It almost seems unfair to review albums of deathcore bands, because deep down everybody knows that most bands in this genre are a 110x better live- and that is exactly the feeling that this self-titled album from Orphan Stomper invokes. This 2-piece band from Wollongong is new to the scene, being a little under a year old, but judging from this release the potential is there.
Throughout the albums, vocalist Brad Evans shows his vocal versatility between classic death metal gutturals and spine-tingling whistle screams that will have any deathcore fan throwing up their horns.
Switching between the fast riffs on songs like Government Hypocrisy to the slow but deep breakdowns, most notably in the track Parasite, the band has compensated for only having 2 members. Lachlan Groenestein who is listed as in charge of guitars, bass and drum programming has done a marvellous job of pulling it all together, clearly showing that the pair that makeup Orphan Stomper can write quality deathcore tracks. Personally, I always like when a band can maintain heaviness but also come up with some memorable and catchy riffs, which Orphan Stomper has been able to do. The riff from Bleed Through Your Eyes will be stuck in my head for days.
Though the mix, unfortunately, does not do the vocals justice completely- but if we forgive the production quality and just focus on how well curated these tracks are, Orphan Stomper has been able to pull off a fantastic debut album. Cannot wait to see the future of this band.
Orphan Stomper: Facebook
Release Year: 2020
Label: self-released
Category: Album
Country: Australia
Reviewed by Kayla Hamilton
