Posted on: October 9, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Orphanage was probably one of the most influential Dutch Gothic metal bands, until their split up in 2005. Leaving behind a legacy of four amazing full-length albums, the band managed to capture the sheer essence of the genre in their music, each time delivering an unforgettable masterpiece. “Driven”, Orphanage’s final album from 2004, is by far the group’s greatest work, showcasing brilliance in every aspect…

“Driven” was originally released by Nuclear Blast on April 13th, 2004. Right from the opening track it was clear that this was by far the group’s heaviest and most brutal work yet. The amazing mixture of raw, edgy guitars with gloomy, atmospheric keyboard passages, backed with a magnificent collaboration of Oosthoek’s growling and Van Der Aa’s beautiful singing brought over an hour of truly enchanting Gothic metal. With such top-notch compositions as “The Sign”, “Dead Grounds” and the instrumental “Black Gate”, Orphanage proved their ability to write sophisticated, almost progressive music, perfectly joining heaviness and melody. The reviews for “Driven” were very promising – most critics praised the band for their similarities to such acts as early Crematory, The Gathering and even Meshuggah and Cynic, while some simply dubbed Orphanage “a brutal version of Within Temptation”.
Unfortunately, despite the successful reception of their fourth album, on October 18th, 2005 Orphanage officially announced their disbandment. “Driven” remains the strongest point in the group’s entire discography, delivering a prime dose of brilliantly constructed Gothic metal.

Metal Mind Productions will re-release “Driven” on 5th October in Europe and 1st December in USA (via MVD). New digipak edition is limited to 2000 copies. Digitally remastered using 24-Bit process on a golden disc.

Orphanage
“Driven” (remastered)

Label: Metal Mind Records
Cat. No.: MASS CD 1333 DG
Barcode: 5907785035515
Format: CD Digipak (limited edition of 2000 numbered copies)
Genre: gothic metal
Release date: 01.12.2009 USA

Tracklist:

1. The Sign
2. Black Magic Mirror
3. Cold
4. Prophecies Of Fame
5. Dead Ground
6. My Master’s Master
7. Back Gate
8. In Slavery
9. Truth Or Lies
10. Driven
11. Infinity
12. Addiction
13. Beyond The Fall
14. Ender’s Game

Bio
The band was formed in 1987 in Utrecht, when George Oosthoek (vocals), Guus Eikens (keyboards), Lex Vogelaar (guitar) and Eric Hoogendoorn (bass) decided to form a Gothic metal project . The project slowly evolved and in 1993, after the addition of drummer Stephen van Haestregt, Orphanage recorded their first demo entitled “Morph”. The year 1994 brought a big change in the group’s style, when female singer Martine Van Loon (ex-The Gathering) decided to join the collective. With her on board, the band recorded a second demo – “Druid” – which became their ticket to signing a record deal with DSFA Records. Finally, in March 1995 Orphanage released their debut LP “Oblivion”, recorded with a new drummer – Jules Vleugels. The album brought a thrilling mixture of melodic death, black and doom metal, served with an enchanting Gothic atmosphere. Even though it proved to be quite a success, Martine Van Loon soon decided to leave the band. She was replaced by Rosan Van Der Aa, with whom the band recorded their second album – “By Time Alone” – in 1996. The follow-up to the debut offering delivered even more diversity in the style department, leading the group to perform some of their songs live in the company of a four-piece horn section, a string quartet and a fourteen-piece Gregorian choir. The album was again a success, strengthening Orphanage’s position on the Dutch metal scene. Nevertheless, due to the members’ commitment to other projects, it took the band four years to record their third album. “Inside” was finally released in August 2000, under the wings of the acclaimed record label – Nuclear Blast Records. The LP received numerous positive reviews and Orphanage soon found themselves touring with such names as Within Temptation and After Forever.
In 2002, the band went through a number of line-up changes, finally to welcome three new members: Remco Van Der Spek (bass), Lasse Dellbrügge (keyboards) and Sureel (drums). With the personnel situation again in control, Orphanage began working on their fourth album. “Driven” was eventually released by Nuclear Blast on April 13th, 2004. Right from the opening track it was clear that this was by far the group’s heaviest and most brutal work yet. The amazing mixture of raw, edgy guitars with gloomy, atmospheric keyboard passages, backed with a magnificent collaboration of Oosthoek’s growling and Van Der Aa’s beautiful singing brought over an hour of truly enchanting Gothic metal. With such top-notch compositions as “The Sign”, “Dead Grounds” and the instrumental “Black Gate”, Orphanage proved their ability to write sophisticated, almost progressive music, perfectly joining heaviness and melody. The reviews for “Driven” were very promising – most critics praised the band for their similarities to such acts as early Crematory, The Gathering and even Meshuggah and Cynic, while some simply dubbed Orphanage “a brutal version of Within Temptation”.
Unfortunately, despite the successful reception of their fourth album, on October 18th, 2005 Orphanage officially announced their disbandment. “Driven” remains the strongest point in the group’s entire discography, delivering a prime dose of brilliantly constructed Gothic metal. This exclusive re-release is a must-have for every fan of dark, atmospheric music…

Leave a Comment