If CROBAR and CLUTCH conceived a conspicuous love child, ORBITAL JUNCTION could be it. Their debut album Egos And Instincts is out now and after listening to it, it’s easy to see why they have been hailed ‘London’s best new stoner rock band’ by Desertfest. They were invited to play there last year and invited back this year. Of course, due to a certain virus, this was postponed to the following year like a lot of festivals this year. Until fans get to see them live again, this debut album offers us a full buffet of strong, dirty sounds that are worth diving into.
There is no messing around with the opening track Earthmover, it goes straight to the point and tells you upfront what to expect from the band. You are already treated to raw, dirty sounds each musician in the band produces. This track’s great impact shows that this track name is more than apt.
The thing with stoner rock is that even with the bombastic sounds, you feel somewhat numb and free. This is exactly what Egos And Instincts offers up and given what’s going on right now, this could be what we need. Each track sounds completely different from each other yet they all give this same effect, to me this is what a great album can do. Below are just a few examples of what I mean.
Queen Of Mean will be the track everyone will go crazy to at a live show. The title alone is enough to make anyone feel empowered and ready to go, even more so when the rough and filthy music arrangements reinforce this statement. The interesting thing about listening to this is that you feel empowered yet relaxed.
From the moment I hear Owen Armstrong’s prevailing vocal work in the track Gamblin’ Man, CLUTCH come to mind instantly. Could he be the UK equivalent of Neil Fallon? Most certainly. The rest of this track has a funky beat that will make you want to put on the largest pair of boots you have and stamp down hard.
Even when the word addict is mentioned, it causes a huge impact and it is still considered a taboo subject the majority of the time. This song Addict is hugely poignant; the lyrics in this track and vast music arrangements reinforce this further. Since addiction is something we deal with, the lyrics such as “I am alone now, with the demons inside my head now” could sit with anyone battling some kind of addiction, whether that’s to a toxic person or substance.
It ends on a foot stomping and powerful note with the song Creep. This is the climax that this album builds up to and it leaves you hankering for more from the band.
It took two years of hard work and a complication due to COVID-19 to create Egos And Instincts, this hard work has paid off and it will open up many more doors for this band. Get ready for 2021; if this album is anything to go by, ORBITAL JUNCTION don’t plan on coming quietly.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Lotty Whittingham
Egos And Instincts is out now.
Find ORBITAL JUNCTION on Facebook.
