I'm going to begin this review with saying that I am very picky when it comes to metal these days. I was a big fan of metal in the late 80's/early 90's era with bands like Pantera, Sepultura and Slayer creating the template for great modern metal. Unfortunately, I then found that metal as a whole seemed to take a seriously tragic plunge going into the late 90's, with bands like Korn and Sevendust taking the reins and leading us all into and endless Nu Metal hell. It felt like there was so much lost in what makes great metal music. For example: intelligent songwriting, melodic sensibility, and interesting musical dynamics. I did however feel a sense of hope in the early 2000's upon discovering some long overlooked bands like In Flames and Dark Tranquility. These bands seemed to go back to some of the more primal roots of true metal that celebrated the melodic structures of classic Maiden, with the progressive tendencies of King Crimson, all nicely complimented with sincerely brutal vocals.
Now allow me to introduce Nova Scotia's own Orchid's Curse. Lead vocalist Josh Hogan has been championing the Canadian east coast metal scene for the last 5 years with his own Diminished Fifth Records label, and makes his case no better than with his own band. Their 2006 debut EP, Goodbye Is When The Casket Closes, delivered a remarkable showcase of tight, razor sharp rhythms and carefully arranged song structures. The band takes things a step further with their first full length release, Voices: The Tales of Broken Men. This is the sound of an already fiercely accomplished metal ensemble truly coming into their own lyrically, musically and conceptually. With an album that follows a narrative thematic structure that invites us to explore the darkest of human emotions, the band has created a brilliant, progressive masterwork that may already be their magnum opus. Imagine the perfect marriage of technical proficiency, dedicated musicianship with emotional catharsis and unadulterated aggression. The production is also severely impressive, while at the same time lends a quality that exposes the raw nature of the music. On top of everything else, amongst some of the violent discord are some actual frighteningly catchy hooks.
The rhythm section (consisting of drummer Bobby Webb and bassist Kevin Mombourquette) flawlessly pounds with frenetic intensity and creates the ideal backdrop for the relentless sensory overload of sonic wizardry. The dual guitar team of Brian Jones and Keith MacLeod come through with a barbaric assault of mean, metal riffage and complex, interwoven melodies executed with surgical like precision. Vocalist Hogan cuts through the mix with an imposing display of range that travels the spectrum from tortured scream that recalls Sick Of It All's Lou Koller, to a brutally resolute death growl.
The musical journey opens with the slow burning instrumental, "Above Moyobamba" that meticulously ascends into an oblivious hollow of dark, disturbing melody and atmosphere. From there we're taken into "The Delicate Art of Dying" which is where the album explodes into full force with all guns blazing. Perhaps one of the record's major highlights comes in the grandiose interlude of "The Workhorse Walks Alone" which builds slowly into an epic group vocal chorus that sounds like a frustrated, haunted choir of doom chanting from the ends of insanity. Despite the beautiful chaos that erupts with the savage rhythms, piercing guitar hooks and feral screams, the songs are colorfully flourished with an interesting array of embellishments. "It Was The Darkest Day We'd Never See" is a short but sweet instrumental built around a renaissance era sounding classical guitar passage with cello. The final suite of "The Voice" that serves as the album's dual-faceted coda, begins with a delicate, harmonious piano melody that leads into a canorous dueling guitar intro that is welcomingly reminiscent of Heartwork era Carcass.
Along with the likes of Soilwork and Unearth, it is bands like Orchid's Curse that have renewed my enthusiasm for great metal. More metal bands really need to understand and appreciate the need for dynamics and musicality to get the point across. Heavy for the sake of being heavy doesn't cut it anymore. The Nu Metal era is over, and that is made painfully clear with music like this.
http://www.myspace.com/orchidscurse
http://www.diminishedfifthrecords.com/
