Ophis
Empty, Silent and Cold (Demo) 2002 No Label
Ophis is the solo project of Philipp Kruppa, the drummer of German Thrash Metal band Rain of Ashes. The project was started to serve as an emotional outlet for Philipp in the form of doom/death metal. After a short organ intro, the CD starts with the horribly misplaced 'Sledgehammer Assfuck'. Perhaps there is some lyrical explanation for a title like this; sadly it was not present in my demo CD. The song is pretty thin, basically just some heavy riffs placed in a certain order, without any apparent inspiration. Luckily for Philipp, there are also songs like 'Pazuzu', 'The Mirror Never Lies' (which is dedicated to all of Philipp’s ex-girlfriends) and the title track. On these tracks he shows that he is indeed capable of composing and playing very decent slow melodic doom/death on his own. The catchy, heavy riffs are combined with interesting and often very doomy melodic lines and excellent reverbed grunts. Ophis was once a full band and I hope Philipp will be able to continue along these lines with new band members to support him in the future. Despite the bad start, this is actually a very good demo, which has that little extra atmosphere that sets it above many other bands that follow the same musical direction today. Worth checking out for any doom(/death) fan. Band contact: amon6@freenet.de	1. Bereavement I: In Praise Of Demise 2. Sledgehammer Assfuck 3. Pazuzu 4. Bereavement II: Solitude 5. The Mirror Never Lies 6. Caressing The Dead 7. Bereavement III: Sepulture Raindrops 8. Empty, Silent and Cold 9. Foulmere Approx. 35 minutes
Reviewed by: Oscar Strik
Nostrae Mortis Signaculum (mCD) 2004 Cxxt Bxxcher
The name Ophis is greek for snake. And just as all snakes are killers, so these guys are as well. This doom/death mCD not only kills, but it buries the myth that My Dying Bride is the doctrine of this sub genre. They sound nothing like them. However, if you compare them to the aggressive death/doomsters from Australia, diSEMBOWELMENT, you would find quite a few similarities. The music on this mCD seems to be based upon the grim truths of nihilistic philosophy. And just as that philosophy preaches, there is no hope whatsoever in the music, which is made apparent by the chugging riffage, the occasional up-tempo death metal sections, and the dark growls which seems like the vocalist wants to bite your neck off. Everything about Ophis brings out the venom of this world. Even the pale, skinny girl on the cover has a rope coiled around her neck. Life is cruel and these guys show that with no filters. But there is one exception to this horrid music. That is the fourth track, 'Nostrae Mortis Signaculum'. Its name means "The Sign of Our Demise". It's a sad, but calm and somewhat comforting ambient track. My guess is that the only comfort amongst all of this grimness of life, is the fact that we will all die some day. Another good guess would be that this is the feeling of what comes after death. A calm eternity without all the grief above. The last few words I'd like to say is that I would not recommend this music to suicidal persons. This is music that breaks down your hope and your will to live. However, those who enjoys brutal doom/death and who can survive the experience should go ahead and give it a listen.	1. Funeral 2. Kennel Of Enstrangement 3. Convert To Nihilism 4. Nostrae Mortis Signaculum Approx. 25 minutes
Reviewed by: Arnstein H. Pettersen