In our modern, technological age where music is available at our fingertips and more and more artists are focusing on selling quick-rotation singles to the masses, Opium Denn is making the conscious choice to create songs that are best considered as a part of a larger body of work – the concept album. Self-described as “Pink Floyd meets Blue Oyster Cult and the Phantom of the Opera”, Opium Denn has concocted a sound that sits somewhere between prog-rock and art-rock and feels entirely unique in its mysteriousness. 

His latest concept album, Demarkation, is the first of a three-part series. Instrumental for the most part, this record is introspective by way of dark, ethereal sounds that are at once eerie and alluring. Opening track ‘I Am A Feeling’ is a slow-burner with a larger than life atmosphere indebted to spaced-out sounds and a lathering of reverb. Accompanied by a shimmering piano which breaks up the track’s darkness like dappled sunlight, the vocals make a late entrance in the song’s final minute with one short verse: “I am a feeling, maybe nothing more/A journey for a time and open door. I have a feeling there’s so much more/Sensations are all and forevermore”. Revealing an unexpected classic-rock ruggedness to his voice, the singer sets the tone for the album to follow with these enigmatic, almost mantra-like lyrics. ‘Leaf’ is one of the more minimal and mellow songs on the record while ‘So Many Faces’ and ‘Demarkation’ groove with a slightly bluesy-feel – be that a psychedelic, off-kilter brand of blues. ‘A Drone’ is set alight with a face-melting guitar solo before fading to nothingness and seguing into ‘Eyes To The Sky’, where the album takes an ‘80s classic-rock turn. 

Demarkation is a hypnotic record. At times soaring and at times zoned out, there is an air of mystery across this album that deserves a few listens to truly appreciate.

Demarkation is available from Amazon & iTunes.