Orchid - The Mouths Of Madness (2013) (3CD Box) RESTORED

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Orchid - The Mouths Of Madness (2013) (3CD Box) RESTORED

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ORCHID was named “the best and most important doom band of the past five years” by Rock Hard Germany’s editor-in-chief Götz Kühnemund. In addition, BEHEMOTH mainman Adam “Nergal” Darski stated: “BLACK SABBATH should do an album like ‘The Mouths Of Madness’!”

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Orchid - The Mouths Of Madness (2013) (3CD Box) RESTORED

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Orchid - The Mouths Of Madness (2013) (3CD Box) RESTORED

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It’s no secret to anyone that this year I’ve found my inner Doom lover!! I’m not talking about that retro nerdy pc game either but rather the musical genre that’s bleaker than getting home from a night out with arty Goth type people and finding out there ain’t no Java Joe in the cupboard. It’s a genre that has slowly garnered favour with me over time and much like the deliberately slow pace of the musical genre, it’s taken its sweet time to take root in my iPod with more and more Doom albums staying on the playlists after my weekly clearances. It’s a massively diverse genre too as well…go forth and see my reviews for Demon Lung, Black Moth, Beastmilk, Ahab or Zatokrev for examples of completely different sides of the Doom dodecahedron. There is a point to the above ramblings…I’ve found another Doom band I love … so allow me to share them with you!!

‘Orchid’ are from San Francisco and are releasing their latest EP “Heretic” and follow up to last years LP “Capricorn”. Now I have never heard “Capricorn” but this EP alone has won me over to such an extent that I need to get my grubby paws on this album!! This EP should come with a written scroll of approval from Satan…a scroll that is signed with the stamp of his cloven hoof!!

Right away the cover art, which features a pale vixen holding that most metal of objects…A FUCKING SKULL, evokes memories of Hammer B-Movie Horror posters and VHS cover art. This carries right into the opening of the first track “Heretic” with its spoken satanic chat before a smoky retro Doom Rock riff shatters the serenity. The riff itself is kinda like a stoner version of the main riff from “Smells Like Teen Spirit” but with a big old set of balls!! The vocals are 70’s sounding and there is a vibrato technique that he uses which makes them all the more authentic. Then you get the almost organs over the chorus and I’m in the seventh circle of bliss!!

“Falling Away” is a massively understated affair right from the get-go…You have acoustic plucked guitars and more organs slowly build up the layers whilst the solitary haunting vocals float over the track in an almost eerie like ghost presence. The track clocks in at 7.12mins and 5.23mins an almost ‘Blue Oyster Cult’ riff kicks things up a gear. The vocals are more menacing now with lyrics telling of being sucked under the control of the dark one..Fucking Quality Stuff!!

“Saviours of the Blind” is my favourite track on the EP as it has a massive stonery rock riff methodically rolling unstoppable like and unmanned steamroller with the acceleration pedal jammed down full!! There is a pick up of pace before the 3min mark and then its almost “Thin Lizzy” rock n roll here accompanied with traditional ultra cool rock solos. The drummer even gets in on the act sounding a bit like Animal from the Muppets battering round the toms and snare with mental speed. This track is a smile inducer of mega proportions.

The closing track “He Who Walks Alone” is classic Doom with an ultra menacingly bass line that plods alone with deliberate pacing. The vocals are about the catchiest on the EP and the chorus has had me singing its melody for about 2 days straight. It’s a strong finishing track to a flawless EP.

The vocalist reminds me of Jeffery Nothing from ‘Mushroom head’ as there is a very distinct similarity of vocal sound and melodic range. It fits the music so well and is one of the many reasons I can’t stop listening this release.

I cant be anymore excited and happy about a release at the same time…I mean its only a 4 track EP but it clocks in at a respectable 25mins and change. The songs are well written, the production is retro feeling but every instrumental can be heard clear. This is definitely a must for fans of Doom or anyone that is getting into the genre.

