Formed in 2001 with the manifesto to play music that they love and nothing else, Plymouth's Orca have built up an impressive fan base and reputation over the past few years through independent touring and releases - in short, good old fashioned hard work.
Their 2003 breakthrough release The Thought Of Falling (released via Alaska Recordings in September 2003), secured the quintet (guitarists Tom Ward and Si Foster, bassist Tim Wright, drummer Jamie Sharp, and singer Dan Brace) a top spot in the heart of UK's underground communities; but today the band is ready to take things to the next level (is it really ready?).
I am not sure if this is a full-length album release or a CD single, based on the fact that there are only five songs included in the copy that I own. The music press, for some unknown, hidden reason, seems eager to praise this album as much as possible. I wonder why... In this case, far off the mark would be a grave understatement of immense proportions. Not only is this album very far from being any good, it is also very remotely Metal, if at all.
Well I might be a tough reviewer but I believe I am really objective saying this is an album with a lack of interest, at least for me. The music now resembles something in the vein of crappy Hardcore Punk with Metal influences maybe, and their music lacks of any elements that are inherent in Metal (or in good music, for that matter).
Pointless power-chord riffing, songwriting abilities that seem to have disappeared into thin air and vocals that are an unholy marriage between Therion's Johnsson and late-period Max Cavalera, combine to make this album a boring, uninspiring experience, to say the least. You might expect an album that comes packaged with an X-Men comic book to be at least entertaining, but it sucks, and what made otherwise-respectable music journalists practically ejaculating with joy over this unworthiness is and will probably remain a mystery.
That's pretty much all, sorry guys.