Orthodox’s fusion of chaotic rhythms, pushed-to-the-breaking-point riffing and explosively emotive vocals has refined itself to a bleeding edge proposition on their monolithic, expansive fourth studio album, “A Door Left Open”.
Picture this: You get home – the same home you’ve come home to for as long as you remember, taking the same road with the same shadows cast from those familiar tree – and though the temperature feels appropriately crisp in the evening air, you notice there’s a bit more bite to it right before realizing the light on your porch also cuts through more sharply. The inside’s shine pierces the outside’s darkness: “A Door Left Open”.
On “A Door Left Open”, Orthodox capture the sense of unease and full-on dread one would feel having their comfort and routine violated. What got in – or what got out?
The album’s vibrant single “Searching For A Pulse” mutates metal’s most groovy elements into a molten alloy as scalding as it is dense. “This is about a reoccurring dream I would get every time we left for tour that my house was burning down and I couldn’t make it home in time to save it,” explains vocalist Adam Easterling, revealing it would crumble to ash as he finally made it back. “I tried to write something that encapsulates an overall fear and eventual submission to being powerless.”
“Searching For A Pulse” is out alongside its striking video directed by Anthony Altamura. Watch it below.
“A Door Left Open”’s barrage of riffs (a New Wave of American Heavy Metal string skipper picks up the pace in “Godless Grace”), a shredding solo (in “Searching for a Pulse,” courtesy of newest member Ben Touchberry), and countless breakdowns construct a sonic sense of unrest across the album’s 12 tracks. At the center of it all is guitarist Austin Evans, whose upside-down, lefty way of playing is as unorthodox as his writing, which is littered with harmonics, squeals and borderline laser noises.
The contrast between those and crushing chugs – accentuated by diverse rhythms from drummer Mike White and bassist Shiloh Krebs – ensures the whiplash-laden listen never gets comfortable. Atop that, Easterling’s brash bellow is even more powerful here- resulting in new dynamics that had producer Randy LeBoeuf (Jesus Piece, Kublai Khan TX, Dying Wish) exclaiming he could hardly believe it’s coming from the same man.
Listeners will notice less of the wavering voice Jonathan Davis and Corey Taylor used to approximate insanity and more of a self-assured brute force of nature. It’s in line with the direct nature of the lyrics, with Easterling stepping out from under metaphors with an explanation that’s equally as blunt: “It comes down to the fact that life will kick your ass, whether you want it to or not.”
Easterling matches life’s throes on the mic, which helps him stand strong amongst the album’s stable of guest vocals. Comeback Kid’s Andrew Neufeld emotes in one of hardcore’s most diverse and recognizable voices on pre-launch single “Commit to Consequence”, while Matt McDougal of best friend band Boundaries brings brutality to straight edge anthem “Blend in with the Weak.” A gang vocal shout of “WHAT THE FU*K?!” at the start of “One Less Body” sums up the guest who brings ethereal musings to the song’s epic closing: Mastodon’s Brann Dailor.
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1. Can You Save Me? 2. Body Chalk 3. Dread Weight 4. Blend In With The Weak (feat. Matt McDougal) 5. Godless Grace 6. Keep Your Blessings 7. Sacred Place 8. Step Inside 9. One Less Body (feat. Brann Dailor) 10. Searching For A Pulse 11. Commit To Consequence (feat. Andrew Neufeld) 12. Will You Hate Me? |
Photo By Ryan Johnson
