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Album Review: Orb - Birth

Jonty Czuchwicki
StarStarStarStar

"It's groovy, nonchalant, and whether tongue in cheek or oblivious to the fact, still quietly ingenious."

More ORB ORB

Birth is a fuzz-drenched journey fuelled by unabashed Black Sabbath worship.

There's a dash of resemblance to Steppenwolf, The Wytches and Led Zeppelin here as Orb stitch together thundering riffs with classic rock sentiment and hooky, affected vocals on the psychedelic five-track opus. Cowbells plaster a John Bonham-style drum groove on Reflection and the 16-minute voyage Electric Blanket shows Orb have integrated progressive and contemporary takes on psych into the musical conventions that were created alongside the 'birth' of heavy metal. It's groovy, nonchalant, and whether tongue in cheek or oblivious to the fact, still quietly ingenious.