Why you should listen to Orbs

So the supergroup Orbs have just released their debut album "Asleep Next To Science"...and it is pretty awesome. Orbs features Adam Fisher (guitarist/vocalist of Fear Before), Dan Briggs (bassist or BTBAM, but he plays guitar in this band :), Clayton Holyoak (Drummer from Fear Before), Ashley Ellyllon (keyboard player for Abigail Williams and Cradle of Filth), and some dude named Chuck Johnson (he plays da bass). This is a pretty random assortment of musicians and, surprisingly, their musical chemistry together is astounding. I haven't listened to the album enough yet, so I'm not going to do a full blown review. Instead I will discuss their sound and some of the unique things I've noticed about their music.

When listening to Orbs you are bound to notice Adam's voice first. His odd whiny tone makes his voice stick out, but in a good way, and his screams sound great (especially in Lost at Sea). The lyrics I caught were pretty weird. I guess this album is about space or something.

Dan's guitar playing is very unique. Some of his riffs remind me of Circa Survive and he likes to use effects. Even though he's in BTBAM his playing shows very little metal influence. He doesn't do a lot of showing off because the keyboard is usually playing the melodies and solos, but trust me, he has some pretty sweet parts. (quick edit: I just found out that he only finger picks? WTF??? that is all)

THE KEYBOARD PARTS MAKE THE BAND. Seriously, some of the piano and synth parts Ashley plays are ridiculously cool. They range from proggy synth solos to gothic style organ parts and never disappoint. They are front and center nearly every track and they are the main thing that makes this band so original.

Clayton's drumming is very solid and a bit more technical than his drumming in Fear Before. Chuck's bass playing is very impressive as well (probably because Dan helped him write the parts).

All that's left to be said is that if you want a truly unique progressive rock album then get this. I hope this post made you interested in this band and I hope you all check them out!

Tentative Rating: 8.8/10

-Tynan