This band from Norway was born somewhere in 2002 but had to go through several lineup changes before reaching June of 2009, that saw the release of ORPHEUS' debut album. I am sure your mind will take the wrong direction if you take a look at the band's lineup. Indeed, this is a female-fronted act but fortunately has nothing to do with the NIGHTWISH-wanna-be bands with singers that just want to take Tarja's place (or throne if you prefer).

The musical subject here is pure Heavy Metal with distinct influences from the classic IRON MAIDEN days (I am referring to the post- "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" days) in twin guitar harmonies and almost galloping rhythms. But this is not everything with ORPHEUS. Ingrid has an enticing vocal harshness and a Hard Rock attitude that gives the band a reason to brag about an almost personal sound. Her singing style and attitude reminded me of the US based band A.D.D. that shares the same vocal grounds. Along with this -at least- interesting vocals is the music itself; apart from the classic influences ORPHEUS have added an up-to-date approach to the songwriting just like in the groovy opening track "Fuck Me Over". The staccato rhythm and the almost screaming vocals bring a macho attitude in the music until the MAIDEN-esque solo where everything turns into pure Heavy Metal.

The album is released through the band's own label but it does not lack quality, since the production does not raise a single complaint. Leaving aside the very good impressions from the vocals I have to comment on the guitars; the guitar duo has done a great job building catchy hooks and harmonies that often reveal some underlying NWOBHM structures and simply cannot go unnoticed. Just like "Constructing" where the nice hammer-ons and pull-offs exchange roles with additional MAIDEN-looking rhythms. It is pretty clear that the band has not solidified a music style and thus "Mr. Manipulative" sounds a little bit out of the box through the heavy mainstream groove where the US layer surfaces up. "Peepin' Tom" comes to reduce the tempo with nice echo effects on the guitars that could hide a lurking ANNIHILATOR influence. Actually, this track has some pretty good ideas that can make the band's sound more personal; I really love the part where the vocals enter and the groovy distorted guitars take over.

Reading the above lines you should have realized that this band has something new to offer in the over-crowded album market. The sound is kind of fresh with an energy flow that I like to find in debut albums. I recommend that you should check the band's myspace page and if you agree with my opinion support them by buying this album.