ALBUM REVIEW: LORE – Black Orchid Empire

When you take in a band for the first time, there is a certain anticipation in your mind. You have probably read a bio, but there really is nothing like taking that first plunge in, especially when the release is as good as LORE. While BLACK ORCHID EMPIRE themselves are not so new, having released their debut album an entire decade ago, it’s a good step on in terms of the whole project than Archetype was.

There is almost immediately a sense of HAKEN and LEPROUS influence, even in album opener Skinwalker, which is as good an introduction as you are likely to have to a band outside the very greatest. Veering somewhere along the line between progressive and melodic metal, they would sit quite equally at home in either camp, though the sum is greater than either of those parts. Each member sounds fantastic here, sounding more as if they are a five piece rather than the trio that actually sit at, with the way they interweave their layers between each other.

Production is generally excellent, though there are definitely a couple of times something feels ever so slightly off somewhere and not in the off beats you would expect with progressive drummers. It’s a very fine balance that they walk well in the main and they have come a good way since their debut Archetype a decade ago. There is genuine talent and creativity within their core, both in the members and in their creations, with one of the advance singles, Angelfire, being a great representation of what to expect from a lot of this release.

Despite the way some progressive can be harder to get into due to song length, time signatures and such, BLACK ORCHID EMPIRE have created something here that will instantly earworm you whilst not going much beyond the five minute points. Almost pop songs in length compared to the likes of some DREAM THEATER or MARILLION tracks. This does not detract from their quality, however, meaning they will probably have more appeal to the younger generation in general than some of the aforementioned traditional acts.

While not quite at the level of the likes of HAKEN or LEPROUS, LORE is still an album of real quality. While it may not be prog enough for those heavily inclined to that side, it would be a shame if they didn’t give it a real try as they would be missing out on something good. The fusion of melodic metal and prog – occasionally even a hint of metalcore with some chugging – is handled very well, and definitely gives BLACK ORCHID EMPIRE an excellent foundation to push onwards and upwards even further from the solid base they had already given themselves.

Rating: 8/10

LORE is out now via Year Of The Rat Records. 

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