Thursday 14 July 2016

ORION - Builders of Cosmos (Album Review)


Release date: June 28th 2016. Label: Taxi Driver Records. Format: CD/DD

Builders Of Cosmos – Tracklisting

1.Intro 06:53
2.Alone With You 04:44
3.Lucid Dreams 04:41
4.Builders Of Cosmos 06:45
5.Over & Over 05:00
6.Lost Again 04:32

Band Members:

Matteo Signanini: Guitar, Voice
Andrea Ricci: Guitar
Richard Silvaggio: Bass, Voice
Pietro Virgilio: Drum

Review:

Italian Stoner Rockers – Orion – play a vast psychedelic blend of spaced out stoner rock that allows the band to mix different noises and vibes to their heavy sound. Orion’s debut album – Builders Of Cosmos - is a thrilling spectacle from start to finish and one that should be appeal to fans such as Truckfighters, ENOS, Monster Magnet and Red Fang.

Opening track – Intro – is an almost seven minute instrumental track that crackles with distorted fuzz. Orion add distorted layers of noise that maybe too jarring for some. Short soundclips appear now and again but it’s the heavy thumping riffs that shows where the bands talent and vision lies.

Second track – Alone With You – sees Orion add vocals to the album and they are almost drowned out by the heavy distorted riffs but you can fully understand what is being sung. Alone With You is one of the standout tracks on the album.

One of the best things about this album is the speed Orion plays their music at. This is a very fast-paced album as Orion play at such an exciting pace you can be forgiven for missing some of the music the first time you listen to the album. Third track – Lucid Dreams – offers a harder edged Desert/Stoner Rock sound but matched with a more psychedelic spaced out sound. The vocals impress yet again as they have a distinctive vintage feel. Maybe the vocals could have done with more volume so they’re not completely drowned out by the instrumental work.

Fourth track – Builders Of Cosmos – is where Orion finally starts to create their own sound by offering a heavier style of fuzz/spaced out riffs. The vocals take centre stage as for once they’re not drowned out by superb riffs. Maybe that’s Orion’s style but I find this is where the band finds the perfect balance between the vocals and riffs. They work in almost perfect Stoner Rock harmony.

The final two tracks – Over & Over and Lost Again – offer ten minutes of two final rounds of spaced out psychedelic stoner magic. Both songs have a more manic energy compared to the earlier tracks. I don’t know if the band are speeding things up as they know the end is almost upon us. The final ten minutes do feel a little rushed at times but it shouldn’t spoil your overall enjoyment of the album.

I’m a huge fan of the  Italian Stoner Rock/Metal scene and Orion is another example why the Italian scene is thriving at the moment. Orion may not bring anything new to the genre but which band does. What Orion do bring is a keen talent for writing great songs you will be listening to for a long time to come. Builders Of Cosmos is a fantastic album. Check it out. You won’t be sorry.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp