Orbit Culture's 'Death Above Life' - Album Review

When it comes to the more acceptable face of extreme metal, I am not sure that there is a brighter rising star in the world currently than Sweden's Orbit Culture. Despite having been around for over a decade at this point - it feels like over the past five or so years they have really wormed their way into the metal mainstream, and they likely have the potential to follow a band like Gojira to a surprisingly high status given how inaccessible and quirky their music can be. I certainly cannot claim to be an Orbit Culture expert - but over the past few years I have become something of a casual fan. I was planning to check them out at the 2022 iteration of Bloodstock Open Air but never ended up doing so, so it was not until 2023 when I discovered them properly - when I saw them opening for Trivium in Bristol. Despite their short set and their music not wholly doing it for me, I was nevertheless impressed. It is hard to describe Orbit Culture's music. They are generally called both a melodic death metal band and a groove metal band - and they do somewhat do something which fuses the two sounds. I would not say that they exhibit the most obvious elements of either of those sounds, though. Given that they are from Sweden, a country with fantastic pedigree when it comes to melodic death metal, Orbit Culture do not exhibit a traditional Gothenburg sound. There are no NWOBHM-esque harmony guitar leads or soaring choruses here - with little here that recalls bands like At the Gates, In Flames, or Arch Enemy. I think that Orbit Culture are considered to be melodic death metal as they just do not feel extreme enough to be true death metal. There is clearly more of a sheen to their sound than most death metal acts have - whilst the use of some cleaner vocals also sets them apart. When it comes to groove metal, too, there is little Pantera, Machine Head, or Lamb of God. I hate to make the comparison again, as it seems lazy, but Orbit Culture groove in the way that Gojira do. I think that they are more mechanical and less off-kilter and progressive than Gojira - but there are certain similarities between the way the two bands court both extreme and other metal fans. That being said, though, Orbit Culture's riffs are not as mechanical or tech metal-sounding as a Meshuggah or a TesseracT - meaning that, whilst there is a hint of a djent sound at times it is not a sound I would say the band exhibit significantly. As such, Orbit Culture's music straddles many camps - but it is consistently heavy, often quite oppressive, and occasionally a bit more melodic; so I can see why they have started to become popular. I saw them again for a second time earlier this year, again with Trivium, and a large arena crowd seemed to latch onto them - which is fitting given that they have just released their fifth studio album Death Above Life. It is the band's first album on a big label, Century Media, and their first since 2023's Descent. I have heard both Descent and 2020's Nija a handful of times each - and Death Above Life is certainly similar, albeit better produced. Descent in particular is a very loud album, with almost no dynamic range which makes it a fatiguing listen. I think that this vibe is something which Orbit Culture want in their sound, though, as Death Above Life still exhibits that feel to an extent - but it does generally feel a bit easier on the ears. It is the band's third album with their current line-up, too, which has been in situ since 2019, with frontman Niklas Karlsson once again the driving force from a songwriting perspective.

