On May 24, Manila-based progressive metalcore act ORCA surprised their followers with a taste of what is to come from the band through their darkest musical release yet.
Entitled “The Invitation (Prologue)“, the new track is a first look into the band’s new album due to be released by the end of the year and is a follow-up to their two EPs, “Creation” and “Engender“; released in 2015 and 2017 respectively.
View the visualizer for the song here:
Teased earlier this month, the prologue of “The Invitation” is an ominous tune that is the calm before a storm reminiscent of fellow progressive act Sleep Token‘s style; giving of an extremely eerie atmosphere that starts off with a soft instrumental that is then injected with a mixture of vocalist Zoren Fernandez‘s crooning and the occasional punctuation of choir vocals.
Vocalist Zoren says of the song:
“This prologue is a salutation of ‘The Invitation’. It’s a subtle gesture of someone’s untimely departure. Everyone is suffering from a mental illness, one way or another. Neurosis, anxiety,and trauma. All cuddled up in a special room tucked inside the darkest corner of our mind. Sometimes, this room is too much for us to handle, yet we function like there’s nothing wrong. This track is just an introduction of what lies beneath.
We’d like the listeners to feel and face the pain they’ve been suppressing because we can only survive pain if we recognize them head on.”
The song’s peaceful yet chilling start creates a feeling of uncertainty in the listener; a feeling that misleads and makes one think all is in tranquility yet they know that something is waiting to be unleashed which greatly matches the message of the track as it crescendos and ends with mellow angelic voices turning into dark, harsh screams as heavier melodies and rhythms clash in the background and give us a glimpse on what to expect next.
This new song is definitely something unique and perhaps unexpected for those who have followed ORCA for so long yet will most likely be a welcome surprise for many; even, and perhaps especially, for the first-time listeners.
Get to know and stay updated with ORCA here:
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/orcamusicPH
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orcapilipinas/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/orcamusicph
Band Profile: https://finitefam.com/roster/orca