Album Review: Orbit Culture - Death Above Life
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
The Swedish quartet have been on a quite a journey since I saw them in March 2024 at Rebellion in Manchester. That was part of their first ever UK headlining tour, and for once, a band delivered on the hype that surrounded them. They impressed me massively that night, with songs such as “North Star of Nija” and “Vultures of North”, so I was curious to hear the progression they have made.
They will have learnt a lot from touring with Slipknot and Knocked Loose last year, which would have seen them stood in front of new faces, and try to win them over with their brand of melodic death metal. You can hear snippets of Slipknot, particularly in “Bloodhound” which is a brutal track, that oozes class from start to finish. It demonstrates that they can take new elements on board and expand their repertoire, whilst maintaining that fearsome reputation. “Inside The Waves” is another case of trying something new and as Niklas Karlsson says he “wanted to write something that was easy and singalong friendly” that of course wasn’t “written for the masses”.
These two are preceded by opening track “Inferna” which has a killer rhythm from the off, with Karlsson and fellow guitarist Richard Hansson, picking up from their last album “Descent” by trading riffs like a Mexican stand-off. There’s a gentler, slightly eerie opening to “The Tales of War” before it explodes into life. The drums from Christopher Wallerstedt are heavy and prominent in the mix, almost like a battle cryand when the vocals erupt, the song goes into overdrive, however it’s the melody that works well for me, as it wraps itself around the stinging and relentless riffs.
“Hydra” has that space age quality, but you can sense they are ready to press the ignition button. It’s a slow burner, but just as weighty as anything else on the album, but that doesn’t detract from the essence of the song which blows up in the middle sector. With bassist Fredrik Lennartsson doing a sterling job throughout, “Nerve” is a soundscape that epitomises all the positives that I enjoy about the band. Heavy, melodic, vocal variety, blistering riffs and rapid rhythms. What’s not to like?
The album title track is next, and you get a sample of Karlsson’s love of soundtracks and cinematic music. The futuristic “Death Above Life” has lots of textured and layered sounds without losing any of that death metal swagger as they exude confidence in what they are doing. They return to their imperial best on “The Storm” with one of the filthiest riffs they’ve written, and it’s probably my favourite track on the album. That double kick drum from Wallerstedt is resplendent and fills perfectly when required, with a guitar solo that is decadent and powerful.
“Neural Collapse” once again has a touch of Slipknot about it at the start and continues to deliver a savage and sadistic aural assault. It’s breathtaking stuff, which is going to please so many people when they hear it, particularly the dramatic change of tempo late on. The album terminates with “The Path I Walk” and wasn’t what I was expecting at all from the final track. Instead of more barbarity, we get a heartfelt, sincere ballad, with clean vocals over a strummed guitar. They build the track up seamlessly and have earned the right to put this on the album, as they are a band who have limitless potential. Who knows where this album will eventually take them, but the trajectory is upwards and beyond.
