It’s hard to gauge a band’s real sound on the strength of a four track EP, but Opium certainly stick to their guns, with a cogent string of punchy emo rock throughout that stays just on the right side of cliché. I know bands emerging at the moment are fighting an uphill battle to distinguish themselves against the trademark emo quiet-loud template that seems to be legion amongst the more predictable bands, but it’s admirable for Opium to have forged some kind of identity.
Having said that, there is more than a little reliance on familiar themes, particularly in ‘5 o’clock Shadow’, which, although having enough energy and power behind the riffs to ensure the momentum doesn’t drop, doesn’t shift far enough into gear to turn it from a good song into a great song. Vocal melodies are repeated too many times, thus lessening their impact as well as crowding out the guitars, and although there’s a wealth of talent displayed in this one song it could easily be economised to create a more slender and more effective track. ‘This Town Red’ is the perfect example of how to spoil a song, with a hugely promising intro, all jangly riffs full of catchy rhythm and hefty crunch, but disappears under its own limits, sticking to the familiar emo template without showing any of the exciting ideas that characterise the verse sections. It feels like a half-song, with the jagged chorus feeling bolted on and flaccid, while the strength of the riff is immediately diluted.
I’m not sure why, but every damn emo band I review seems to adhere so strictly to the rules of having a quiet intro leading towards a heavier version of the same riff, and three of the four tracks on ‘The Last Days of Disco’ do precisely that. ‘Queen Taught Me How To Live…Forever’ has a pleasingly large sound, almost verging on the cinematic when it really kicks in, and the addition of strings really makes the difference in an otherwise forgettable song. It’s this little touch, which if used wrongly could have led to a horribly trite sound, that elevates Opium into the category of genuine contenders because it shows they have an ambition and a vision that stretches beyond the feebleness of parts of this CD. The balls-out rock of the title track pays dividends, but repetition and a lack of vitality prove fatal handicaps when little moments like a guitar line here or a drum fill there really show promise and poise.
I get the feeling this CD could be slimmed down to two tracks, combining the effective moments from each song to create some genuinely affecting emo rock moments, but as it stands the amount of self-indulgence is firmly contrary to the rare, yet glimmering times when Opium switch on the power and move away from the cheesy emo sound. Yeah, so they’re not rubbish, but nor are they special enough to really get excited about, and when every other band is attempting to be the next Taking Back Fuckday, you need to be special.
Ben
www.opiumrock.com
dai@opiumrock.com