Vehemency
It is a rare moment to find something as spectacular as Nine Odes to Oblivion - an album that turned out to be the only one by this mysterious Tasmanian band Orrery. It is a shame when a band that can pull out material of this level disappears right in the beginning. Perhaps it was a considered decision to quit if you know that you have created a masterpiece and there is nothing else to say?
One thing is sure, and that is that Nine Odes to Oblivion is an audial orgasm from the beginning to the end. First, a note of warning: this music is repetitive and lo-fi, which some people might find boring. If you are not afraid of long songs and fuzzy production, you may continue to read. The focus is hundred percent on the windy nature atmosphere that is captured very organically. The sounds of tremolo picked melancholic riffs and furious drums is like standing actually in the middle of a rainy storm. There is no need for vocals, thus the album is entirely instrumental. To this point, I have not witnessed another band that would have managed to create such an atmosphere, an aura.
Nine Odes to Oblivion consists basically of one track that is divided into nine sections. Between black metallish tracks reside shorter, beautiful acoustic interludes, although one of these shorter tracks is a magical piece containing only synth. This variation between black metal and calmer moments makes sure that Nine Odes to Oblivion is not a numbing experience. Sometimes the repetition seems eternal but only in a good sense: it feels like you just want to lay there and keep the touching music just going on, no matter if it’s just one riff. Only a few bands have succeeded in this before, Drudkh and Paysage d’Hiver coming to mind at first.
Five star albums are always hard to describe throughout, but in the end, is there anything else to say about Nine Odes to Oblivion? First and foremost, it is a magical experience that should not be depicted and analyzed too precisely. Orrery is a true gem hidden from bigger audiences: I don’t know how limited the CD or tape is, but I am really happy to own the latter version at least, which seems to be quite rare already. Pick it up if you see either of the versions anywhere, otherwise you could be missing something big.