A strong release benefiting from its moderation

Orochen has released their second album with Suicide Records, Anthroposcenic. Anthroposcenic is an eight-track album that takes inspiration from multiple different genres, notably rock and death metal. This is the group’s first album release since previous album Thylacine was released in September of 2020.

Much of Orochen’s musical influence comes from hardcore, sludge rock that was popular in the 2000s. Just a few of the bands that were influential in Orochens musical style were Woven Hand, Cult of Luna and MONO. The current lineup for Orochen consists of Jonas Mattsson at vocals and guitar, Rasmus Lindblom at bass, Emil Gustavsson at the guitar and Hampus Olsson at the drums. 

Each song on Anthroposcenic has a special feeling to it. The vocals and music are different in every track which creates a refreshing feeling for the listener throughout the album. “Black Snow” kicks off the album with its rock influences that balance the instrumentals from being too extreme. This respect for the moderation—of going too far with genres in one song—keeps the atmosphere of each track from being polluted with too many different sounds.

“Black Snow” sets the tone for properly utilizing different instrumentals on Anthroposcenic. The feeling of moderation of heavy metal influences carries on throughout the album, especially on songs like “Iron Gates.” On “Iron Gates,” the guitar provides a feeling of energy that is uplifting in a song that is mostly somber in its tone.

“Convalescence” is where the influences of death metal kick in. The vocals are deeper, and the drums bang louder as opposed to songs like “Black Snow” and “Iron Gates.” Convalescence is where Orochen shows their ability to skillfully switch from different genres, as they can follow rock on some songs while following death metal on others.

Anthroposcenic is a strong release for Orochen. The instrumentals are strong in their production and sound which compliments the album’s themes. The themes of darkness are consistent throughout the album and flow well with the incredible vocal talent. Fans of rock will enjoy Anthroposcenic for its moderation and strong musical flow in instrumentals and vocals.