Until late 2002, when Philipp decided to resurrect the serpent, once more all on his own. An eight track demo CD was recorded; all instruments and vocals performed by himself, containing old and new songs, and released in November 2002. The demo hit huge success in the international underground scene and received overwhelming reviews in countless magazines across the globe. No wonder, that in the end of 2003, the decision was made to reform Ophis to a complete band again. Philipp took over the guitar and vocals again, once more with Richard Nolte on drums, reinforced by Jan on guitar and Chrille on bass, another Rain of Ashes member. The band played several gigs in Hamburg (including supporting Primordial), when Chrille decided to depart cause of musical differences. He was replaced by Torn to Pieces bassplayer Oliver.
What is Ophis all about? Well, it may be a cliché, but Ophis is about suffering from life, about depression, about the all-day disappointments, about death and decay, about suicidal ambitions and the darkness that dwells in your soul. Just read the lyrics to find out for yourself.
Musically inspired by bands like My Dying Bride, Samael, Katatonia, Tiamat and Obituary, Ophis stands for a slow, heavy mixture of Doom Metal and Death Metal with an undeniable sadness and melancholy.
So enjoy the suffering and enter the realm of the serpent... Ophis is crawling among you.
Discography:
- Empty, Silent And Cold (Demo-CD 2002)
- Nostrae Mortis Signaculum (MCD 2004)
- Stream of Misery (Full-length, 2007)
- Withered Shades (Full-length, 2010)
Funeral
Ophis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Into the cold embrace of the earth
Chilling wind
Tender and cold like herself
Weeping grass
The spade in my hand
My Cold tears
The frozen shape
Around her soul
Her ebon casket
The white silk inside
Close the lid and forget
Upon the silent hill
My Words go down with you
Only flesh remains
Nothing reminds of her
No sign, no mark
Frozen earth
Covering her
And yet I feel
Her kiss is still inside me
The lyrics to Ophis's song Funeral are poetic and deeply emotional, expressing the pain of losing someone close, and the acceptance of their passing. The song reflects on the somber yet powerful imagery of a funeral, with the singer using nature metaphors to describe the solemn occasion. The opening line, "Lower her down into the cold embrace of the earth," conveys the idea of a ceremonial burial, a final resting place for the deceased. The next line, "Chilling wind tender and cold like herself," is a metaphorical reference to the deceased, as if they were a part of nature, and therefore returned to it.
The following lines introduce the singer's grief, with "weeping grass, the spade in my hand" representing their emotional state. The lyric "my cold tears could not melt the ice" powerfully illustrates the idea that the singer is unable to change the course of events, and that their sorrow is only a reflection of the natural order of things.
The central theme of the lyrics revolves around the idea of letting go. The singer accepts that with death, only flesh remains, and that nothing can alter the fact that the deceased is gone. The ardent expression of loss culminates in the final line, "And yet I feel her kiss is still inside me," indicating that even though the person is no longer with them, their memory and the impact they made on the singer remain.
Line by Line Meaning
Lower her down
Lower the casket holding the dead body into the grave.
Into the cold embrace of the earth
The cold ground accepting the dead into its depths.
Chilling wind
The cold wind blowing like a sign of mourning.
Tender and cold like herself
The wind is tender and cold - like the dead person.
Weeping grass
The grass reflecting the sadness of the mourners.
The spade in my hand
The tool to dig the grave and bury the dead.
My Cold tears
The tears shed by the mourner out of sadness and grief.
Could not melt the ice
The mourner's tears did not have the power to bring the dead person back to life.
The frozen shape
The body of the dead person, now cold and lifeless.
Around her soul
The body that once housed the soul of the person is now only a shell.
Her ebon casket
The black coffin that bears the dead person to the grave.
The white silk inside
The lining of the casket, symbolizing the purity of the person.
Close the lid and forget
The casket is sealed, and the dead person is left in the earth.
Upon the silent hill
The final resting place of the dead person.
My Words go down with you
The mourner's words of goodbye go down with the dead person.
Only flesh remains
The physical body is all that remains of the person in this world.
Nothing reminds of her
There is nothing left to remember the person by.
No sign, no mark
There is no visible trace left of the person.
Frozen earth
The cold earth covering the casket.
Covering her
The earth is now the final resting place of the dead person.
And yet I feel
Despite everything, the mourner still feels something.
Her kiss is still inside me
The memory of the person and their love lives on within the mourner.
Contributed by Carson L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Storms of Decay
FINALLY BACK....