In August 2025, Ophelia’s Eye made a grand statement with ‘Enter The Arena’. The track presented the ultimate in heaviness, without moving into extreme territory. The opening riffs blended top notch metalcore with a pinch of groove, which made the band sound like Lamb of God with sharper edges. The body of the track blended pneumatic rhythms with a heavy downtune, taking a metalcore sound into even heavier and darker realms, and while the vocals appeared abrasive, they were never impenetrable.

That single promised more greatness ahead, and in terms of bringing the heaviness but sharing something slightly more accessible, ‘Severance’ really ups the ante in terms of the band’s talents.

The title track from the band’s forthcoming EP wastes no time in confronting the listener with a brilliantly heavy edge. The opening blast trades in the expected metalcore for a more abrasive, almost industrial sound that’s driven by a pneumatic rhythm. From there, the band plough through a heavy arrangement that owes a small debt to Swedish metal titans In Flames with its combination of heaviness and melody, and the way the abrasive vocal on the verse is contrasted with a cleaner and more modern sound on the chorus lends the punchy arrangement a surprisingly accessible hook. The way a couple of the more aggressive vocals appear to slip into a rhythm more attuned to rap metal and hardcore comes a bigger surprise, but for those who enjoyed the subtle-as-a-brick elements of ‘Enter The Arena’, a much heavier breakdown that’s driven by a massive downtuned sound ensures that Ophelia’s Eye still sound like a band who could go head to head with the fiercest competition when it comes to a great riff.

A small piece of criticism here is that ‘Severance’ ends a little too abruptly. The expected climax doesn’t really come; instead, the band opt to cut things off at around the four minute mark, ready to move on and deliver another round of heaviness. That said, this is a track that certainly couldn’t be accused of outstaying its welcome – and it’s a great vehicle for introducing a first time listener to the Swiss band’s brand of contemporary metal.

Watch the new video below.