Opia is a Gothic Doom Metal band that straddles the line between atmospheric beauty and crushing heaviness. Formed between the UK and Spain, the band combines the brooding weight of Death/Doom with haunting, ethereal melodies, creating a sound that is as introspective as it is powerful. Their debut album, “I Welcome Thee, Eternal Sleep”, is set for release in Spring 2025, marking the emergence of a new force within the Doom Metal scene. The band’s upcoming debut album, “I Welcome Thee, Eternal Sleep”, explores themes of mortality, despair, depression and grief. It is a deeply atmospheric record, where slow, crushing tempos intertwine with ethereal melodies to create an experience that lingers long after the music fades. Through its intricate songwriting and evocative mood, Opia’s debut offers a glimpse into the bleakest aspects of the mind, capturing the melancholic beauty in the acceptance of the inevitable.

When churches were closed by clerical ordinance on special feast days, Parisians of the mid-18th century went instead to Concerts Spirituels of music ranging from grand motets to intimate chamber music. Mondonville's contributions are exceptional for their unusual timbral mix. They include a dozen Pièces de clavecin avec voix ou violon, the harpsichord parts designed not as continuo infill, but fully self-sufficient, while nonetheless accompanying violin and soprano soloists. Three of them here create a rare and arresting soundscape.

The performance here of Samson is definitive. It is lively, colourful and highly dramatic. There is no comparison with the tedious performance by the Sixteen on Coro. The performance of the Messiah with limited modern instrumental forces of the English Chamber Orchestra and Chorus with very good soloists doesn't sacrifice grandeur nor does it go to the other extreme of over-blown pomp. It is a very good performamce on modern instruments under the direction of the Baroque music specialist conductor Raymond Leppard.

The bizarre presentation of this disc by the Portuguese recorder ensemble A Imagem da Melancolia may be enough to put listeners off of the whole thing, but they'll be missing out on some attractive recorder arrangements of organ music if they let it happen. The bad news begins with the "Bad Tempered Consort" title, which is apparently supposed to be humorous; it doesn't seem to refer in any way to tuning, but it's hard to say exactly what it is supposed to mean. In search of an explanation, the buyer may step inside to the booklet essay, a self-indulgent and muddled exposition of the idea that musicians should be able to do pretty much whatever they want to with a score.

this recording of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana was authorized by the composer himself. It follows, therefore, that the present recording met with the high requirements of the composer himself and so represents an unusual collector's item. Orff intended not just to copy the medieval lyrics but to express the mood of that era. His highly rhythmic compositional style reflects the archaic character of the vocal line. The listener experiences not only the vital primordial pulse of the music in this thrilling interpretation but also the mystery of Fate through the tender lyrical passages. Orff's homage to wine, women and song of the Middle Ages, closely bound up with spring and love, is supported by balanced and precise sound technology. The listener is spirited away to the musical world of Carmina Burana by this recording.