EPK – Orchid’s Curse – The Decay (2023)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
“We are elated to finally be releasing THE DECAY to the masses. Writing for this EP started before the pandemic and we are glad the time to release it is finally here. One positive is that with the shutdowns we had a lot of extra time to spend refining these songs to ensure it was most mature and competent release to date.
We really wanted to ensure THE DECAY picked up where our last few releases left off. With each new record we always try to continue to progress and up the ante musically and artistically. We all feel really confident in these songs and this release as a whole. Although the release was delayed longer than we had hoped, we are happy that the time is finally here.” – Orchid’s Curse
For fans of At the Gates, The Black Dahlia Murder, Burnt By The Sun, Darkest Hour
Band: Orchid’s Curse
EP Title: The Decay
Label: Self-Release
Release Date: June 16, 2023
Orchidscurse.com | Facebook.com/orchidscurse | Instagram.com/orchidscurse
Orchidscurse.bandcamp.com | Apple Music | Spotify
“Orchid’s Curse’s The Decay Waves a Flag For Eastern Canadian Metal… The Decay sees the band taking steps to consciously be as stylistically diverse as possible with each of the six songs on offer, from slow and low to fast and furious, from melodic death metal and thrash to late ’90s/early ’00s Hydra Head/Relapse metallic hardcore and epic bright-eyed sludge.” – Decibel Magazine
“there’s something refreshingly different about their sound… High on energy, full of passion, you can’t fault any part of this release. It’s been five years since their last release, Graveyard of the Gulf. With The Decay, Orchid’s Curse have fired a flare in the sky. It says, “we are back, and you’d better believe it”.” – Moshville Times
“Beat my senses into a pulp like this EP is doing. So top marks to guitarist Brian Jones for giving the music such a huge sound. So no messing around. You get 5 tracks in about 24 minutes and if it doesn’t rip you a new one, I’ll be very surprised. Love It” – Smorg Mag
“Everyone above a certain age is well aware of the scene in Pulp Fiction where Vincent viciously stabs a spike loaded with adrenaline right into Mia’s heart to bring her back from a heroin overdose. Immediately, the adrenaline makes her explode back to life. That scene popped to mind in listening to the Orchid’s Curse song “Dead Idols” that we’re about to premiere — specifically, the way the song begins. There’s no warning, no introductory pause, just a sudden furious injection of scorching screams, hammering drums, and maniacally pulsating riffage. And then the song becomes even more explosively unhinged, thanks to a turbocharged percussive eruption and a blizzard of tremolo’d chords. If you’re not bolt-upright and pop-eyed awake after that, it’s probably too late to call emergency services.” – No Clean Singing
“After a few spins of this five-song effort, prepare to suffer some mental/physical bruising at the ferocious tones, attacking nature, and stunning comfort of shifts between melodic death, metalcore, groove/thrash, and hardcore elements thrown into the arrangements.” – Dead Rhetoric
“The forceful, militant delivery vocalist Josh Hogan employs pushes the band into that raw, crossover territory – it’s an aspect that won’t be soon forgotten from the first song to last. These musicians understand the need to pump out killer hooks right from the get go – which is what you’ll get in the stunted, staccato-like shifts surrounding the melodeath mainframe “Better Men”, bridging aspects of At the Gates, Machine Head, and The Black Dahlia Murder. Orchid’s Curse contains solid players plus dynamic abilities to synthesize numerous sub-genres into a coherent sound. The Decay will probably appeal most to those who enjoy a bit more progressive twists against their normal groove/melodic death/metalcore-oriented tracks.” – Dead Rhetoric
““Dead Idols” has another rousing and energetic sound. The music and vocals are absolutely punishing,” – Metal-Temple
“This has a nice catchy kind of thrashy sound, but more leaning into prog metal musically and a nice catchy gritty sound too” – Mosh Pit Radio – WORT 89.9 FM (Madison, WI)
“Orchid’s Curse got me hooked from the first riff .” – New Music Plug
“Canadian band Orchid’s Curse are out with the mini-album “The Decay”, and metal is the style explored on this production. It is a powerful and vibrant variety of the form we get here, and most of the songs appears to revolve around a more vibrant display of thrash metal, executed with occasional dips into extreme metal pace and intensity levels…. A production to seek out by those with a taste for a more dynamic and varied approach to energetic metal that can be described inside of or in relation to a more contemporary thrash metal oriented tradition.” – The Viking in the Wilderness
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“Orchid’s Curse is one of those bands that plays around with melodeath, groove, thrash, and occasionally prog with enough fluidity to rid themselves of any sort of pesky sub genre tags and earn the simple, yet elegant classification of ‘metal’.” – Metal Sucks
“Orchid’s Curse employ their familiar tactic of borrowing the techniques of multiple genres, from filthy death metal riffs to hardcore barks, progressive guitar explorations and dirge-like, doom-influenced song structures.” – Exclaim!
