Orchid - s/t - 7

Labels: hand.held.heart
Review by: Andy Malcolm

So you want something nastier. You want “concrete slab dropped from a great height on to your stupid head” crying man heavy-hardcore. Your best bet is to check out Orchid.

There are five songs on here, and ouch. Pummel pummel pummel, go the guitars as they tear into the thumping “Mean S.O.B.” with enough force to knock down chimneys and put Fred Dibner out of business. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! goes the singer and his backing vocalist on the emo-to-the-max “36 Day Syndrome”, and I guess he then falls on the floor and has to scream some more because he can’t get back to the microphone in time for the next bit.

The rest of the songs fall somewhere between the two. Big walls of swirling chaotic guitars and some rib-cage rattling drumming, desperate screamo and painful crying.

If I was hyper depressed then this record would be my sound track. It’s got nice blue vinyl and detailed packaging to cheer you up again though.