About OPHIS
Ophis [gr: .serpent] was established in 2001 in the bleak harbor city of Hamburg, Germany. Originally a mere side-project under the guidance of Philipp Kruppa (v/g), the band suffered the inevitable line-up changes before slowly but steadily advancing to become one of the most successful german Doom Metal bands.
From day 1, Ophis merged pieces of primal old school Death Metal with slow maelstroms of Doom Metal, ranging from melancholic bleakness to violent outbursts, from slow-motion to blastbeats. They developed their style over the years, becoming more complex and versatile, however Ophis never left the realm of Death Doom Metal, always maintaining the core elements of their individual handwriting. Where many other contemporary bands implement keyboards and clean vocals into their music, Ophis always stuck to the raw, brutal side of Doom.
Lyrically, most songs deal with internal personal struggles, depression and fear, but also with religion and – unusual for a Doom band – political undertones.
The debut album „Stream of Misery“, followed by the band’s first european tour in support of SKEPTICISM and PANTHEIST, put Ophis on the international map of Doom Metal, before the sophomore album „Withered Shades“ finally established the band as a foothold on its own. The album won several magazine awards, is still their best selling record to date, and often mentioned as a staple classic in the Death / Doom underground. After this album, Ophis forged their path, touring Europe, playing international festivals, releasing albums of which all gathered high scores in magazines across the globe. To date, Ophis released 5 full lengths, 2 EPs, 1 compilation and played in 22 european countries – not a small feat for a band that never had the backing of huge labels, never had a proper management, and never played popular Metal styles.
NO LIGHT! NO DESTINATION! NO COMPROMISE!
 | Philipp Kruppa vocals, guitar |
 | Floris Lange Van Ravenswaay guitar |
 | Olly Kröplin bass |
 | Ole Fink drums |