EP Review: Orbit Culture – The Forgotten (Seek and Strike Records)

Swedish metal highflyers Orbit Culture return with a blistering new three song EP, The Forgotten, which specifically serves as a special thank you to their diehard fanbase. It will be released on December 1st, 2023, via Seek and Strike Records.

Niklas (vocals, guitars) states:

During the writing of our latest album Descent, we felt that the songs ‘Sound of The Bell’ and ‘The Upheaval’ had a similar feel to the rest of the album, but they turned out to be way more experimental in the final recording stages. As it progressed, they simply felt more out of place. Heading home from the latest tour supporting Avatar, we knew we needed one more song to glue these two together and shortly thereafter, ‘While We Serve’ was born. It was the perfect glue to tie all the songs together and the cherry on the top for a new piece work to be presented. So, even though it’s a continuation of Descent, it turned out to be a release that could live independently.

These last two to three years have really changed our lives. Everything goes so fast that it is sometimes difficult to stand back and put some perspective on it. You’re always on the hunt for the next thing. Coming home from this busy year, everything starts to creep in; for example, we opened up for Meshuggah six times, month-long tours with Avatar in the US two times, and had a blast for two weeks in the UK supporting Trivium. It’s hard to understand still, remembering that you’ve looked up to these bands for so many years, and now you’re out there becoming friends with them? It’s surreal. And the backbone of it all is, of course, our beloved fans, who I believe would go through fucking fires for us. They are the most dedicated and supportive group of people I’ve ever seen, and everyone is so lovely and polite. We wouldn’t be here without them and this EP is for them.

I mean… have you heard Descent? It’s one of the finest heavy albums of the year and showed just how ‘on form’ Orbit Culture are right now, so a couple of more tracks from this period, is nothing to complain about at all.

While We Serve is the first offering, and it finds Orbit Culture delving into more horror-laden areas before going as hard and heavy as humanly possible. The ferocity in this track is on par with anything that came from Descent, and if you loved the savage speed and heaviness that album had to offer, you’re going to love what this monstrous opener has for you.

Then, it’s The Upheaval, and Orbit Culture creating an incredible level of death-infused noise, the old-school taint is just delightful, and it serves as a strong reminder of where a lot of Orbit Culture’s influences have come from.

Before they drop a truly staggering piece with Sound of the Bell. A track that passes the eight-minute mark and finds Orbit Culture being erratically and emphatically experimental. Yet, it’s far from a ‘mess around’, as the band’s erudite ways dominate and what listeners get is a dark, depth-filled, and melodious example of egregious heaviness. Twisting and turning, never quite going in the direction expected, but always delivering something immensely interesting.

You don’t have to be a hardcore fan to love this EP, Orbit Culture are simply unstoppable right now.

Orbit Culture – The Forgotten Track Listing:

1. While We Serve
2. The Upheaval
3. Sound of the Bell

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