“Thick, brutal, aggressive and borderline cacophonous, at times, Voices is relentlessly engaging and explosive while maintaining a decisively melodic essence.” – Exclaim!
“heavy riffs built for headbanging” – Metal Storm
“Cynics & Liars, is very much an EP which epitomizes everything good about metal in 2016” – PureGrainAudio / V13
“Orchid’s Curse are versatile, able to play everything from menacing thrash to accessible melodeath to punishing metal” – HeavyMetal.About.com
“Every song punches you right between the eyes” – Mettalworx
“This album is just laced with hook after hook. Whether it be a classic metal riff, a psyched out interval or just a standard heavy rock n’ roll beat; the album is catchier than an STD on 2-for-1 night at a brothel.” – Echoes and Dust
Cynics & Liars (2016) – Canadian College Radio Loud Charts
#3 on the !earshot-online weekly Top 10 National Loud Chart
#7 on the !earshot-online monthly Top 20 National Loud Chart
[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]
Band: Orchid’s Curse
EP Title: The Decay
Label: Self-Release
Release Date: June 16, 2023
Track Listing:
1. Better Men – 5:42
2. Dead Idols – 4:24
3. The Divergence of Man – 4:45
4. Divided by Everything – 2:31
5. Pay to Prey – 6:24
EP Length: 23:47
EP Credits:
All songs performed by Orchid’s Curse
All songs written by Orchid’s Curse
Produced by Brian Jones
Mixed and Mastered by Mike Bowers
Recorded by Brian Jones except Drums Recorded by Palmer Jamieson
EP art by Keith MacLeod
SOCAN member
Canadian Content MAPL
EP and Live lineup:
Josh Hogan – Vocals
Brian Jones – Guitar/Vocals
Keith MacLeod – Guitar
Jason Szeto – Bass
Alex Wrathell – Drums
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The EP as a whole:
Musically this EP is our most mature work yet. 5 songs with a variety of different musical influences but also still having the Orchid’s Curse sound.Songs range from a 2:30 thrash banger to a 6::30 epic melodic metal song.
Lyrically the EP looks at the continued to decline and decay of our modern society.
Track By Track:
1. Better Men
The first song to open the EP starts with a lo-fi build before opening up with a thunderous rhythm. Midway through the song it alternates between spacial atmosphere and the unrelenting rhythm which opens the track. Before closing with an epic, hardcore-inspired breakdown. Lyrically this song looks at men’s complacency in what is often deep-rooted and historical misogyny.
2. Dead Idols
Unlike the opening track, this song gets right into it from the opening note. Dead Idols is 4-minute melodic death and thrash-inspired banger. Lyrically this song explores society’s idolization of people who may not deserve the adoration.
3. The Divergence of Man
Track 3 is our homage to sludge and vintage melodic hardcore bands like Burnt by the Sun. This song is not only more patient in scope than the others on this EP but also more experimental. Lyrically this song looks inward at our willingness to sit back apathetically watching the collapse of our society.
4. Divided by Everything
This song is short and to the point. A 2:30 ripper that serves its purpose and gets the mosh pit moving. Lyrically this song dives into the political farce that is left versus right divide occurring in most western cultures with the chorus stating simply “Divided by Everything, Bonded by Division”.
5. Pay to Prey
There was no doubt this song would close the EP. At just over 6 minutes this song takes all elements of Orchid’s Curse sound and wraps it up into one tightly wound package. Lyrically this song revisits a theme from past albums and is a scathing look at the commercialism behind religious institutions.
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Story Angles – Fun Facts:
1. Orchid’s Curse formed way back in 2005 with our first release in 2006. 18 years have passed and we have withstood the test of time. Whether persevering through member changes or a pandemic, the band continues to push forward and release new music. The Decay is our 6th release and will highlight that the band has no plans to stop creating music any time soon.
2. For this EP we did all pre-production at Brian Jones home studio “The Lab” with Jones producing and engineering. After being confident the songs were where we wanted them to be, we recorded drums at Golden Palm Studios and finished Guitars, Bass and Vocals in The Lab.
