Three years Martin Schirenc promised third Hollenthon album, he dropped information for different stages of the recording process and finally, after he and Alex Wank got embroiled and decided to disband their main band Pungent Stench, the Austrian found time with his colleague Mike Gröger to finish and release a new CD of his symphonic death metal project. Still with the opening track “On The Wings of a Dove” it becomes clear that Hollenthon continue the direction of “With Vilest of Worms to Dwell” (2001) with direct death metal compositions and skillfully weaved symphonic moments, choir chants and retaining melodies. The very orchestrations are not as bombastic and leading as we are used to from the first two albums but they present notably in the songs and they give volume, density and atmosphere to the record. Midtempo songs are dominating, with heavy, rhythmical blow and thick curtain of rich and concentrated sound which gives them the dark and choking weight of a sea wave (“To Fabled Lands”, “Son of Perdition”). The talent of Martin is proved long tome ago. As a guitarist, main composer and leader in the band, for another time he cleverly combines the heaviness and the aggressive speed of the death metal with the inspiring melodies with Eastern spirits, the epic sound of the classic composers and the blasting strength of the choirs. And while in his typical manner, he growls lyrics of lost civilizations, lunatic visions and morbid dreams, the musical fundament of Hollenthon unloads and washes away, discharged by the machine Mike Gröger on the drums. The two musicians for this album again are partnering with the wife of Martin for the clean female singing but the new thing is that Hollenthon yet is a full-blooded band, completed by the bassist Gregor Marboe (who has worked with Martin also in Pungent Stench) and the second guitarist Martin Arzberger. “Opus Magnum” is among the strong records in the extreme metal underground lately with its interesting musical searching, technique and whole sounding. And even though most foreseeable of the albums of Hollenthon, it fully deserves to allot money and buy the special digipack edition. What for? Because of the video of “Son of Perdition” and because of the killing cover of “The Bazaar” by the Canadians The Tea Party.