Despite the slightly less oppressive production this time, though, the band's overall sound has not changed significantly. Perhaps Karlsson's cleaner vocals, which are still quite gruff, are featured a little more - but signing to a bigger label has not seen the band attempt to tone down their sound. Kicking off with Inferna, there is no slow build up - as a brief drum barrage from Christopher Wallerstedt soon gives way to the first of many big riffs on the album. This opening instrumental section feels a little faster and thrashier compared to the band's core sound - but once Karlsson starts to growl away a mid-paced groove is settled on. As is often the case, the riffing throughout the verses is pretty intense. The guitar tones that Karlsson and Richard Hansson utilise throughout are thick and uncompromising - whilst Fredrik Lennartsson's bass is quite trebly so that it can cut through the murk. Cold synths are often utilised by the band, which add a slightly melodic edge, and they really kick in here during a mid-paced, cinematic chorus - which sees Karlsson's clean vocals, string-like synths adding depth, and the occasional lead guitar moment. The verses are mostly oppressive, though, thanks to the pummelling riffing and Karlsson's deep growls - whilst a later breakdown hints at those djent influences thanks to some mechanical riffing that ups the pace somewhat. These moments have a hint of metalcore about them, but heavier overall, and this breakdown later morphs into a proper bridge - with more synths and deep growls. Bloodhound ups the pace somewhat, opening with an off-kilter groovy riff that feels at odds with the fast-paced double bass drumming beneath it. This mix of grooves is where Orbit Culture exhibit similarities to Gojira, but there is a much more typical death metal sound at play once the song gets going proper. It maintains a faster pace throughout - with Karlsson utilising lots of fast-paced growled vocal lines here to create some pretty hooky moments. There are hints of nu-metal in the vocal patterns during the neck-snapping chorus, despite the growls remaining, whilst the verses feel a little thrashier thanks to a marginally cleaner vocal and some busier guitar playing. The synths that the band use throughout the album also have a nu-metal edge at times. Thankfully the nu-metal influence throughout is not great, but it can be heard occasionally - particularly in the more rhythmic vocal moments and a breakdown section here which features white noise and distorted synths, creating an industrial feel which some slower riffing soon breaks through. Moments like this maintain that ear-fatiguing sound from earlier albums, though, and the synths can be quite unpleasant to listen to at times - especially at the peak of this breakdown section where they really crackle. The chorus and riffing is memorable here, though, and I can see the song going down well live as a result. Inside the Waves immediately pulls back from some of the more intense moments of the previous song, with Karlsson opening with his cleaner vocals - before a more typical melodic guitar lead can be heard behind a slightly thrashy riff. Two tours with Trivium have clearly rubbed off on the band somewhat, then, as the opening riff and lead combo is not that far from something Trivium may come up with - whilst the chorus is certainly more overtly melodic thanks to cleaner vocals and some hooky melodies. The verses are more typical of the band's core sound, though, with deep growls and barrelling riffing - although mournful guitar leads are also included for melody's sake. The leads tend to be towards the rear of the mix, so they do not really jump out of the speakers, but the nevertheless add some subtle melody among the riffing - and the album's first proper guitar solo is also included here.

The Tales of War opens slowly, with some atmospheric synths, but it is not long before another riff kicks in - and the song morphs into a pretty strident, mid-paced groove-fest. The synths remain in the background, adding a slight industrial edge, whilst it takes a while for the vocals to come in - meaning that the opening riff morphs and changes slightly over a few bars to maintain interest. The groove remains despite the shift in the riffing, but once the vocals join in the pace is upped somewhat and the verses have something of a more straight ahead thrash feel. Bursts of double bass drumming and more organic riffing give this impression, but the back ends of each verse feel more groovy - with mechanical riffing and more deliberate vocal patterns. Like the previous song, too, this is a track with a more overt chorus. Karlsson sings it clean again, and there are actually some quite big vocal harmonies this time - whilst the synths warm up to create a more cinematic sound. The chorus actually feels quite anthemic as a result, especially given the harsh vocal counter-melodies - whilst another guitar solo later builds on this more melodic feel. Hydra returns to something more typical of the band's core sound - with a mid-paced riff kicking in from the off over which Karlsson adds some growls. Clean vocals are utilised at times during the song, but they still sit above the tight, groovy riffs - but the growls dominate, and the groove rarely changes. It is quite a monotonous song as a result, but it works quite well in just setting a tone. Synths come and go, but they are utilised less than during the past couple of tracks - with this track very much a riff-fest. There is a brief bridge section which sees the pace speed up, but this is short lived as the main groove soon returns - albeit with a guitar solo this time. Nerve is more of a melodic piece from the off, with Karlsson largely sticking to clean vocals throughout. As has been utilised elsewhere on the album, there are growled counter-melodies, particularly during the chorus, but generally this song is sung clean - and there is more of an alternative metal/metalcore vibe on show throughout. There is more of a lead guitar presence, although it is again quite low in the mix, whilst the synths are very overpowering this time - almost burying the riffing at times. Big guitar riffing and grooves are just generally much less of a focus this time, though, and the overall pace is faster - with chugging riffing and plenty of double bass drumming giving that metalcore vibe. The clean vocals, albeit with a rasp, also add to this feel - whilst a later shredded guitar solo is the only real moment of prominent guitar playing here. There are some vocal hooks, but despite all the clean vocals the song is not as hooky as some of the others here. The closing section of the song is heavier, though, with a lot more growls - and the synths fade away to create something more typical of the band's core sound for the last minute or so. The album's title track follows, and it returns to a much more groove-based sound. The main chugging guitar riff is slow-burning and somewhat doomy, but the juddering synths which accompany it make it feel a bit more upbeat than it actually is - and the flashy electronics really add to the overall groove. They are the sort of synth additions which could get annoying after a while if utilised incorrectly, especially as they persist throughout nearly the whole song, but they actually add nicely to the overall rhythm - and feel more like an addition to the drums rather than true synths. This allows the song's groove to really sink in - and some of the riffing sections here are some of the album's hookiest, whilst a bellowed chorus is another that sinks into the brain.

