Swedish
melodic death groovers Orbit Culture have been around since 2013 and have
consistently released a new album almost every year, which isn't quite so
common, to say the least. You'll notice that the band took a little bit more
time with this one however, as there's a year gap between 2014's In Merdias Res
and this new album. From what I've heard here, the gap seems like just what the
record needed, though I can't be for certain as this is my first excursion with
the act. Disregarding all of that, I can say that fans of melodic death metal
legends and recent greats will be quite pleased with the record, certainly just
as much as I am. The opener “Svartport” seems like it might have influence from
Testament's The Gathering, while “Sun Of All” certainly seems to carry
that sorrowful tinge that Insomnium and Swallow The Sun brought to the genre.
“Obsession” feels a lot like mid-era Soilwork, although you could also compare
those grooves to mid-era In Flames. The album's title track sounds like it has
some Gojira references behind it, while at the same time reminding me a lot of
Scar Symmetry. Frontman Niklas Karlsson has a vocal bark that is almost
completely comparable to that of legend Christian Alvestam, especially during
his Scary Symmetry and Unmoored work. There is no doubt that the melodic death
metal listener will find several references to his favorite acts here, yet they
are all placed in such a way that they sound authentic, and not like some mere
emulation. Occasionally Orbit Culture also throw in synths and cleans, which
definitely help the performance and are certainly not unheard of in this kind
of music.
If you'll remember what I said when I was reviewing Israel's The
Fading, Orbit Culture sound like a more modern tribute to the melodic death
metal we have today, whereas the latter sounded more like a tribute to the
melodic death of yesteryear. That's also why I feel that such an album is
greater, because these guys aren't making a mere emulation of the same songs
and artists that they like. They're reinterpreting their favorite acts in a
style that befits them. Orbit Culture sounds like a new band, with a lot of
great influences and that's what's important. Every great band has a lot of
inspirations behind them, even Priest, Maiden and Sabbath had their influences.
But what makes a band a great band, is when they can pool all those influences
together to make something that just sounds monolithic, and that's what I feel
Rasen is. While we might think it's a little funny to consider a record called
Rasen very close to the English raisin, I can absolutely assure you that this
disc is no mere dried fruit. The band still have some places where they can
explore and expand what they're doing here, but if you love hard grooves,
memorable melodies and an overall great interpretation of some of the best
things that this genre has had to offer for the past couple of decades, then
you should look no further than Orbit Culture. I should also mention that I'm
quite happy with the production value here, and everything has been properly
for what I'd consider the best possible experience of a record that I'm sure
you'll play again and again. I surely wouldn't mind having a copy of this in my
collection and I feel that most melodic death metal fans would feel the same –
especially if you dig grooves as much as I do. Rasen is a definite win for
these gentlemen and I hope that this won't be the last we hear from them. Yet
after two prior records, I'm quite sure that they're only beginning to show off
what they can really do. You're gonna love this one.
(10 Tracks, 48:00)
8/10
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