I'm starting this off with a simple album review.
Orchid - Dance Tonight! Revolution Tomorrow! [2000]
While only existing quite briefly, Orchid are considered by many to be the quintessential screamo band. In their five years of existence, they have managed to put out 4 legendary albums, including this one here.
DT!RT! is more defined, both musically and lyrically, than its predecessor, Chaos Is Me. With references to Anna Karina, Friedrich Nietzsche, and more, we see some very well conceived lyrics. Upon first listen, one might assume Jayson Green is simply screaming about killing himself and others, but they would be quite mistaken.
Musically, this album’s zenith is Jeffrey Salane’s drumming, which combines Keith Moon-esque flailing with extremely melodic tendencies. The others do a extraordinary job supporting him, bringing a uniquely harmonious sound you wouldn’t expect to find in a genre with “violence” in its title. But of course, you can’t forget about the final track, “…And the Cat Turns to Smoke”. The entire band’s musical prowess comes together, with the help of a snippet of modern classical music; courtesy of a perfectly placed violin piece, for an epic finale.
Clocking in at a little over fifteen minutes, this album never ceases to blow my mind. Each track has its own blockbuster qualities, that should leave the listener craving for more. Take the first track, “Destination: Blood!” , for example. This song is only a minute long, but listening to it places me right in the middle of a bloodthirsty crusade, especially the second half, which has to be the audio personification of victory. “To Praise Prosthesis” is the aftermath of this crusade, where we loot our fallen enemies, and honor our fallen bretheren. “Lights Out” is another standout track, starting out calmly, with some clean singing. It is perhaps the heaviest song on the album, if we take into account the definition of the word. After a short burst of brutality, we have another marathon track, and my personal favorite in “I Am Nietzsche”. Another track with a slow guitar intro, before the rupturing of your mind begins. Tremolo picked riffs are very prominent in this song. Towards the end, you should feel inclined to scream the tracks title at the top your lungs. “Victory is Ours” brings that triumphant feeling back to you, along with the track after the next, “Black Hills”. I’m not sure how to explain it, but these songs are filled with memorable hooks that give me that feeling. Since I can’t, let the songs speak for themselves.
After “Snow Delay at the Frankfurt School”, we have this album’s larger than life ending track. Once again, an unhurried intro, but this time, it doesn’t just explode into the song. Instead, more instrumentation helps build this up to introduce which I believe is the best vocal performance here. Breaking down into a slow bass interlude is always fantastic. Is there any way it could get more epic? Yes, with the addition of violin. The final seconds are as climatic a finish as anyone could ask for.
I reccomend this to any hardcore/emo fans who haven't already heard it it, but I doubt there are any.