Orchid – Capricorn (2011) [Doom Dealer] // Grade: A+

San Francisco based Orchid created quite the stir when they released their first EP over a year ago. Now, one of the most anticipated releases of 2011 is upon us and what is my verdict? Pretty solid. While it’s easy to get hung up in the “It sounds like Sabbath” mindset while you’re listening to Capricorn, you have to appreciate their sound craft.

Orchid’s songwriting and production is almost mind-numbingly precise. These guys executed one solid doom album in the time from their first EP to Capricorn‘s release. While it’s easy to capture the sounds of Sabbath, it’s difficult to capture the 70′s in that same breath. Many bands attempt to emulate the sounds of the Ozzy-era Sabbath but finding that delicate balance of context and construct is rare.

The packaging and care that went into Capricorn‘s release is intense. Inside you’ll find 24 beautifully-printed pages and even an embroidered patch. Sweet! Now enough of the background on this band. On to the music. “Eyes Behind The Wall” starts it off with a somewhat menacing sound that still maintains a rather playful amount of riffage and vocal overlay. Creating this overlay is what gives Capricorn that 70′s vibe.

“Capricorn”, the title track is one of the most inviting tracks on the album. It’s got that Witchcraft sound that everyone’s come to love. For a dose of Paranoid, check out “Black Funeral” which has almost the exact same riff as “Electric Funeral.” Homage? Sure, why not. The next two tracks, “Masters of It All” and “Down Into The Earth” pair wonderfully together. The most successful cut on the album is “He Who Walks Alone”. If any track on Capricorn were to be labeled the best, it would be this one.

The first track I heard from this album was “Cosmonaut of Three”, via a Youtube video. Talk about a trippy experience. “Electric Father” and “Albatross” end the album and sends us all into a reflective state. When you finish an album like Capricorn, you don’t exactly know what happened. Did you somehow buy a lost album from the 70′s? While Capricorn doesn’t compete with Ozzy-era Sabbath, it sure does come close. You might not even be able to listen to Witchcraft or the like for a while. Buy this album, support your local doom bands and if you don’t want your patch, send it to me, I want another one!

- Prolly