Orbiter – Hollow World
Release Date: 22nd September 2023
Label: Argonauta
Bandcamp
Genre: Psychedelic Doom, Stoner Metal.
FFO: Sleep, Sergeant Thunderhoof, Belzebong.
Review By: Jeffery Childress
Imagine for me if you will that Sergeant Thunderhoof, Belzebong and Sleep had a child, and it emerged from the womb with a voice that brings to mind an edgier Stevie Nicks combined with a grungy sort of feel that is reminiscent of Courtney Love. This is what I hear when I listen to Orbiter’s newest release, Hollow World. Instrumentally I greatly enjoyed this record, however I wasn’t able to fully get into it due to my disfavour for the vocal work. As I said, Carolin’s voice has a bit too much of a Stevie Nicks aura for my taste, but the guitar tracks are nice and crunchy, the bass is thick and busy, and Sami’s drum work provides that perfect slow and heavy march that we doomers are so fond of.
Silence Breaks opens this record with its atmospheric wall of sound that commands the listeners attention. It’s not my favorite track on the album, but is far from my least favorite. Immediately I felt the pull of mixed feelings for this release. This song is a great lead in to Beneath’s steady but heavy driving guitar riffs from Alexander alongside an outstanding bass performance by Tuomas. In an interview with mhf-mag.com Carolin said, “Beneath is about getting drowned by some of the hardships of life and struggling through painful currents.”
Then there is Kalibri; Listen, I absolutely tranced out while listening to this airy 1 minute 40 second instrumental. This track features a lone acoustic guitar and is so simple in design yet so complex that I had to repeat the track several times in order to truly grasp it. However, once it grabs hold of you, it will not let go until the final note is stricken. Moving to the topic of the records title track Hollow World, I wasn’t entirely fond of the vocal track, but there are sections of Carolin’s vocals that I do quite like. I found that I tend to lean a bit more favorably towards her heavier vocals, or more accurately, her more expressive vocals. For that is when she takes on her more eerie climate that I unapologetically dig tremendously. What really makes this song vibrate in my chakras are the heavier bits of the bass and drums, coupled by Alexander’s impressive riffing and phenomenal solo.
The single Raven Bones is the band’s first release since their 2020 EP, The Deluge. I adore the instrumentation altogether, and can’t help but to bang my head along with the in your face opening riff and hammering drum work. I still have a few mixed feelings about this one though as there are a few areas where the vocals really don’t appeal to me, but in the end nobody can take anything away from the band; this is one of those tunes that you can imagine the band comfortably jamming just for the sake of jamming.
Have you ever heard a song that musically is simply fantastic, but just entirely overproduced? Transmissions is one such song; I acknowledge the concept and proper execution of adding effects to one’s work and all, but sometimes you can use far too much. The overuse of effects here distracts from the music; had this not been the case, Andrew’s beautifully fuzzy guitar stylings and Sami’s trance inducing drum track would have easily made Transmissions one of my favorite songs on the record.
Under Your Spell is my least favorite song on the album. Nothing about this song really piqued my interest, the guitar work really didn’t do it for me, plus the whole vocal thing that has thrown me, that I will refrain from treading into any further at this juncture, Last Call on the other hand makes up for what Under your Spell lacks for me. This atmospheric banger resonates with me on a deeper level than any other song on the record. It is heavy, hazy and comes complete with an amazing bridge that will certainly thrill. Carolin is straight up in the pocket here. Her vocals seem to come effortlessly, and to be quite frank, if she were to utilize her voice in this fashion more often I think that I would overall be more enthusiastic with Orbiter’s work. Pair Carolin’s vocals here with an excellent display of axemanship from Alexander and devotion of rhythm keepers Tuomas and Sami, and you have a delectable recipe for a killer stoner/doom metal snack.
With the sounds and textures presented on this album, I feel like fans of Sergeant Thunderhoof will appreciate this record very much. I also feel that this release will find favor with fans of Sleep and Belzebong with its classic stoner vibes. I also want to add that any fans of the vocal styles of Courtney Love or an edgier Stevie Nicks who may be inclined to partake in some heavier tunage might be well pleased with Carolin’s vocal presentation and should consider taking this one for a spin. Although I had a bit of a hard time getting fully into this album, instrumentally it is quite good. The vocals and use of effects were a bit much for me, but other than that, not bad at all. It isn’t that I feel like Carolin has a bad voice, it’s just that her signature sound doesn’t fully appeal to me personally. Instrumentally, however, Hollow World contains many of the desired elements that I am seeking when it comes to finding a good stoner/doom metal listen. Overall I was indeed able to vibe with its fuzzy guitars, slow heavy beats and distressed ambience, so I will give it a rating of 2.5 as my feelings remain quite mixed, but all in all a nice job here. I look forward to seeing this band grow and expand their horizons in the future. That’s all for me, fellow doomers; until next time, stay extreme. 
(2.5 / 5)
