“Distorted Folklore” is the band’s follow-up to 2022’s “Head Wounds” EP, and was once again recorded with Jonathan Nuñez (Torche, Shitstorm, Jacuzzi Boys) at Sound Artillery Studio in Miami.
What sets “Distorted Folklore” apart from Orbiter’s previous releases is the songwriting process. Rather than trading riffs between band members and adding vocal melodies to the favorites, singer/guitarist Jon Reinertsen sought to hone his songwriting chops by creating cohesive structures and melodies the band could build upon. The result is their most cohesive, fully formed effort to date. The songs maintain the heaviness Orbiter is known for but the weight is distributed in different ways: the songs ebb and flow, tapping into the dynamic energy from the band members’ DIY roots.
The album opener, “Safe as Houses” provides a glimpse of what’s to come. Guitar notes arrive seemingly from the ether in a circular pattern before bass and drums come crashing in, bringing listeners into Orbiter’s world of heavy and hook-laden melodies. The catchy and energetic “Time Rips” perfectly encapsulates the band’s songcraft with harmonized guitars, massive basslines and drums. The digital version of the album includes a cover of Talking Heads’ “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)”. The album closes with what may be the band’s most ambitious song to date, “Svalbard Lights”, a journey that sees the band at its heaviest and most gentle and melodic across its seven-minute runtime.
“Distorted Folklore” is a loose concept album, and as the songs play out, listeners will be taken on a journey where the protagonist questions his sanity and struggles with loss, isolation, heartbreak, drug addiction, societal collapse, and comes right to the brink of a full-on existential crisis. Meanwhile, the heavy-hitting riffs and lush, melodic interludes provides the perfect soundtrack for this epic voyage.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/orbiterfl/
https://orbiterfl.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/orbiterfl/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0WSiEoNVU5bonG18bN2u6O