Orchid
The Mouths Of Madness

Many have been waiting for someone capable of reviving the glory of Black Sabbath, someone able to reconnect with that gloomy yet innovative approach that gave birth to a new conception of music, a new genre. Countless entities over the decades have tried to copy them, imitate them, without ever achieving that attitude and those results. These American Orchid have also tried and, without wanting to compare or equate them with Iommi's creation, it should still be noted how their debut work "Capricorn" managed to make a mark. They returned to a "vintage" doom, acidic, raw enough to sweep away the new polished, orchestral and self-referential metal that has now invaded this musical scene. A return to the past that with "Capricorn" was very successful. But the problem for the four from San Francisco is to shake off the inevitable comparison with Black Sabbath, the accusation of being a "clone band." The biggest flaw of the new album, "The Mouths Of Madness" (April 2013), is precisely this: the inability to break free from BS.

The comparison with the Black Sabbath is inevitable: inevitable for the greatness and importance that this musical entity has had for the codification and very birth of classic heavy metal, laying the foundations for that horrific and "theatrical" world that fully took shape during the '80s. For these reasons, Orchid bears the heavy burden of having to break free from Black Sabbath, and despite an excellent debut album, the comparison will always be a standard of judgment for them. "The Mouths Of Madness" compared to its predecessor has a more derivative soul, less acid/doom and more rock, but without losing the genuineness of a niche sound. A more direct approach that partially reduces the role of the vocalist Theo Mindell, whose "nasal" timbre is less suited to compositions of this type. It's no coincidence that the most successful songs like "Silent One", "Nomad", and "The Loving Hand Of God" are those that share more in common with the substantial mood of "Capricorn." Very successful too is the single "Wizard Of War", the most direct and simple of the bunch but which works perfectly, both musically and in the refrain.

"The Mouths Of Madness" is the work of a group with enormous potential. A band capable of reviving vintage doom without the trappings of modern commercial metal. There is a slight drop in inspiration and inventiveness in song construction, perhaps due to the shift towards more hard rock-oriented areas. A musical reality that, to have its own reason for existing, should probably seek greater personalization, while maintaining the positivity of its proposal.

1. "Mouths Of Madness" (5:51)
2. "Marching Dogs Of War" (5:30)
3. "Silent One" (7:26)
4. "Nomad" (6:23)
5. "Mountains Of Steel" (6:58)
6. "Leaving It All Behind" (7:20)
7. "The Loving Hand Of God" (6:10)
8. "Wizard Of War" (3:19)
9. "See You On The Other Side" (7:17)