The Storm opens with some tremolo guitar leads, which have a bit of a black metal-adjacent sound, whilst percussive drumming and gathering synths swirl away in the background. When I first listened to the album, this was the song which stood out the most - and it remains a real favourite. It is easily the hookiest track here - and there are some great hooks thrown on among the grooves. The aforementioned guitar lead is later utilised during parts of the verses - but there are also verse moments which feature some of the snappiest riffing on the album. The back and forth between this lead-based approach and the riffing really works well for me - whilst the later chorus just takes hold and never lets go. It is largely still growled, but Karlsson's vocal melodies here are so hooky - whilst later chorus renditions also feature some synths and harmony vocals to make it sound bigger. A guitar solo section builds on some of the leads utilised elsewhere, but generally this is just a great mix of groove and melody - and it strikes the balance for me better than anything else here. Neural Collapse gets back to a more typical groove-based approach - although there is something of a classic rock strut to some of the riffing here. Some of the grooves just feel nicely old-school, then. The drumming is less mechanical than it often can be, too, and this allows the track to feel a little more organic - with a good mix of growled and clean vocals utilised throughout. Guitar leads are also used here, but again they are quite low in the mix. The occasional metalcore-adjacent guitar lead is welcome, though, whilst a later thrashier chorus sees the organic nature drop away to present something more intense. A quite industrial-sounding guitar solo is later employed to further cast aside that organic feel - as it is more noise and effects than genuine melody. As such, the song is a bit of a strange mix of vibes - but it captures Orbit Culture's overall sound quite nicely, as they are a band that seems to cram quite a lot into all of their songs. This is especially so given that later in the song all the riffing is stripped away to leave some atmospheric synths and soaring guitar melodies to add yet another edge. The album then comes to a close with The Path I Walk, a much slower song which opens with melancholic clean guitar melodies and some of Karlsson's cleanest vocals on the album. His clean vocals generally still have a gruff edge to them, but during this song he sometimes sounds genuinely clean - with his mournful melodies and the sombre clean guitar licks essentially the basis of the song, whilst synths are added into the background to add depth. The song sticks to this sparse arrangement for quite some time, letting the vocals carry everything, but some percussive drumming is later added in - whilst some delicate acoustic guitar melodies are added, solo-like, into the background, again behind Karlsson's vocals which become more intense at this point. The song essentially remains like this until the end - when it slowly fades back to how it started, with clean guitars, before the album comes to a quiet close. It is a song which is very different to the rest of the album, but it works well as an atmospheric closer following song after song of pummelling riffing. Whilst I am still not convinced that this band is wholly for me, I have been enjoying my time with Death Above Life. Orbit Culture very much have their own sound which is fully on display here - and I can see why they are continually growing in stature. It is an album that does a lot with plenty of ingredients - and it feels like a step forward, at least production-wise, from what came before. It is an impressive album that is for sure - and I can only see the band growing further from here.

The album was released on 3rd October 2025 via Century Media Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Death Above Life.