Orange The Juice: The Messiah Is Back

Housed in a beautiful 5" card sleeve which "pops out" to make a presentation stand, if your heart so desires; even before you listen to The Messiah Is Back by Poland's Orange The Juice, there's much to be impressed by. Especially in its eye catching white, gold and ever so slightly blood spattered colourings. It's that final glimpse of crimson which best encapsulates this six piece outfit, a band as likely to play double time oompah, as they are a hit of almost extreme metal guitars and screams. The blend is keenly mixed and the results carefully crafted and even while this Jazz, Rock, Metal, Avant-garde, and much else, outfit construct each segment with undoubted class (and they can wave their arms with a flourish to emphasise the amount of home-grown awards their music has received) O the J are one of those outfits where you have to endure their "challenges", in order to live with the good stuff.

As a scene setter opening romp "Romanian Beach" says much, hand blurring flurries of clean guitars lining up alongside trumpet blasts and some of the worst, accented rapping you could "hope" to hear. Musically things shimmy from a languid hip-hop backing to a cacophony of white noise and up-tempo brass outbursts. It's like watching a talented modern dancer strut their stuff, throw in some retro disco moves and then dance like your Grandma for the next 30 seconds or so. Wow, wow, what the f....?

And so it goes in a look what we can do kind of way, "Summer Sea" again containing quick bursts of riff and manic drumming and then playing it alongside what sounds like barking, hiccupping and heavy breathing. There's a message here I'm sure, but not one I understand, or that I'm really 100% sure that I want to. At least the shouting/whining noises that are made are bolstered by bulging braces of brass and smash. We're only two songs in and you get the idea. Loads to make you "oooooo" at and yet more to make you exclaim "eh?" as electro car chases with one second gaps of silence fall headlong into piano interludes and more extreme guitars and wailing at the top of the voice. The skill behind all of this is astounding, however the desire to listen to it on a regular basis simply isn't there.

Live? Sign me up immediately, this lot must be a hoot. On disc? I'm not so keen to commit. Yes, I'll listen and like elements of what I hear, and yet the short blasts of children's choir and electro noise of "A Body Without A Head", or the ambient noise and saxophone which slides into the sound of people walking and moving metal implements, before unintelligible voices whoosh past as harmonica is distorted into mush… simply doesn't entice me back for more.

As a statement, Orange The Juice are almost flawless, as a sit down and listen experience The Messiah Is Back, is a tough trek and then some...

Track Listing
1. Romanian Beach
2. Summer Sea
3. The Message
4. A Body Without A Head
5. Report
6. Blame
7. I Was Wrong

Added: December 13th 2014
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Orange The Juice online
Hits: 1803
Language: english

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