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Orchid - The Mouths Of Madness (2013) (3CD Box) RESTORED

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Another act in the catalogue of bands reviving the 'forgotten' analogue sounds of yore, Californian hipsters Orchid have released the EP "Wizard of War" in short advance of their upcoming second LP, "The Mouths of Madness". No doubt named from the Black Sabbath song from their classic "Master Of Reality", Orchid retain the groovy doom-rock vibe of that era in blending the quintessential sounds of that Brummie quartet with more than healthy dollop of Pentagram and on the basis of these three songs (albeit one culled from debut LP "Capricorn") they have done it superbly.

The title track which opens is the up-tempo number of the trio, rolling off a glorious bass sound and earthly production that virtually bleeds the smell of weed into my room through a feel of "Paranoid"-esque simplicity. Breaking the lead driving riff only briefly in it's second half for some psychedelic soloing and Theo Mindell's vocal patterns, which retain an a perfect approximation between Ozzy and Bobby Liebling, gives it a great chance of being a fantastic live song. "Demon's Eyes" is more restrained in taking the time to build to small crescendos off the more prominent drum rolls before "Albatross" is the "Spirit Caravan" of the three. The closer on "Capricorn" as well, its concluding position in both is no coincidence for it possesses a slender, tranquil tone: spacey moog synth, soft drumming and bass sound to get lost in it's myriad depths and subtly close out a release.

Cynicism may abound from some that the likes of Nuclear Blast are signing up these heritage acts given their recent past in peddling the most polished and emotionless of extreme metal bands but for every Orchid who may teach a younger metal fan of today that digitised production values are NOT the only way to be then I consider their existence a very worthwhile virtue. Here's hoping the new LP will be just as good.

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Orchid - The Mouths Of Madness (2013) (3CD Box) RESTORED

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San Francisco-based doom rockers, ORCHID, established their reputation early with 2009’s release of their first EP, “Through The Devil’s Doorway”. The EP quickly received first-rate reviews around the world naming it an ingenious debut for a band with an auspicious future. Shortly after the release of “Through The Devil’s Doorway”, ORCHID began working on their full length album, “Capricorn”, which was released in 2011. The record immediately gained the band a huge following in Europe. The quartet around charismatic lead singer Theo Mindell and his fascinating, psychedelic vocals were the new darlings of the retro heavy rock scene. Enter 2012 the band had gained so much interest all around the globe, it was obvious the next steps would have to be taken. ORCHID did so by signing with Nuclear Blast and unleashed another release entitled “Heretic” - the 10” EP contained three brand-new songs as well as the already known “He Who Walks Alone”, taken from the “Capricorn” album. Eventually, as a tasty appetizer for their upcoming second full-length record, an EP entitled “Wizard Of War” was released in February 2013.

Taking into consideration that the Californian quintet had obviously already found its formula for success, one could have expected them to play save by fully maintaining the first record’s course. However, when giving ORCHID’s sophomore release “The Mouths Of Madness” a spin for the first time, one will immediately realize that it embodies anything but stagnation! “The new tracks sound much more direct - the tunes are of a higher quality, somehow more on the spot, which can be traced back to the fact that we’ve all become better musicians”, guitarist Mark Thomas Baker states. “Plus there’s an increased amount of psychedelic parts that we weren’t able to show as much before, while the use of synthesizers was decreased, compared to »Capricorn«”. The instrumental recordings, split into two separate sessions, were done in Hyde Street Studios, San Francisco (DEAD KENNEDYS, MR. BUNGLE, JOE SATRIANI, EXODUS) as well as in Laughing Tiger Studios, San Rafael (SANTANA, SAMMY HAGAR), before long-time producer and engineer Will Storkson and his home studio came into play, where the vocals were tracked. Carrying their 70’s-doom-hard-rock vibe to a new level of intensity and adding new facets to the work of art, ORCHID haves succeeded in staying true to their roots while refining their trademark sound at the same time. Or, as the press puts it:

“The true heir of BLACK SABBATH!”