ALBUM REVIEW: Unraveled – Orphan Donor

ORPHAN DONOR is the brainchild of SECRET CUTTER drummer Jared Stimpfl. Much like his regular gig, this project majors on torturous sonic violence, but there is a slightly different angle here. With vocalist Chris Pandolfo of CLOUDS COLLIDE in tow, Stimpfl describes his latest record, Unraveled, as “a tsunami of anger.” Essentially, this refers to a mix of screamo, metalcore, grindcore, math metal, noise and more – all of it consistently and utterly deranged.

Unraveled is definitely a lot to take in at first. Aside from a general bleakness and a bit of headbanging, you won’t get much from this album if you just stick it on in the background. Opener Pendulum Grip sets the pace of the record in manic fashion. It’s a dissonant, chaotic piece which shifts from section to section whilst rarely going back. Those looking for respite won’t find it in the tracks which follow either. Death Exploit is just as punishing as its predecessor, with Pandolfo‘s vocals sounding even more tortured if anything. Forever Unseen after that has an almost post-metal crush to it, with a slower and weightier sense of groove.

For all its auditory cruelty however, there is still some degree of melody on Unraveled. Mostly, this manifests itself in fleeting moments, struggling and straining through the album’s grinding discordance. On Forever Unseen for example, Pandolfo introduces a few clean vocal lines to pair with his agonised screaming. Next, on Unraveling, distant melodic guitar lines hint at something more uplifting, albeit somewhat suffocated by the usual pained fare. There’s even a bit of a break at this track’s end, closing with a reasonably delicate minute or so of clean guitars and softer bass and drums.

Arguably the strongest track of all on Unraveled is its fifth, You Were Alive. Even amid some solid competition, this may take the cake as the album’s bleakest and most crushingly heavy. It comes crashing straight in after the relative quiet of Unraveling‘s final moments, and hits all the harder for it. What follows is slightly more dynamic than some of its predecessors, with Pandolfo‘s lyrics painting a sad picture of grief and loss. All this reaches a manic and devastating finale before fading to a final few moments of lonely guitar work.

One criticism you could probably level at Unraveled is that it doesn’t quite need to be as long as it is. Closers My Friend, The Hornet and Celestial Mourning follow in a similar vein to the rest of the record. Both are good tracks, but it’s the latter which feels like it could do with a trim. Clocking in at 11 minutes, six of these primarily comprise more abstract noise and a lone guitar. While it feels like the intention here is probably to allow some time for reflection, or even catharsis, one can’t help but wonder if it would’ve been better to cut this short for a tighter and tauter overall release.

Ultimately, it’s hard to know where to put OPRHAN DONOR. While they draw comparisons to a host of artists, from CAR BOMB to PG. 99 to ISIS, the sheer mix of things on offer here makes Unraveled a very unique listen. One thing is clear however: this isn’t a record for the faint-hearted. It is, as the band admit, “a sobering descent into madness,” and one that’s sure to prove too much for many listeners. On the other hand, those who like their music pained and gasping for breath will find these seven tracks comfortably tick all the twisted boxes.

Rating: 8/10

Unraveled is set for release on June 11th via Zegema Beach Records.

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