Taking their name from an ethnic minority group indigenous to Northern China, Orochen are more than just a band, they are a political collective harnessing the power of music as a means to achieve a just and right end.
Chiefly preoccupied with the way societies and environments across the world are harvested as economic resources, the Gothenburg post-metal quartet have consistently set out to investigate the conflicts of living a modern life, trapped inside a fiercely capitalist system.
Since the release of their critically acclaimed Thylacine EP last year, the band locked themselves away during the pandemic spring of 2021 to work on new material for their haunting debut concept album, Anthroposcenic.
With deeply poetic, evocative lyrics against a soundscape that blends elements of dark folk, post-rock, and black metal, Anthroposcenic meets the sadness of the dystopia we’re building with a steady gaze.
Over the course of eight songs, Anthroposcenic tells the story of a world plunging further into individualism, isolationism, and consumerism, where the few who attempt to do things for the greater good eventually get trapped in the viscoid webs of the capitalist machine. The album deals with questions about humankind’s existence, our moral compass, how we live in relation to the environment and the psychological effects of living in a consumption-first society.
The title of the album is a call to contemplation about our current state of affairs. It has been suggested that the very last part of the current geological period should be called Anthropocene due to humankinds extensive impact on Earth’s ecosystems and geology.
But Orochen is not stopping at sound. To amplify the messages of the album, the band has collaborated with four celebrated Swedish photographers – Pelle Ossler, Johannes Berner, Niklas Lövgren & Christian Thunarf – to pair an original image or “scene” with each song. The album will be released in the form of 300 exclusive, hand-numbered copies on transparent vinyl where all of the artwork will be printed on inner sleeves and inserts, making it possible to choose the preferred cover through a slide-in window on the front cover.
Officially released on May 27 but premiered exclusively by Echoes and Dust, Anthroposcenic threatens a return to the dark overtures, tribal post-metal, and dense apocalyptic vistas of their previous releases, and finds the band joining forces with a team of renowned photographers, artists, and collaborators, to help embolden their message further.
Anthroposcenic by Orochen will be released via Suicide Records on 27th May 2022 and can be pre-ordered HERE.
