(written by Islander)
Today we help spread the word about a new Philadelphia-based band — a new band, but formed by people who aren’t newcomers to heavy music. The name of the band is ORB (which stands for Occult Renegade Bastards), and it’s the joint effort of vocalist Lord Gourd (aka Lord Klauf from Morgul Blade) and Jim Viola (also from Morgul Blade, and a member of Wild Beyond) on guitars, bass and keyboards. On their debut album they were joined by session drummer Miles Ziskind.
That album, Supernatural Season, is a fitting celebration of the time of year we’re about to enter here in the northern hemisphere. As the band describe, it’s “A veneration to all that is autumnal, nocturnal, and supernatural” — a journey into “the Land of Forever Autumn”.
Of course, as you can already tell from the album’s cover art and those references to nocturnal and supernatural happenings, the album is especially suited to a particular night that lies ahead of us in October, and its October 23 release date will make it available in time for that parting of the veils that will occur on October 31st.
As for what ORB’s music sounds like, we have an example in our premiere today of its second single, “First Frost“.
Photo by Siobhan McGregor
ORB recommend their album for fans of Samhain, Type O Negative, Black Sabbath, In Solitude, John Carpenter, and Joy Division — which is, to say the least, an intriguing collection of influences. In genre terms, you could think of it as an amalgam of death rock, Gothic metal, and horror punk. Here is what J Viola has told us about the project:
Supernatural Season was a therapeutic act. It was recorded during a turbulent time for MORGUL BLADE. Our leader, LORD GOURD, was recovering from a car wreck. We had to cancel our Morgul Blade touring and festivals plans in the wake of his accident. Sidelined, alone, and angry, we retreated to the comfort of our basement walls and SAMHAIN records, and we ushered in the season as foretold in ORB’s 2023 demo.
Now, to the song.
In listening to the opening refrain of “First Frost” you might imagine something sinister (and supernatural) slowly stalking you. Such is the effect of the slow rocking beats, the menacing bass tones, and the dragging and clawing nature of the coarse-toned riffing.
But then, you’d best run, because that cold and creeping menace begins to race instead of stalk, thanks to a feverishly (and fiendishly) darting heavy metal arpeggio, galloping drums, and hungrily growling bass. Blackened howls and eerily glistening notes that peal and ping add to the music’s supernatural aura, and even when those howls transform into singing, the music still sounds occult.
The harsh vocals continue to gnash and scald, but with even more fervent and fanged intensity, and you can feel the teeth in the abrasive riffing too. But an ensuing guitar solo creates sensations of a slowly slithering and serpentine spell, kind of miserable at first but transforming into a more ecstatic experience.
Leading the song to a close (an ethereal close), a wide range of vocals join together to create a diabolical gang chorus.
Well, the whole song is diabolical, but also diabolically infectious, and a fine and frosty pentagram-fashioned soundtrack for whatever nocturnal activities you might plan for the coming month.
But the foregoing are only our interpretations of what we’re hearing. We also want to share these quotes about the song from the ORB members:
From vocalist Lord Klauf:
“’First Frost‘ is an ode to the hallowed halls of autumn, but it ends as a lament to the inevitability of change. No more shall the world be wrapped in fire, and autumn’s golden king fades back beyond the hills. The last verse of the song is a defiant shout and a patient loyalty knowing that one day he will indeed return to gild the world once more.”
And from multi-instrumentalist J. Viola:
“‘First Frost‘ speaks to something lost and intensely remembered: winter’s arrival, and autumn’s sunset. Told by headbanging riffs, aligned with keyboards that balance mischief and melancholy.”
Supernatural Season was produced by J Viola, and it was mixed and mastered by Mike Bardzik. It features spooky cover art by Nocturnal Errant and a logo by Torin Langen.
The album is being released on hand-numbered orange cassette tapes, 4-panel digipack CDs, and digital formats. Tape pre-orders from the band have already sold out, but more will become available in the coming weeks through Fiadh Productions.
To order the other formats from the band now, see the link below. Also below, you’ll find a stream of the album’s first single, “September’s Burning Shadows“.
PRE-ORDER:
https://orb-haunts.bandcamp.com/album/supernatural-season
FIADH:
https://fiadh.bandcamp.com/