Opera IX â Veneficium Review
By Dr. A.N. Grier
Wow, I havenât thought of this band in a looooong time. Known for being plagued with vocal lineup changesâeven alternating between female and male leadsâthe last time I caught up with Italyâs Opera IX was right before the infamous Cadaveria quit. Before she began her own gothic-infused band, Cadavaria haunted every dark corner of stellar Opera IX records, like Sarco Culto and The Black Opera: Symphoniae Mysteriorum in Laudem Tenebrarum. You wouldnât be able to tell by Cadaveriaâs (the band) output, but the woman had a horrifying approach to black metal vocals. So much so that I can still hear them in my head. Those days ended shortly after she vacated the band, and the long-time guitarist took to the mic. Risky move that did not work. Thatâs when I walked away. Nowadays, it appears the band has gone back to the female variety and, hopefully, buried the male leads forever. So, I decided Iâd give them a try and see where theyâve been the last twenty-six years.
For the last couple of albums, the band has been utilizing the voice of Dipsas Dianaria. They must like her because they decided to re-record 2015âs Back to Sepulcro in 2025. For what reason, I donât know? To erase Abigail Dianariaâs voice from a bunch of originally re-recorded shit no one wanted? Is this fucking Iced Earth? Anyway, after goofing around wth re-recorded old shit and re-re-recorded old shit, this yearâs Veneficium comes to us with ten original tracks, a 50-plus-minute runtime, and a⊠Black Sabbath cover? Not sure I understand that last part, but here we go.
Thereâs one thing thatâs apparent on the first listen of Veneficium: weâve come a long way from the ferocity of Cadaveriaâs piss-spitting vocals and the bandâs unique blend of black, death, doom, and goth. While Dianaria can achieve similar fluctuations in vocals (rasps, growls, and cleans), itâs far more rare to see it in a single track. That said, few can achieve that kind of vocal chaos as Cadaveria and Cradle of Filthâs Dani Filth. But, after the eerie, witchcrafty opener, âVocatio Mortuorumâ sees Dianaria attempting just that. Loaded with synths and orchestral layers akin to Dimmu Borgir, this track follows a mid-paced journey to see who can command it: the guitars and drums, or the keys. It has some redeeming qualities here and there, but the goofy, circusy, Cradle of Filth approach on the backend kinda kills it for me.
On the other side of the coin, âSaltatio Corviâ does a fantastic job making it all work and stick. While it contains the same kinds of orchestral elements, relentless guitar and drum work, and alternating vocal styles, it stands out for an addictive character that is pushed to eleven with the clever help of a nyckelharpa. It also uses much more of Dianariaâs vocals than previous tracks. For something with a bit more bruising power, âDefixionesâ and âAsphodeliosâ do the trick with aggressive, headbangable passages that make them stand out above others. Specifically, the dark, melodic atmosphere of âDefixionesâ and the death metal interlude and brawling vocals of âAsphodelios.â
After taking everything into account, Veneficium is a fairly standard sympho-black record that does little to make one erect. While some interesting elements have me revisiting a few ditties, the new Dimmu Borgir record does far more in just a handful of tracks versus the entirety of Veneficium. Outside the tracks mentioned, the one that stands out the most is the cover of Black Sabbathâs âBlack Sabbath.â The vocals do a fine job of following in Ozzyâs footsteps, while the doomy qualities of the song remind me of where Opera IX used to be. Those good ole days when no one else knew about this band, and I was happy to have it that way. Now, theyâre basically blending in with the rest, which is a shame. That said, thereâs something here for those who follow the genre. It just takes a few spins to find it.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Edged Circle Productions | Bandcamp
Websites: operaix.it | facebook.com/officialoperaIX
Releases Worldwide: May 22nd, 2026
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