ALBUM REVIEW: Death Above Life – Orbit Culture

There is a world of expectation on this record. Ever since breaking through during the coronavirus pandemic with the incredible Nija album, it’s felt like the entire metal industry has been waiting for ORBIT CULTURE to explode. They gained further ground with the Shaman EP and 2023’s excellent Descent, but it’s been a gradual rise rather than a sudden surge in popularity. ORBIT CULTURE are a big name, but they’ve not written their Enter Sandman yet, so will this be the record that turns them into superstars?

It seems unlikely, but that’s not a bad thing. Death Above Life is a stunning album, but it’s also not one that makes any mainstream concessions. Any label executives hoping for a radio-friendly megahit will be sorely disappointed; Nija was an instant fix, but Death Above Life is darker, denser, heavier and far harder to get into. It’s not as catchy, and on the first listen, might even feel like a let-down. Stick with it though, as by the fifth or sixth listen, it may be your new favourite ORBIT CULTURE album.

It also sounds freaking massive. The production on this record is incredible and gives it a grandiose vibe. Hydra sounds like what happens when a melodic death metal band gets hold of Ridley Scott’s credit card information; it’s a big, stomping, hair-flinging metal track with a near-cinematic quality. Niklas shouting the song title just before an enormous breakdown is less like a mosh call and more of a declaration of war.

While the record has been beefed up though, ORBIT CULTURE haven’t toned down their songwriting to try and entice new listeners. They can still write hooks, as the profanity-laced antagonism of Bloodhound and the ludicrously catchy Inside The Waves demonstrate, but they seem more interested in writing epics than potential singles.

For example, album opener Inferna is a rich, multi-layered cut that runs to almost seven minutes. The Tales Of War is a barnstorming slice of ultra metal played with mechanistic efficiency, while Neural Collapse comes across like the soundtrack to a war that hasn’t started yet. These are all songs played with remarkable skill and technical proficiency, and if anything, show that ORBIT CULTURE have only got less compromising since the Nija days.

So, even if it might not seem like it when you first press play, Death Above Life is another winner from these lads. Their path to superstardom doesn’t show any sign of speeding up, but even if they never ascend to the festival-headlining slot they deserve, they’ll likely be regarded as one of the best metal bands of the current era. Death Above Life is ace, get it in your ears.

Rating: 9/10

Death Above Life is out now via Century Media Records. 

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