Wow, I haven’t thought of this band in a looooong time. Known for being plagued with vocal lineup changes—even alternating between female and male leads—the last time I caught up with Italy’s 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 wouldn’t be able to tell by Cadaveria’s (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. That’s 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 I’d give them a try and see where they’ve 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 2015’s Back to Sepulcro in 2025. For what reason, I don’t know? To erase Abigail Dianaria’s 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 year’s 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.
There’s one thing that’s apparent on the first listen of Veneficium: we’ve come a long way from the ferocity of Cadaveria’s piss-spitting vocals and the band’s unique blend of black, death, doom, and goth. While Dianaria can achieve similar fluctuations in vocals (rasps, growls, and cleans), it’s 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 Filth’s Dani Filth. But, after the eerie, witchcrafty opener, “Vocatio Mortuorum” 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, “Saltatio Corvi” 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 Dianaria’s vocals than previous tracks. For something with a bit more bruising power, “Defixiones” and “Asphodelios” do the trick with aggressive, headbangable passages that make them stand out above others. Specifically, the dark, melodic atmosphere of “Defixiones” and the death metal interlude and brawling vocals of “Asphodelios.”
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 Sabbath’s “Black Sabbath.” The vocals do a fine job of following in Ozzy’s 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, they’re basically blending in with the rest, which is a shame. That said, there’s 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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