Orbit Culture “Death Above Life”
Sweden is renowned for its birthing of Extreme Metal royalty: At The Gates, Dark Tranquillity, Amon Amarth and I guess I’ll throw In Flames into the mix. These bands, over the course of more than three decades, have solidified Swedish metal’s noble place among the very best of what the international Extreme Metal scene has had to offer since the ‘90’s. And I haven’t even mentioned its notorious Black Metal movement: Dissection, Ofermod and Watain. In 2013, a new kind of Sverige steel was forged - formidable in its solidness - versatile in its capacity for malicious utilization: modern, sleek and stunning. On that year, Orbit Culture was born.
Since their inception, Orbit Culture has, in some ways, redefined the Melo-Death sub-genre. Their infusion of monstrous grooves, a touch of djent and their overall weightier, Metalcore-like style of play, paired with a more layered vocal attack, has set them apart from the above-mentioned Legends of the industry. Some people dig it. Others admonish it as an abominable infusion. Obviously, there is not much in the way of what is traditional to be found under the Orbit Culture banner.
I’ve always had a bit of respect for what Orbit Culture does: massive grooves and crunching riffs all day. Not to mention the gravity of their sound. I mean, this shit is HEAVY! It’s the Core elements that I can’t get behind. Anyway, now that you’ve been properly introduced, let’s get into Orbit Culture’s forthcoming album, Death Above Life, which is scheduled to drop on October 3 via Century Media Records.
Right away with the brutality… A gut-wrenching series of grooves, keyboard-accented and vicious. Laying the Gothenburg sound on thick are Orbit Culture during the opening track, “Inferna” - a mammoth breakdown to sweeten the deal. An uber-modernized version of Machine Head, minus one sniveling puke front man is what we have here. A striking urban sort of vibe that evokes images Gothenburg nights; the energy of the city’s neon bloodline in its most vibrant state. Production-wise, expect a scoured-to-the-bone, sanitized and industrial atmosphere. Fitting for such a contemporary offering. The gutturals are brute and the Hetfield-like cleans are lame… The chorus in “Inside The Waves” hits like a limp-dick version of Killswitch Engage, but again with a nice breakdown to keep things interesting.
Upon listening to track one, you get the idea. Not much in the way of variation moving forward. The intro to “The Tales of War” is really the only exception: subtly melodic and mellow. Carrying over of course to more of those hefty riffs. Death Above Life, thus far, has delivered equal parts favorable and cringeworthy moments. When this thing hits, it hits like a sonic Panzer; just bulldozing forward with freight train-like momentum, but when it misses, as I just mentioned, it’s cringe… Jeez, this thing is long. You gotta really be into this band to endure its lengthy runtime.
You will bang your head. “Hydra” slaps - mosh fuel - get the crowd jumping type shit. Once again repping the Sverige sound with electric intensity. The following track, “Nerve”? A modern-day Trivium-like, milky melodic and smooth cut. I’m a sucker for well-executed melodic passages, and I’m getting them by the shovel load here. A soaring track in comparison to the others. Orbit Culture achieving a nice balance between what is heavy and what is melodic. This album is nothing if not comprehensive. I’ll give ‘em that much. I will say that Death Above Life is an album suited for those of a mid-tier level of Extreme Metal connoisseurship. It has a lot of energy, some soul and I know these tracks will sound great live.
I enjoyed this album, but I’m not sure if I’ll ever spin it again. The atmosphere of the record alone is enough to make for an agreeable experience. Orbit Culture does a nice job of creating that modern Fear Factory type of frequency, and it’s most certainly a banger. If getting the pit stirred up into a sweaty froth is your thing then by all means enjoy, but if you’re like me and appreciate the artsy side to Extreme Metal then you’ll probably want to avoid Death Above Life.
SCORE: 7 / 10
You can purchase Death Above Life on the band’s Bandcamp or stream it on the band’s Spotify. The band will embark on a fall European tour with support from Gaerea and Atlas. Check out tour dates and purchase tickets HERE.
