In many cases, you’ll find that a band’s name tends to give some sort of indication of what is in store for its listener. It is no coincidence that Shape of Despair’s music evokes feelings of…well, despair. In the same fashion, someone who’s never heard Napalm Death before will not likely expect a soft, easygoing experience. I say all this because the moniker of Spain’s Orthodox is misleading. Simply put, there is absolutely nothing “orthodox” about the style of doom bestowed upon us by this enigmatic trio. Their identities, to my knowledge, are not definitively known. In fact, in the few promo and live performance pictures I’ve seen of them, they are cloaked and hooded in black, furthering their mysterious atmosphere.

In keeping with the theme of the unusual, Orthodox appear to have influences from all over the spectrum of doom, primarily stoner and drone, while adding tinges of jazz for an overall unparalleled structure. Their debut, Gran Poder, requires a patient and open-minded audience, as seen in the massive opener, Geryon’s Throne, which slowly twists and turns its way through its 27-minute running time. The technique of repetition found is somewhat reminiscent of the Sleep epic Dopesmoker, as one riff methodically drives its way into your skull with little variance for long periods of time before giving way to a new riff that starts the repetitive drive all over again. If that kind of esoteric, maddening style is as enjoyable for you as it is for me, then this song is well worth your time. When the main riff descends with all its forces around six minutes in, the sound is so immensely heavy I could not stop myself from cracking a smile. This band has mastered the art of building on a seemingly small foundation at a snail’s pace to attain maximum density once all parts are in unison. Vocals are obviously not the focal point of Orthodox, and they only drop them in for a short stay ten minutes into Geryon’s Throne in the form of a muffled yell, given a reverberating effect to make them sound as if they are emanating from an apparition. There is also a healthy dose of feedback heavy drone to be found on this track, usually accompanied by a few jazz-esque drum fills. With an entire album’s worth of stylistic changes and droning passages, this song is quite exhausting, but supremely fantastic nonetheless.

Though it would seem a fruitless endeavor to follow a monster opener such as Geryon’s Throne, Orthodox musters two additional droning doom suites sandwiched around a short drum and piano interlude. The first of the two, Arrodillate Ante la Madera y la Piedra, continues much in the same fashion as the opening track, but with a much higher emphasis on a desolate, droning atmosphere and a healthy share of odd time drum fills. The final track, El Lamento del Cabron, starts out as the most traditional and accessible track on the album, with a faster pace and crushing riffs that should please fans of Reverend Bizarre and Electric Wizard. An especially nice touch is the echo effect given to the vocals. Towards the latter half of the song, the focus turns to stripped down drone, with long sections of feedback only interrupted by an occasional crash of the main riff and a curious piano piece.

I had to listen to this album a few times to really “get” it, and in reflection I would say Gran Poder is one of the best doom debuts I’ve heard in quite some time. The experimentation and unique feel make up for what feels like a short album, even though its total length approaches 60 minutes. Orthodox have done fine job of taking all their various influences and intertwining them in a way that makes their sound entirely their own. I could sit here all day and make comparisons, but the truth is that it’s highly unlikely that you’ve heard anything like this before.



Note: This review refers to the original release of this album. Southern Lord has recently reissued it with an added bonus track.