ORIA made their mark with their 2020 debut, “Sublimation(s),” an album that cemented them as one of Greece’s most compelling rising metal acts. Building on that foundation, the band has taken their craft to exhilarating new heights. Their latest opus, “This Future Wants Us Dead,” is an epic concept album that intertwines relentless riffs, intricate rhythms, and haunting melodies to create an unflinching exploration of humanity’s precarious future. Set in a dystopian world teetering on the brink of collapse, “This Future Wants Us Dead” examines the ethical dilemmas of technological progress, environmental degradation, and social isolation. Yet, amidst its apocalyptic themes, the album offers a beacon of hope – a reminder of humanity’s capacity for redemption and resilience. From crushing grooves to moments of delicate introspection, ORIA’s soundscape mirrors the tension and beauty of the narrative, delivering a listening experience as thought-provoking as it is visceral.

The album has ten songs, and “Metamorphocene: The New from the Shell of the Old” is first. It’s an interesting mix of Industrial elements with Extreme elements…modern elements with traditional ones…never fully committing to either. Although the riffs are simple, they are also effective. “Clouds of Anatta” intermixes clean, sterile, monotone vocals with shreds of melody. The clean vocal harmonies might be the best part of the song, for they are catchy, within the concrete structure of the music. “Guided by the Band of G.O.D.S.” is a mid tempo offering with plenty of balls, as well as some catchy grooves, and this album is really unlike anything else I have heard lately. “Chronic Uprising” combines hardened angles in the guitar work with punishing vocals that retreat at times to cleans. The song holds you in a suspended state in that regard.

“From Wasteland to Vile Hands” is stronger, sturdier, and also has some effects in the guitars. Progressive elements are also noticeable in the way that the band plays with the timing and the meter, and this album is full of surprises. “The Islandead” intermixes some sterile, Industrial elements again with a modern twist, and they keep you on your toes. At first, it seems like the arrow they fired is a straight shot, but it take a circuitous route. “Tantalia” attacks on a forward facing front, with a weight, staccato riff but is also doubles with clean vocal harmonies, and the contrast just works. “Slow Down, Take a Breath and Bury the World that Was” is the final offering, and that is exactly what the song beguiles the listener to do…breathe and regroup. The steady pacing and vocal harmonies show the more melodic side of the band.

Although the style was unique, the band also produced a product that will appeal to a wide variety of Metalheads. It’s aggressive and weighted enough for most enthusiasts but also experimental enough for those like myself who like music that is outside of the box. In some ways, this album might hold clues to what the future offers, and that future is dark and intriguing. This is a band to mark, and follow their footsteps.