Debut album Welcome Thee, Eternal Sleep out 25th April via Hammerheart Records.

UK gothic doom outfit Opia are now releasing the second offering of their previously announced debut album I Welcome Thee, Eternal Sleep. The album is officially due on 25th April via Hammerheart Records, but the new track ‘The Fade’ can already be listened to via the label’s YouTube channel and other DSPs. Watch ‘The Fade’ here: https://youtu.be/odCQAQgf-jQ / Listen to ‘The Fade’ here: https://opiadoom.lnk.to/thefade

Opia comment on the track: “This track is particularly close to our hearts, as it is inspired by the lived experience of one of our members who experienced the heartbreaking journey of a loved one suffering from vascular dementia. We dedicate this song to all who’ve lost family or friends to memory related conditions.

Writing this song was a deeply personal and cathartic experience. It explores the complexity of grief—specifically, the kind of grief that arrives long before death itself. When someone you love is gradually lost to these conditions, it’s as if the essence of who they were starts to slip away little by little. The pain is not only in their absence but in seeing them “fade”, sometimes beyond recognition. The hardest part, in many ways, is that by the time death finally comes, it often feels like it is only the final punctuation mark on a long process of loss. For some, there’s the blessing of a final, fleeting moment of recognition, but unfortunately, many are not that fortunate.

This theme of loss and the inevitability of death runs deep throughout our upcoming album ‘I Welcome Thee, Eternal Sleep’. While ‘The Fade’ addresses it with raw, visceral honesty, it is by no means the only track to delve into this subject. We feel this album captures the weight of mortality in ways that are both intimate and universal. It’s our hope that those who listen will find something they can relate to, whether through personal experience or the reflections it sparks.

On a compositional level, ‘The Fade’ stands out as the one song on the album that solely features clean vocals. It was a purposeful choice to strip back the instrumentation and let the emotion of the lyrics shine through in the purest form possible. It’s a departure from some of our heavier work, but we felt it was the best way to convey the deep vulnerability at the heart of the song.”

Pre-orders for I Welcome Thee, Eternal Sleep are now available at https://opiadoom.lnk.to/iwelcomethee

FFO: Swallow the Sun, My Dying Bride, Sentenced, Amorphis

Gothic doom metal that straddles the line between atmospheric beauty and crushing heaviness.

Opia are 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. I Welcome Thee, Eternal Sleep, is set for release on 25th April, marking the emergence of a new force within the doom metal scene.

The band’s upcoming debut album, 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.

With I Welcome Thee, Eternal Sleep, Opia are set to carve a unique place for themselves within the doom metal landscape, offering a fresh yet timeless take on the genre that draws on their shared history within the black metal scene. Their blend of gothic atmosphere and heavy, sorrowful doom promises to leave a lasting mark, one that will resonate with listeners for years to come.

Opia line up: Tereza Rohelova – Vocals / Phoenix Griffiths – Guitars / Daniel Tregenna – Gutars / Richard Rees – Bass / Jorge Afonso – Keyboards / Sam Heffernan – Drums

Track-list: 1. These Pristine Memories 2. On Death’s Door Part I 3. Man Proposes, God Disposes 4. The Fade 5. The Eye 6. Days Gone By 7. Silence 8. On Death’s Door Part II