Sweden’s rising metal powerhouse Orbit Culture continues their unstoppable ascent with the release of their new single and video, “Hydra,” the third offering from their forthcoming full-length album, Death Above Life, due out October 3 via Century Media Records.
Following the aggressive intensity of previous singles, including the album’s title track, “Hydra” pushes even further into the band’s signature blend of heavily down-tuned riffs, cinematic atmosphere, and unfiltered emotion. According to the band, the song channels the feeling of personal detachment, frustration, and the empowerment of severing toxic ties.
“With ‘Hydra,’ we dove even deeper into the heavy tunings we explored on our previous single, ‘Death Above Life,'” the band explains. “Lyrically, it’s a raw and unfiltered track about cutting ties — direct, honest, and uncompromising. The song was written during a period of intense stress and frustration and channeling that emotion onto paper felt like a necessary release.”
Orbit Culture also delivered an ambitious visual to match the track’s ferocity. Filmed on location in the California desert — with no green screens or artificial environments — the “Hydra” music video is a testament to their artistic vision.
Directed by Industrialism Films’ Vicente Cordero with additional editing from long-time collaborator Riivata Visuals, the clip evokes the vast and intense feel of cinematic epics like Dune while capturing the blistering, sweat-drenched energy of a band in their prime.
“This is easily one of our most ambitious videos to date,” said Orbit Culture. “What you see is real: Just four Swedish guys sweating it out in the scorching desert heat.”
Reflecting on Death Above Life, frontman Niklas Karlsson describes the album as both a departure and a rebirth: “The album represents change, a new beginning. It brings up a lot of good and bad emotions but it’s a big change for the better. It feels like a rebirth.”
Orbit Culture‘s previous release, Descent, and its follow-up EP, The Forgotten, dominated 2023 year-end lists. With Death Above Life, Orbit Culture stands on the precipice of something greater — a new chapter that promises to redefine modern metal on their terms.
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