In the past, the Australian band ORB liked to call themselves a doom-metal act. After listening to enough of their material, I never entirely bought that genre tag applied to them. Sure, their music was riff-heavy hard rock, and all three band members professed a love for Black Sabbath. But I never thought the group could be categorized as what one would expect from doom metal.
Maybe it’s a matter of aesthetics. This is probably silly, but the three members of ORB simply look too nice to be a doom-metal band. When I think of doom metal, I imagine tattoos and intimidating postures in band photos. The trio of ORB doesn’t fit that style at all. (What kind of doom metalhead wears sandals, anyway?) However, their music is heavy as hell, so maybe I need to get past this.
The distinction hardly matters either way. ORB’s previous works pack enough fuzz-heavy guitar to win over stoner and doom fans. The group is returning with their first studio album in six years, Tailem Bend, due on July 12th. In a country known for its bustling rock scene, ORB seems to fly under the radar, in my opinion, but not because of a lack of talent. After its 2018 LP The Space Between, ORB toured Europe and America back-to-back, supporting King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard in 2019, undoubtedly winning many more fans.
What have they been doing since then? As they explain, time rarely passes as expected, whether slowed by pandemics, side projects, or the vagaries of life. What’s important for music fans is that ORB’s fourth LP will finally be here soon, and we’re told that between the avalanches of fuzz madness, there are mellower passages and a renewed focus on rhythm and space.
The new record is named after a quiet town in South Australia that caught the band’s collective eye while on tour. We should also note that the trio of Zak Olsen (guitar/bass/vocals), David Gravolin (guitar/bass), and Jamie Harmer (drums) have been playing together now for a decade and a half, dating back to their long run in the teenaged band The Frowning Clouds. This shared history informs the new ORB record, also produced by Tim Dunn, who produced several Frowning Clouds albums.
Tailem Bend will be released on July 12th on Fuzz Club in Europe/North America and Flightless Records in Australia. The band plans an Australian tour in July to support the new music and a slate of overseas shows in 2025.
Two singles from the new record have been released thus far. “Can’t Do That” is a groove-heavy hard-rocker that drips with Seventies rock influences. Is this doom metal? Probably not. The heavy groove feels much more in line with the legendary Fu Manchu, which is a great thing indeed. The song also features an excellent middle section with flourishes of psychedelia. The second single – “Morph” – features more heavy riffage. You can see why these guys profess a love for Sabbath and Blue Öyster Cult. Olsen’s distorted, high-pitched vocals even have hints of Ozzy amid the hard-driving riffs.
Call ORB what you want – doom metal, stoner rock, psychedelic rock, or what have you. I don’t think the band cares much about the labels. However, the music they make rocks hard, and their new record should be a treat. If you like ORB’s latest singles, check out their previous work, including 2018’s The Space Between. Enjoy!
Pre-order Tailem Bend by ORB on Bandcamp here.
You can support ORB by finding them on Bandcamp or social media (Instagram, Facebook).
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