Review by JD on December 19, 2010.

Atlantic Canada is not really known for the extremes of metal, but there is always an exception to the rule. People from the Eastern Seaboard have always walked to the beat of a different drummer and when it comes to Halifax Nova Scotia’s Orchid’s Curse, it rings so damned true. They have made their own path here.

Tapping into the brutal assaults of Death Metal, the crush of Thrash and Progressive tilts with the insight of a psychologist, you get a band that is nearly impossible to correctly and accurately describe. To make it a little easier- combine Bolt Thrower, Overkill, loads of Cannibal Corpse and GraVil with the progressiveness of a Rush with the lyrical intelligence of Novembers Doom. You get close to what Orchid’s Curse sounds like.

Tripping through almost every human emotion, Orchid’s Curse digs into man’s inner-self and rips it open for all to see. From the explosive track for the emotion of 'The Delicate Art Of Dying (Despair)' to the hatred inducing emotion of 'The Animal (Contempt)' you run the gambit of ever aspect - good or bad- of what it is to be a human being. These vehement lyrics let you explore these things and many more, but the brutal nature of the music is what drives all of it home with that intensity of despotic finality.

Who needs to learn Sigmund Freud’s teachings and be in school for years?. Orchid’s Curse can do that all, and in a way that makes Psychology fun. Think of this: therapy in a mosh pit, an idea that has come of age. I knew metal was therapeutic all along... now we have the proof.

Don’t pay some over educated idiot a hundred dollars an hour to help you for years on end. Twenty bucks one time pays for the CD and for the brain straightening you so need, no to mention the fun.


Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship:9
Atmosphere: 9.5
Production: 9
Originality: 10
Overall: 9.5

Rating: 9.4 out of 10