2023-12-04 08:00:34
(c) Oscar Dziedziela
What do you do when you release one of the best metal albums of the year? That’s right, you add some new material on top. With “Descent” was Orbit Culture Finally achieved their breakthrough on record in late summer. Two tracks remain – characterized by a similar mood, but drifted into a more experimental direction during recording. After touring together with Avatar, they wrote another song to hold the material together, and are now releasing the result under the name „The Forgotten“a purely digital 3-track EP intended primarily as a thank you to the fans.
Said ‘another song’ opens the series: “While We Serve” cautiously feels its way forward before the floodgates open and a dark and brutal bastard rushes out of the speakers. Orbit Culture underline their understanding of modern metal sounds, melodic to deadly. The track lives primarily from its ominous mood. You feel that things might change at any time, but instead you get a dark instrumental break that you would expect in a post-metal environment. Instead of completely freaking out followingwards, the quartet stays true to the slightly tricky mid-tempo sector and instead strives for technical excellence. This takes some getting used to, but following a few runs it won’t let go.
In comparison, “The Upheaval” seems anthemic and radio-friendly, repeatedly unpacking diabolical clear vocals, peeling the dirt from the vocal cords and wrapping it all up in a death-thrash bastard of the melodically explosive variety. Here the closeness to the current album becomes particularly clear, even though the small breaks always dare to break out. This is exactly what “Sound Of The Bell” perfects, an eight-minute mammoth for which singer and guitarist Niklas Karlsson deals with school shootings and other horror stories from the news. Melody moments that keep emerging, proggy undertones and a broken, completely dismantled second half underline the madness.
In fact, Orbit Culture try a lot more in these 19 minutes, which suits them well. The direct connection to “Descent” remains tangible at all times, without completely sinking your teeth into this sound universe. Time and once more, “The Forgotten” slips away from its relationship and creates complex, anthemic, yet destructive tracks. Significantly more technical expertise in riffing, complex drum patterns and a well-balanced dark atmosphere meet muscular hymns and a heart for ominous instrumental inserts. Orbit Culture dare to do something and hit the jackpot – the perfect end to what is probably their best year musically to date.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: December 1st, 2023
Available via: Seek & Strike
Website: www.orbitculture.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OrbitCulture
Category: Magazin, Reviews
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