EMQ’s With Ophelia’s Eye
EMQ’s With Ophelia’s Eye
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Swiss Modern Metallers, Ophelia’s Eye. Huge thanks to them for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
We are Ophelia’s Eye. A modern metal band from Switzerland. We’ve started in 2019, but after a complete line-up change in 2023, we redefined everything: Our sound, our visuals, and the way we work together. Since then, it’s been full focus on writing, releasing, and playing shows all over Switzerland.
How did you come up with your band name?
Ah, the classic question we can’t escape! The name actually came from a misunderstanding by our former bassist, who referenced “The Sandman” by E.T.A. Hoffmann. However, he somehow mixed up Olimpia with Ophelia. The name stuck, and over time we gave it new meaning through what the band has become. The name stuck, and over time it evolved into something that fits us surprisingly well. Both Ophelia and Olimpia deal with distorted perception — one loses herself to emotional collapse, the other isn’t even real to begin with. That duality runs through our music: the conflict between reality and illusion, human fragility and manipulation, truth and decay. So what began as an accident became a symbol of everything we write about.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
We’re from Switzerland. A small country, but with an incredibly tight and supportive scene. Everyone knows each other and there’s a real sense of community between bands, organizers, and the people showing up at gigs.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
Our latest single is “Worship Decay”. A song about how humanity clings to its own downfall.
We are climbing toward nothing. Worship Decay captures the frostbitten exhaustion of a generation burdened by a legacy of destruction: Too numb to scream, too tired to hope.
It’s the anthem of those who ascend in vain, worshiping survival while decay eats us from within.
We don’t believe in tomorrow. And yet we climb.
Who have been your greatest influences?
Musically, we draw inspiration from both the emotional depth and technical precision of modern metalcore.
For Noah, who writes the most instrumental parts, bands like Currents, Bury Tomorrow, and especially Polaris have been huge influencer. Their songwriting and melodic complexity set a standard that continues to inspire. Ryan Siew, their late guitarist – who unfortunately passed away lately – was an absolute mastermind when it came to crafting emotion through riffs and structure.
Lyrically and vocally, Jan is inspired by acts such as Lorna Shore, Bad Omens, Bring Me The Horizon, and Future Palace. All artists who merge aggression with vulnerability and aren’t afraid to explore emotional or psychological depth. That blend of raw power and honesty is something we always strive for in Ophelia’s Eye.
What first got you into music?
Most of us grew up in musical families, surrounded by instruments and live shows from an early age. Seeing our parents perform definitely planted that first spark.
Some of us started in classical music playing instruments like Tuba or Oboe before realizing we wanted to create the kind of sound that truly resonated with us: heavy, emotional and raw.
That mix of upbringing, curiosity, and passion naturally led us to where we are now.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
There are quite a few we’d love to work with.
Names like Lorna Shore, Jinjer, Ice Nine Kills, Bury Tomorrow, Currents or Fit For A King come to mind.
Each of them has a unique way of blending intensity with atmosphere and have their own style in songwriting.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Wacken, of course. It’s such an iconic festival and represents the dream for so many metal bands. We’ve actually applied again for the Wacken Metal Battle 2026. Fingers crossed! But we’d also love to play festivals like Download, Hellfest in France, or Summer Breeze. All of them bring together massive crowds and diverse lineups. Being part of that energy would be incredible.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
That is quite unspectacular: We haven’t received anything truly weird yet. The closest was, when someone got our logo tattooed very big on their leg, which is a great honor. But that was back when the band had barely started, so we were quite confused to have such a big fan early on.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Thank you for every bit of your support! Whether you come to a show, grab some merch or simply share our music online. Every small action helps us grow and means the world to us. You’re part of this journey as much as we are.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
This is different for all of us:
Jan (Vocals): Chester Bennington
Sandro (Bass): Lemmy
Noé (Drums): Ryan Siew
Noah (Guitar): Eddie Van Halen
Corinne (Guitar): Jimi Hendrix
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
The best part is definitely the energy of live shows. That moment when everything connects: the crowd, the music and all the emotions. And the creative process leading up to it, crafting something from nothing, is incredibly rewarding.
What we dislike? Probably how much the focus has shifted away from the music itself.
Social media is a great tool. It connects us directly with fans and lets us tell our story in our own way. But it also means that (musical) creativity alone isn’t enough anymore. You constantly have to feed algorithms instead of just focusing on writing and performing.
It’s a balancing act between art and visibility. One we try to approach consciously, without losing what really matters
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
That creativity and authenticity would matter more than numbers again.
It’s frustrating to see great artists overlooked because algorithms or budgets decide who gets heard. What we’d like to see is a shift back toward genuine art and fairer opportunities. Where connection and passion and not pay-to-play opens the doors. However, we’re quite lucky to be part of the Swiss scene, because here there’s still a real sense of community. People support each other for the love of the music.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
Jan: Bad Omens – The Death of Peace of Mind
Sandro: IceNineKills – Welcome To Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2
Noé: Polaris – The Death of Me
Noah: Currents – The Way it Ends
Corinne: Jinjer – King of Everything
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
CDs are still our go-to. They’re practical and sound great. But vinyl definitely wins when it comes to aesthetics and audio quality. There’s just something special about holding a record in your hands.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
Our own Eye See You Festival is always a highlight. We love curating the lineup and celebrating with our scene. Another standout was playing with Rise of the Northstar at Dynamo Zürich and of course the Wacken Metal Battle 2025 semi-finals. Both unforgettable experiences.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
Unfortunately, we can’t make a living from music (yet). Most of what we earn in our day-to-day jobs goes straight back into the band.
Outside of music, our paths would be quite different: from working with animals and running a sanctuary, to AI language modelling, racing Formula 1 cars, modelling or even being a pilot.
Still, no matter what we’d be doing, we’d probably find a way to make music again sooner or later.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
That would probably be the most chaotic dinner ever.
Between deep talks, game design discussions and questionable dessert experiments, it would be quite the mix.
We’d definitely bring our partners, a few close friends and someone who can bake an incredible dessert.
What’s next for the band?
Our upcoming EP “Severance” drops on December 12, 2025 and we can’t wait to finally share it with everyone. It marks a huge step forward for us in sound and identity.
At the same time, we’re already writing new material and exploring where we can take our music next. Next year, we’d love to take that energy beyond Switzerland to share our music with new audiences and stages across Europe.
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
Website: https://www.opheliaseyeband.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ophelias_eye
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@opheliaseye
Mastodon: https://mastoart.social/@opheliaseye
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hL6CM4UlNgPOtYttvDLPA Bandcamp: https://opheliaseye.bandcamp.com/
Time for a very British question now. As an alternative to the humble sandwich, is the correct name for a round piece of bread common in the UK either a Bap, a Barm (or Barm Cake), a Batch, a Bun, a Cob, a Muffin, a Roll or a Tea Cake?
We’ll just say Roll — and hope that’s the correct answer!
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Thanks for having us! And thank you so much to everyone who still supports underground metal by showing up, listening, and keeping this culture alive. That’s what makes it all worth it.
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
