Orbit Culture is a band poised. The Swedish quartet’s Century Media debut, Death Above Life, is not merely a statement of how far the band has come, but it is the sound of metal in the most modern sense. ”This record represents change, a new beginning,” says Orbit Culture guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, Niklas Karlsson. “It brings up a lot of good and bad emotions but it’s a big change for the better. It feels like a rebirth.” From the album’s scorching opener, “Inferna” to its clench-fisted title track to the elegiac closer, “The Path I Walk”, It’s clear: Orbit Culture is at the top of their game.
Aside from their DIY ethos and their uncompromising, disturbing dark-on-dark visuals Karlsson credits his love for soundtracks and cinematic soundscapes for fleshing out Orbit Culture's sound and vision. Composers including Hans Zimmer (Dune,
Interstellar) and Howard Shore (Lord of the Rings) have become a huge influence on the band. “So much more than any metal being written today,” Niklas states. “Every one of us would rather listen to the ‘Inception’ soundtrack. It’s timeless. When I get stuck writing, those tools and inspiration are there, whether it’s cellos or pianos which adds texture. We write very easy riffs and structures, so turning to someone like Hans Zimmer leads us to taking the ending of a songs like ‘Inferna’ and making the final chorus bigger and more cinematic.”
Produced by the band and mixed by Buster Odeholm (Vildhjarta, Humanity’s Last Breath, Thrown), Death Above Life is a statement for metal: its present and future. It’s also a crucial next step for Orbit Culture as they continue to define themselves and metal, as a whole. “We play metal,” says Karlsson. “We have influences of Djent, influences of metalcore, melodic death metal. We stay true to ourselves, and I think people are hungry for that.”
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