Orme are a doom/drone band from the UK and this is their latest EP.
After last year’s gargantuan self-titled debut record, I’m pleased to see Orme back in action already with No Serpents, No Saviours. Consisting of a single 24-minute track, this new release finds Orme operating in slightly different waters. On No Serpents, No Saviours Orme focus less on the drone of their debut, and more on colossal death/doom metal.
For an idea of this new version of Orme, think a mix of Bismuth, Bolt Thrower, Bongripper, Serpentine Path, and Ufomammut. Sort of. This’ll do as a rough starting point, at least.
It starts heavy, with riffs that sound capable of flattening mountains. The monstrous death growls are ragged and harsh, and very convincing. The music is a crushing work, designed to demolish everything in front of it, in a relentlessly inexorable way. A bleak melancholic lead appears after about seven minutes or so, heightening the mood that has built until then. Once it’s gone, the music just appears heavier than ever.
By minute 13 I’m well and truly captivated. The riffs fall like colossal waves crashing down, and the level of atmospheric immersion is high. It quietens around the 15-minute mark. This is the third time it’s done this, but rather than supply breathing room like the first two, this time it sounds more deliberate in the sense that it feels like it is building to something, with delicate foreshadowing and use of organ. When the heaviness returns, it has an air of finality about it, along with a psychedelic edge that’s expressive.
The song ends in heaviness. No frills. Stripped back to the massive riff that’s powered it forward for so long. Backed my the relentless drums and thick bass. As it fades out, you simply want to start it over again. And you should.
No Serpents, No Saviours is a strong, enjoyable song. I could happily listen to more of this sort of thing, should Orme dabble in this space further in the future.
If you’re an adherent of doom and a worshipper of the riff, this is something you’ll want to check out.
Find out more here.
Wonderbox Metal 