3. Over the course of our career Orchid’s Curse has gotten to perform and tour with some of our favourite bands. Getting to tour Atlantic Canada with 3 Inches of Blood and Goatwhore a few years back was definitely one of our biggest highlights. Getting to see metal legends perform each night was absolutely incredible.
4. We’ve played a lot of stages (and floors) over our career. From big stages at the Forum opening for Children of Bodom, the Maritime Tattoo Festival over the sound of buzzing tattoo guns, on National TV for ‘The Candy Show’, but we’ve also had our fair share of tiny stages, dive bars and dirty floors. Regardless of the venue, one thing is certain, every single show the band brings 100% energy and entertainment.
L-R = Alex Wrathell (Drums), Brian Jones (Guitar), Keith MacLeod (Guitar), Jason Szeto (Bass), Josh Hogan (Vocals)
With over a decade of musical output, Orchid’s Curse continues to create a beautiful amalgamation of brutal metal, progressive melody, and intelligent thought-provoking lyrics. Whether in a live setting or on an album, Orchid’s Curse refuses stagnation and orders your full attention.
Since forming in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia in late 2005, Orchid’s Curse has positioned itself at the forefront of the highly underrated East Coast metal scene in Canada. Ensuring that every show left the band drained of all they had and every album was created with the most care and the best team they could find. Now with their sixth release “The Decay” ready to release, the band continues to position itself at the forefront of maritime metal.
Metalsucks.net captured the band’s goal of blending various genres of metal, declaring “Orchid’s Curse is one of those bands that play around with melodeath, groove, thrash, and occasionally prog with enough fluidity to rid themselves of any sort of pesky sub-genre tags and earn the simple, yet elegant classification of ‘metal’.” while Canada’s Hellbound.ca recognized the bands continued progression and growth over the years stating, “Few bands demand that each album be a progression, a growth, in the way that Orchid’s Curse does. No musical influence is turned away, but everything is twisted, melded into an intense metal experience that makes your head bang one moment and your toes tap the next”
Since 2006 Orchid’s Curse has shared the stage with an incredibly diverse lineup of bands including, The Black Dahlia Murder, Children of Bodom, Every Time I Die, Cancer Bats, 3 Inches of Blood, Goatwhore, Exhumed, Fuck the Facts, KEN Mode, Misery Index, Counterparts, Baptized in Blood, Martyr, Beneath the Massacre, Vilipend, Ion Dissonance, Neuraxis, L’Espirit du Clan, Unexpect, Trigger Effect, Ninjaspy, Unbreakable Hatred, Misguided Aggression, Greber and many more.
Orchid’s Curse is:
Josh Hogan – Vocals
Brian Jones – Guitar/Vocals
Keith MacLeod – Guitar
Jason Szeto – Bass
Alex Wrathell – Drums
Discography:
2023 – The Decay (Independent)
2018 – Graveyard of the Gulf (Independent)
2018 – Split with Deadgaard
2016 – Cynics & Liars EP (Independent)
2013 – Words (Diminished Fifth Records)
2010 – Voices The Tales of Broken Men (Diminished Fifth Records)
2006 – Goodbye is when the Casket Closes (Diminished Fifth Records)
Music Placements:
The Candy Show (2013 – S3 E3)
Todd & The Book of Pure Evil (2010 – S1, E3)
Awards / Album of The Year:
Graveyard of the Gulf
“Loud Recording of the Year” – Nova Scotia Music Week 2019 (WINNER)
Cynics & Liars
“Loud Recording of the Year” – Nova Scotia Music Week 2016 (WINNER)
“Loud Recording of the Year” – East Coast Music Awards 2017 (Nominee)
Words
The Coast, Halifax’s Weekly Best of Music 2014
Gold Winner – Best Music Video( “If We’re Divine”)
Gold Winner – Best Merch By An Artist
Bronze Winner – Best Metal Band
Bronze Winner – Best Album (“Words”)
Voices: The Tales of Broken Men
The Coast 2010 Critic’s Pick
Noisography.com Top 10 Records of 2010
2011 Nova Scotia Music Week + ECMA ‘Loud Recording of the Year’ Nominee
Hellbound.ca writer ‘Jason Wellwood’ Individual Top 10 Metal Albums of 2010 [#8]
PureGrainAudio.com writer ‘Chee Kam’ Individual Top 20 Metal Albums of 2010 [#18]
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