Label : Sidehorn Records
Review By Tony Cannella
When one hears about a band coming from Norway, it’s only natural to automatically think black metal or a female fronted symphonic metal band. Those seem to be the majority of styles that come from Norway, well this Norwegian band certainly breaks that mold. They are called Orpheus and have just issued their debut 8-song 40-minute album. Instead of the aforementioned black metal and symphonic metal styles, the band play hard-hitting, riff-heavy, hard rock/heavy metal. Their sound lies somewhere between Iron Maiden-like metal and accessible mainstream hard rock. One thing is constant however and it is those guitar riffs that resonate throughout the CD.The opening track has a title that is about as subtle as a 10-ton sledgehammer. It’s called “F*ck Me Over” and just the title alone is an attention grabber. Getting past that however and this a solid tune that showcases the bands cool riffs and the energetic raspy vocals of Ingrid Galadriel. Her style is about as far away from operatic as you can get, but she sings with a ton of heart and passion. “Constructing” is an excellent straight-forward tune that moves at a rapidly, galloping pace. “Bygones”, “Mr. Manipulative” and the almost 8-minute track “Peepin’ Tom” keep things moving along at a steady pace. “Bloodflow” is a great metal tune with some more serious riffage and an opening that is somewhat Iron Maiden-esque and just some all around great guitar work from Kristian and Sivert, their performance is impressive throughout the CD. The final track “The Plan” brings the CD to a strong conclusion. Orpheus has released a strong debut, that fans of strong, dense guitar riffs and powerful female vocals should gravitate to. This Norwegian band have released a CD that they should be proud of.
Rating – 82/100
Tracklist
- F*ck Me Over
- Constructing
- Bygones
- Mr. Manipulative
- Peepin’ Tom
- Repay
- Bloodflow
- The Plan
Line Up
- Ingrid Galadriel – Vocals
- Kristian Drivenes – Guitars
- Sivert Skaaren – Guitars
- Amund Stokke – Bass
- Torgeir Sølvberg Nielsen – Drums
Links