Album Type : Full Length
Date Released : 15.11.2013
Label : Nuclear Blast
The Zodiac Sessions, album track listing :
1. Eyes Behind The Wall 7:13
2. Capricorn 4:41
3. Black Funeral 6:27
4. Masters Of It All 6:34
5. Down Into The Earth 6:24
6. He Who Walks Alone 6:48
7. Cosmonaut Of Three 5:45
8. Electric Father 7:20
9. Albatross 5:52
10. Into The Sun 3:24
11. Eastern Woman 4:23
12. Son Of Misery 2:13
13. No One Makes A Sound 5:53
Bio :
Founded in 2006 with the sole intention of a bunch of buddies playing
some rock music, things went pretty fast for San Francisco’s finest, ORCHID. No
three years later, the band would release their first EP, »Through The Devil’s
Doorway«, which set the foundation for a bright future – causing a real buzz in
the underground, 2011’s debut album, »Capricorn«, took ORCHID’s promising, but
still young career to a whole level. Receiving raving reviews all around the
world, the band embarked on a first, successful European tour to bring their
perfect blend of 70ies psychedelic heavy rock to the stages.
Pretty much right after that, Nuclear Blast offered the band a deal. Again, things turned for the best for ORCHID – before releasing their second full-length album, the two collector’s EPs, »Heretic« and »Wizard Of War«, sold out in no time and prepared the steadily growing fan base for what was to come. With the release of »The Mouths Of Madness« (hitting the official German media control charts at #18), the following highly successful tour with label mates FREE FALL and the frenetically celebrated show at renowned Rock Hard Festival pushed ORCHID to the very top of today’s vintage rock scene.
Now, their stunning early works (»Through The Devil’s Doorway« & »Capricorn«) are being re-issued as »The Zodiac Sessions« on one disc in a lavish digipak featuring an all new cover art by the band’s gifted singer, Theo Mindell. On vinyl both parts of »The Zodiac Sessions« will be released separately – on 10“ (»Through The Devil's Doorway«) and on 2LP 12“ (»Capricorn«) and will be made available in various colors.
Pretty much right after that, Nuclear Blast offered the band a deal. Again, things turned for the best for ORCHID – before releasing their second full-length album, the two collector’s EPs, »Heretic« and »Wizard Of War«, sold out in no time and prepared the steadily growing fan base for what was to come. With the release of »The Mouths Of Madness« (hitting the official German media control charts at #18), the following highly successful tour with label mates FREE FALL and the frenetically celebrated show at renowned Rock Hard Festival pushed ORCHID to the very top of today’s vintage rock scene.
Now, their stunning early works (»Through The Devil’s Doorway« & »Capricorn«) are being re-issued as »The Zodiac Sessions« on one disc in a lavish digipak featuring an all new cover art by the band’s gifted singer, Theo Mindell. On vinyl both parts of »The Zodiac Sessions« will be released separately – on 10“ (»Through The Devil's Doorway«) and on 2LP 12“ (»Capricorn«) and will be made available in various colors.
The Band :
Theo Mindell | vocals
Carter Kennedy | drums
Mark Thomas Baker | guitar
Keith Nickel | bass
Mark Thomas Baker | guitar
Keith Nickel | bass
Review :
Orchid. Like
the reanimation of classic seventies hard rock, the San Francisco group are
living, breathing nostalgia: their music is evocative, hard-hitting and, most
importantly, utterly compelling. The
quartet made major waves when their album ‘The Mouths of Madness’ barrelled
onto the scene in early 2013, causing the rock world to stand up and take
notice. Now, Nuclear Blast have taken it
upon themselves to release ‘The Zodiac Sessions’, an LP which combines their
two earlier releases ‘Through the Devil’s Doorway’ and ‘Capricorn’ into one
massive slab of dark rock. Gaze upon
their mighty works in awe, brief mortals.
Classic rock lives again!
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the LP was found
in a time capsule from decades ago. As
soon as ‘Eyes Behind the Wall’ pounces upon you, it’s almost as if you’re
transported straight back to the glorious beginnings of doom and dark
rock. Mark Thomas Baker’s
sublime riffery instantly brings to mind the classic tones of early Sabbath,
his playing on this record both powerful and precise: a rock ‘n’ roll
heavyweight with mighty knockout power. And
when the breakdown hits midways through?
Yep- welcome to heavy music country.
It’s
followed up by ‘Capricorn’, another sure-fire hit of deepest, darkest doom, introduced
by Keith Nickel’s John Paul Jones-style bass and thickened to cement-like
proportions by Baker’s catchy guitar hooks.
Spacy, heavy, and with vocalist Theo Mindell channeling the very spirit
of bygone rock days, this track just exudes power like a jet engine exudes
thrust. This was the title track of one
of their earlier releases with good reason: if you want to hear Orchid at the
top of their talents, look no further than this song. In fact, look at this song and then keep
looking at all their other works, don’t deny yourself some truly epic
soundscapes!
For
the sludge-fanciers among you, you are well catered for with this release. A fine example of this is ‘Cosmonaut of
Three’, an oily, sickly beast that practically oozes its way down your ear
canals, infecting your mind with such delightful darkness. Not enough?
Crave more? Well, you’re in luck:
‘Son of Misery’’s bassline is so gloomy and doomy it threatens to change
weather patterns to heavy rain whenever you put this track on. The only thing stopping it from turning it
into an all-out monsoon is Baker’s guitar, stabbing through the blackness like
bolts of ice-white lightning.
2013
has been a very good year for Orchid, and deservedly so. Nuclear Blast have signed themselves the reincarnation
of the heady early days of heavy music, making their label all the more vibrant
and Orchid themselves able to reach a much wider audience with their dark,
bluesy, potent magic.
Harvest Orchid for your metal garden- and marvel as it blooms for you.
Words by : Chris Markwell
For more information :
