Black Orchid Empire

Black Orchid Empire made a splash with debut platter Archetype, picking up airplay and no shortage of plaudits, touring partner Skin (Skunk Anansie) tagging them as “…bright, fresh new stars”.

In addition to dates with

Skin’s mob, they’ve hit the road as support to bands as diverse as Editors, InMe and Hed p.e, an indication of the divergent elements they pull together seamlessly in their music.

Yugen is a confident second step, its 11 tracks rife with proglevel complexity, radio-friendly hooklines, insistent grooves and twisted metal riffs, frequently all within the space of a single song (see My Favourite Stranger or Pray To The Creature).

Paul Visser’s vocal dynamism is impressive, moving from gentler phrasing over Celebrity Summer’s restrained opening chords to more aggressive tones suited to the track’s monster hookline. Instant enough to grab your attention on first listen, challenging enough to retain it over time.