Orchid’s Curse – The Decay

Share this on Facebook | Share this on Twitter

From Bandcamp, “With over a decade of musical output, ORCHID’s CURSE create a beautiful amalgamation of Brutal Metal, Progressive melody and intelligent thought provoking lyrics.” This is their new EP, written during the pandemic. It has five songs. “Better Men” is the first. The opening tones are heavy, aggressive, and groovy, with harsh vocals. I hear mostly Metalcore here, although there are also some Progressive elements. The breakdown section is both brutal and melodic, and the band seems quite capable of hitting both ends.

“Dead Idols” has another rousing and energetic sound. The music and vocals are absolutely punishing, but not without some melody here and there. The breakdown after the halfway mark is also brutal, and the band shows no signs of letting up. “The Divergence of Man” is a slower death…the kind where the man who swings the blade takes his time and removes nails, skin, and other things like fingers, toes, and ears…letting you bleed to death through immense pain. Rich, atmospheric elements come into play in this song, and let them ride. “Divided by Everything” is a fast moving shorter song, with heavily picked notes and plenty of balls. It sounds like if MOTORHEAD delved into the Death Metal annals for a spell.

The lengthy “Pay to Prey” closes the album. This song is given a few moments to breathe and develop. It develops into filthy, vile tones, the kind that you might find in a dungeon or in the deep recesses of your mind. Some dissonant tones mix in, giving the song a dark edge. The band has the brutal side of the genre down quite well but need a little work in the melody department. Music and be as brutal as you would like it, but sprinkling in more melodies might help it stand out a bit more. As it stands, it is a good album, but could be better in this regard.

Songwriting: 7
Musicianship: 8
Memorability: 6
Production: 8