Band:	Ophidian I
Album:	Solvet Saeclum
Style:	Technical death metal
Release date:	June 15, 2012
A review by:	BloodTears

01. Mark Of An Obsidian
02. Shedyet
03. Solvet Saeclum
04. Zone Of Alienation
05. Tectonic Collapse
06. Ellipse
07. Nadir
08. Ethereal Abyss
09. The Discontinuity Of A Fundamental Element

On paper, Ophidian I's Solvet Saeclum debut album has interesting aspects to it: technical death metal, brutally intense, complex, for fans of Obscura, Necrophagist and The Faceless. But does it live up to the expectations?

The album cover is hellish and dystopian, evoking the end of the world, and so are the lyrics used to portray that image. What we have here is entangling technical death metal, which displays complexity and intricate riffs, but the more interesting songs are the ones that present more melody, atmosphere, and something a little bit more different than that mold of precision. Some songs sound so clinical that it seems like the musicians are inside their heads all the time and thinking too much. Songs like "Shedyet" with its groove, good pace and commanding words present some of the best moments of the album whose main setback is the inability to be sustainable in its high points. The weaving bass and outbreaks of genius shifts are also among those high points.

The Obscura influence is clear but that is not a problem; what lets the album down is that it needs more variation and standout moments to compensate for the familiarity we feel with certain riffs and song structures, which are competent yet sometimes bland. Having said that, at least the band knows where it stands. They know how to play their instruments and show it, but occasionally it makes you question if the music itself is taking a backseat to the execution.

To answer the question of the first paragraph: well, yes and no. It is certainly complex metal, albeit not impossibly fast, but in comparison to what it promises to be, what it does more is spark your curiosity, which isn't such a bad thing to start with. If the band connects more with their songwriting ability, considering this is only their first album, the future might bring good things.

Highlights: "Shedyet", "Ethereal Abyss" and "Mark Of An Obsidian".