Orphalis has everything a band could want–except for a bigger audience. Over the course of three prior albums, this German quintet honed their take on “brutal technical death metal” into a potent force. Their sound consists of chops and hooks served in roughly equal measure, riffs on riffs on more riffs stuffed into the sausage casing of three- to -five-minute song structures. The band flashes songwriting prowess alongside technique that never devolves into wheedly-deedly indulgence, and they coat everything with a shellac of genuine aggression. If ever an outfit seemed poised for a breakthrough, it’s Orphalis. Fourth platter As the Ashes Settle is their first release on new label Transcending Obscurity. That label name might as well be a mission statement for the band, as they deliver eleven nuggets of gnarly-but-accessible death metal that feel purpose-built to wIn Orphalis a wider audience. Will As the Ashes Settle vault the act into broader renown, or is Orphalis destined to wander forever in The Limbo of Respectable Non-Entities?
The pitiless clockwork of the universe may be indifferent to the concept of fairness… but if As the Ashes Settle fails to bring a few more earholes Orphalis’s way, the band is justified in having beef with The Way Things Are. The album distills everything the outfit does well into a concise and blistering slab. The furious pace of the riffing recalls a less wonky Gorod, but there are also big melodeath vibes along the way. The solo that arrives two-thirds of the way through opener “As the Ashes Settle” would be at home on The Black Dahlia Murder’s Everblack. It’s an appealing mix of elements, bolstered by nimble songwriting and playing all up and down the record’s forty-three minutes. The album lacks a “killer app” single a la Hath’s “Kenosis” to put the whole thing over the top, but Orphalis seizes the occasion of their label change to produce the best work of their career.
Opener “As the Ashes Settle” barnstorms out of the gate, as guitarists Jens Dürholt and Martin Formeseyn throw reckless haymakers designed to put you back on your heels before they transition to a more technical attack. Thomas Köhler’s bass asserts itself with occasional noodly runs, but all the technical prowess serves an overall sound that isn’t afraid to highlight the “brutal” side of the “brutal technical death metal” equation. Single “Ritual of Conflagration” is maybe the heaviest offering, ripping through its four-minute run time with an emphasis on punishing riffs and nifty transitions. It’s a killer combo of an opening, and it sets a pattern for what’s to come…
… a pattern that is sometimes to As the Ashes Settle’s detriment. There’s precious little variation here–and when the band does shake things up, as on the Perturbator-esque future dance party interlude “Moon Supremacy,” you’re likely to wish they’d just get back to what they do well. It’s a minor flaw in an expertly paced and sequenced effort, but I found myself rooting for Orphalis to drop a killer standout somewhere in here. This album, like any album, would benefit from a completely fucking undeniable track like Anaal Nathrakh’s “Endarkenment” or the aforementioned “Kenosis.” Those obviously don’t grow on trees, so it’s a compliment to Orphalis that As the Ashes Settle feels capable of throwing off that kind of “Eureka!” moment. Tracks like “Ritual of Conflagration” and “An Effigy to Humanity” come close, but can’t quite get there.
None of this should stop you from immersing yourself in As the Ashes Settle. Orphalis has been an act on the come for a while now, and they’ve made good on that promise in almost every way you could hope for. The ten proper tracks on offer here are capable of giving you whiplash as you submit to their power, or of engaging your intellect as you admire the band’s technique. That’s no small accomplishment, even if it’s not quite the zeitgeist-penetrating statement of purpose some have been hoping Orphalis would drop.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Transcending Obscurity
Websites: facebook.com/Orphalis | Orphalis.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: August 25, 2023
