Orbit Culture – Death Above Life
Release Date: 3rd October 2025
Label: Century Media
Bandcamp
Genre: Melodic Death Metal, Groove Metal, Metalcore.
FFO: Gojira, Lamb of God, Slipknot, Trivium.
Review By: Paul Cairney
It seems, now, that the world of metal has only recently discovered Orbit Culture. Sure, they have their fans, and have toured with solid metal acts including Rivers of Nihil and In Flames, as well as overrated, mediocre acts -I’m looking at you Slipknot – where they supposedly blew them off stage each night, but the fact is Death Above Life is the 5th album by the Swedish 4-piece, and we should all know of them by now.
The album opens with a ridiculously good track. ‘Inferna’ was only meant to ‘blow the bloody doors off’, but as the name would suggest, it is fire. The riffs chug with intent and the chorus oozes class. In fact, Death Above Life is full of classy choruses, occasionally to the slight detriment of the song itself. Y’see, the album is, sadly, inconsistent in places.
‘Bloodhound’ fails to continue where the album opener takes the listener. Yes, the riffs are heavy, and Christopher Wallerstedt attempts to batter his drums into premature submission, but the track doesn’t hit home and, disappointingly, is the first of a few reminders of the aforementioned Slipknot. Title track, ‘Death Above Life’, is a cinematic treat, with a heavy grinding riff, but it never quite rises above a predictable feel.
This does not affect the quality of the album too much, though. Their debut album for Century Media, Death Above Life, and the production is streets ahead of 2023’s Descent. Crisper, and heavier, so much heavier, Orbit Culture have benefited from the change of label, with the album being bigger than anything delivered before. Even ‘The Path I Walk’, where vocalist Niklas Karlsson channels his inner Stone Sour style Corey Taylor before finding a robust gravel-laden tone, seems bigger, even though it is a ballad! The balls of Orbit Culture to finish the album with a ballad is to be respected!
Karlsson describes the record as representing ‘change, a new beginning’ and being a ‘big change for the better’. This is perhaps the best way of describing Death Above Life. It is the best thing they have done, and despite a couple of inconsistent wobbles, it will hopefully gain them further attention as they hit the 2026 festival trail.
(4 / 5)
