After five years of silence Hamburg, Germany based Death Doomers OPHIS have returned with their sixth album consisting of six tracks of pure downtrodden and tormenting hymns. The band has been cranking out some mesmerizing end of the world songs since 2001, gone through several line-up changes and has been hailing as one of the flag bearers of the European Death Doom Metal scene. The band consists of singer / guitarist Philipp Kruppa, fellow guitarist Floris, bassist Oliver Kroplin and keeping time is drummer Ole Fink. I have to admit that it has been a couple of years since I last spun some OPHIS on my playlist and it was a nice surprise to see that the band had an upcoming full-length album on the brink of release. Let’s dive into “Encased In Deathlike Layers” and see what the band has been working on for the past five years. If you are familiar with OPHIS then you know these guys pride themselves for their songwriting / musicianship. Dark, depressing, soul-draining, but yet majestic and ambitious is the way I can describe the sound of this album. It grasps you, sinks its guitar hooks into you and smothers with a wall of sound. The guitars are on point with their catchy riffs / hooks / droning, the drums are well produced and do not drown out the rest of the instruments and the vocals are commanding. The first track, ‘The Hounds Are Wailing’, is a 10-minute hell-ride journey into the abyss. The music just hits you in the chest, knocking the wind out of you within the first 20 seconds. Phillip’s vocals are preaching the twisted pain endured by the spirit. A hallow welcoming to the world of OPHIS. Tracks like ‘The Astral Tomb’, ‘Count Your Blessings’ and ‘A Silent Culling’ for me really stood out and I was not disappointed with this release. Just like solid built German auto engine, OPHIS brought their A-game and delivered another stunning performance showcasing why they are of the leaders in this current era of Death Doom / Funeral Doom Metal. It was refreshing to catch up on some of the band’s older discography while preparing for this album’s review. This album continues in the saga of “The Dismal Circle” and I highly recommend it to any fans of DOOM:VS, EVOKEN or MOURNFUL CONGREGATION. Until next time, keep those horns high! For more info: www.facebook.com/ophisdoom, www.facebook.com/fdarec