titles like “Cry of Architeuthis” simply don’t belong in a place called Q Bonkers on a Friday night—so more power to Opus Dai for being there to do what they so palpably believe in. (Paul Rogers)
Opus Dai, Stella Vicarious, Planes Crash, Aepnia at Q Bonkers, 9364 Magnolia Ave., Riverside, (951) 688-4866, Fri., Jan. 9, 8PM, $5
