ORBS

So Dan Briggs, bass player for Between the Buried and Me, and Ashley Ellyllon, touring keyboardist from Cradle of Filth, decided to get together and throw their nerdy love of classical, prog, and aggressive music into a pot and crank up the heat. Later adding the vocalist and drummer from Fear Before to the mix, the oh-so-tasty stew that ensued is Orbs.

This band and album, however, is something entirely different for its members than what they were doing with their respective bands at the time. The characteristics that make each member unique and memorable are there, but this debut album and the band itself is greater than the sum of its parts. This is not metal music in any sense, but a tasty combination of prog rock and hard punk that stands uniquely on its own. There's nothing sounding quite like 'Asleep Next To Science' out there. The crown jewel of the album is the final 14-minute track 'Eclipsical'. If it tickles your fancy then I would definitely recommend getting your hands on a copy of the album.

With a little too much fat hanging here and there, this album falls just short of a modern masterpiece for me. This band could become something very special. Very much looking forward to hearing more from the band in years to come.

4.5 stars, really