After having delivered two demos ("Ephemerality" in 2024 and "Guilt" in 2025) the start of 2026 was deemed a proper time to give the listening audience a rather lengthy debut album. It takes over 54 minutes for "Buried in Black" to be played by ORCHID THRONE, a Gothic/Doom/Melodic Death Metal band from Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Well, I do say band, but this really is a one man operation, all due to the brainy emotions coming out of Nicholas Bonsanto. He is responsible for every sound on this album, and he has certainly got some very good ideas.

I have to say that I am very much enamoured with opening tune "Dreamworld". It starts and ends with piano sounds, but in between you really get the sounds that I have mentioned about the musical direction. I have to say that the combination of mainly Gothic Metal with Melodic Death Metal works really well in this song, even with the Black Metal intermezzo that is being used. It also is the longest and strongest track on the whole album. although I have to admit that the second track "Ephemerality" also is harbouring good qualities. It gives you a good insight at how this man tries to make his music.

I'm afraid that after these two rather good songs the further journey only goes downhill. The reason isn't that ORCHID THRONE doesn't show and give us really good ideas. On the contrary, there are really good passages on "Buried in Black", rather brilliant riffs and even whole pieces of songs that sound absolutely cracking, but they are mixed with other parts and pieces that are simply not up to scratch. I wish I could type something else, but how I see it is that Nicholas Bonsanto needs someone to give his ideas the once over and help him in arranging all the pieces into a proper and undoubtedly good songs. The man has the talent to write good stuff, but he needs help in getting them put together in the right order.

If he can achieve that, ORCHID THRONE could and should have a solid future. Now I'm not so sure. And yes, I do understand that this is just my opinion, but I unfortunately can't speak for anyone else. If only "Buried in Black" had more songs like the first two, that would have made my day. Now I can only hope that the man takes more time to write good new songs and piece them together like those two, and I will gladly have a listen.