From a simple love of metal, two friends would bounce around the idea of starting a band in middle school. This idea soon gave birth to the band that started it all, the band CAZADOR which formed back in 2012. Soon after, two other friends decided to join them and the group of friends who were heavily influenced by that old school 80’s thrash metal got to work.CAZADOR started out by doing covers of their favorite songs and performing live shows at “Irvin Gonzalez’s” music school. The band soon became dissatisfied by this direction of having to repeatedly play the same songs. This led to the former band members along with “Irvan Gonzalez”, the remaining sole original member, to brainstorm on ideas. It was that brainstorm that birthed the new name OPIUM DEATH and in 2015 set the band on their new path.

 Located in the Chicagoland area and with two demos previously released, OPIUM DEATH self-releases their latest debut full length album “Genocidal Nemesis” as of April 19, 2024. This album brings you 53:10 minutes of aggressive thrash/death that brings back that old school death metal sound we all loved. You can definitely hear their roots come through with possible influences of Possessed, Death and even some Napalm Death. When I first glance at the artwork it brings a sense of nostalgia for me, bringing back the death metal album covers of the mid 90’s with the bright colors and sense of high contrasts. Looking at the artwork depicted, I think of the consumer addiction of money, a greedy pursuit like a drug that eventually kills you within a crumbling society. As OPIUM DEATH put it, “ a representation of hubris suicide”, which is the main theme of the album “Genocidal Nemesis”.

Starting off the album with “Cower”, we get a horror influenced synth that pulls you into, what feels like, an abandoned industrial complex. With all the eerie sounds echoing around, it definitely builds suspense. With the sense of apocalyptic industrial wasteland, you can only anticipate what comes next. Then the song, without warning stops with a slight echo of the remaining sounds. Truly, a well executed intro considering the overall theme of this album. Before you have a chance to process the intros eerie build up, you are hit hard with low tuned heavy guitar slam death riffs, solid drumming and low growls. A powerful start to the album's second track “Genocidal Nemesis I: Fear”. With the vocals quickly turning into manic screams with some technical guitar play, This song further pulls you into their latest album and can showcase their dynamic instrumental prowess.

I first wanted to point out the song “Ozymandias”, Which I might add, has a wonderful classical melodic intro. From soft classic guitar chords with a pretty decent transition into the heavier slam death riffs. This song has all the right elements and is executed with precision. With such flawless time signature readings, the well placed solos and middle eastern scales, which I might add, found most intriguing. “Ozymandias” intensifies by way of the placement and structure of the overall song. From the vocals to the instrumental, both complement each other beautifully. So far “Genocidal Nemesis” is off to an amazing start. But there are a few things that I have noticed. The lyrics for example, are a tad simplistic but do work with the overall structures of each song. Simple as they may be, they do tell a story, however, it's nothing too impressive. As for the overall production, it isn't all too great either and I found the mix to also be off or lacking in certain areas of the album. However, this does give it a raw old school death metal sound. Whether this was intentional or not it eludes me.

“Extinction”, the sixth song on this album, explodes into your ears with manic screaming, and that heavy but old school death sound. With a manic undertone that hits with aggression, this song keeps things intense and wanting more. When you read the lyrics, it only makes more sense for that manic undertone. The speed, timing, and vocals, it all creates a feeling of panic. That fits the overall theme of the song. Closing off the album with “Genocidal Nemesis II: Desolation”, you are met with an onslaught of classic death metal. Solid slam riffs, heavy bass kicks and dynamic vocals which paint the theme, desperation and hypocrisy. Being the longest song on the album and having the right pace and mood for closing off their album with a melodic death metal instrumental to end the song. This slows things down a bit, as if to give a tone of a reluctant acceptance, which is a fitting end to their latest album.

OPIUM DEATH does a great job at pulling the listener in and keeping them there wanting more. With an old school death metal tone while adding their own flavor, this band had executed their craft with precision. Truly impressive work. Each track on the album was well thought out and followed a direct theme that allowed for a calculated progression of the overall album before fading off into a slow melody. Each song had also kept a good pace that allowed the band to articulate the main theme of their album “Genocidal Nemesis”.

For a newer band entering the scene, I am personally excited to hear more of these guys and see what their future holds. I can definitely see this band carving out and claiming their place within the death metal genre and look forward to future albums. It was refreshing to hear a new death metal band that takes it back to the original roots of their genre while putting their own fingerprint on it. I would definitely recommend you check this album out and keep an eye on OPIUM DEATH because they are just getting started.