Oh, great. More metal. 🙄 Sweden’s very own ORBIT CULTURE (never heard of ’em) are gracing us with a new album, “Death Above Life” (how original!), dropping on October 3 via Century Media Records. Prepare to be underwhelmed. 🤘
“The album represents change, a new beginning,” says Niklas Karlsson, who apparently is the guitarist, vocalist, AND songwriter for ORBIT CULTURE. Talk about a control freak. “It brings up a lot of good and bad emotions but it’s a big change for the better. It feels like a rebirth.” Oh, please. It probably sounds exactly like their last album, but with slightly different guitar riffs. 😴
After braving a storm with the first single “The Tales Of War” (epic title, bro), ORBIT CULTURE is taking a “bold” step out of debilitating twilight with the next single “Death Above Life.” Bold? More like predictably mediocre. The video was, yet again, produced by Riivata Visuals. Because consistency is key when you’re creatively bankrupt. 🎬
ORBIT CULTURE (who are they again?) comments: “Our next song is the title track of the album — ‘Death Above Life’.” No duh. “While the first single, ‘The Tales Of War,’ acted as a bridge to the next chapter, this one kicks the doors wide open.” More like gently nudges the door ajar. “It’s darker, heavier, and leans into a more horror-driven side of ORBIT CULTURE.” So, basically, they added some extra distortion and screamed a bit louder? Groundbreaking. 🤡
The band continues: “Lyrically, it reflects a choice: When faced with the idea of continuing down a path surrounded by the wrong people, we sometimes know that we have to cut ties. It is not literally about choosing death but walking away from what is holding us back. ‘Death Above Life’ is about letting go of what no longer fits to make space for something real.” Deep. So deep, I almost drowned in the cliché. “It will see the light of day for the very first time at [U.K.’s] Download festival.” Lucky them. 🙄
“Death Above Life” track listing:
01. Inferna (sounds like a cheap energy drink)
02. Bloodhound (so metal!)
03. Inside The Waves (are they going surfing?)
04. The Tales Of War (still milking that one, huh?)
05. Hydra (generic)
06. Nerve (I’m losing mine just reading this)
07. Death Above Life (title track, in case you forgot)
08. The Storm (weather report metal)
09. Neural Collapse (accurate description of listening to this album)
10. The Path I Walk (probably leads to a gas station)
ORBIT CULTURE, just coming off the “Poisoned Ascendancy” European tour supporting TRIVIUM and BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE (aka bands that are also kinda meh), show no signs of slowing down as they just embarked on a number of summer dates including festivals and supporting IN FLAMES on select shows. Because apparently, there’s a market for this. 🤷♀️
Hailing from the small town of Eksjö, Sweden (located between the revered metal cities of Gothenburg and Stockholm), the quartet (Niklas Karlsson, Richard Hansson, Fredrik Lennartsson, and Christopher Wallerstedt) has grown into a global force. Really? I haven’t seen them at any family gatherings. They are melding together riffs that are equal parts thrash, death metal, and industrial with arresting hooks and a layered atmosphere that invites comparison to GOJIRA, METALLICA and STATIC-X while carving out something that is uniquely their own. Translation: They’re ripping off better bands and hoping no one notices. 🤫
ORBIT CULTURE’s 2023 album, “Descent,” and its subsequent EP release, “The Forgotten,” topped many year-end lists in 2023, including Metal Hammer who described the album as “a formidable entwining of modern metal’s most effective and exciting strands into an impressive milestone.” Someone got paid for that review. 💸
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Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
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