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Orchid (screamo band)

From Alfawiki
Orchid
IndustryMusic
Founded1997
Defunct2002 (initially)
FateDisbanded in 2002; reunited in 2024
Headquarters
Amherst, Massachusetts
,
United States
ProductsMusic albums, EPs, singles

Orchid is a screamo group originating from Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Initially active between 1997 and 2002, they produced multiple EPs, split releases, and three full-length studio records. The lineup features lead singer Jayson Green, drummer Jeffrey Salane, guitarists Will Killingsworth and Brad Wallace, along with bassist Geoff Garlock.

During their original tenure, Orchid recorded three albums and performed their concluding concert on the day their final album was launched. They reunited in 2024 for a tour, marking their first live appearances in over two decades.

History

Orchid was established in early 1998 when Jayson Green, Will Killingsworth, and Brad Wallace were students at Hampshire College, while Jeff Salane attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The band released three studio albums: Chaos Is Me (1999), Dance Tonight! Revolution Tomorrow! (2000), and Gatefold (2002). Their farewell performance took place on July 9, 2002, coinciding with the release of Gatefold.

In 2005, the compilation Totality was issued posthumously, assembling 24 tracks consisting of rare B-sides and split EP contributions that had previously appeared exclusively on vinyl formats.

Following Orchid's disbandment, Jayson Green formed the hardcore punk supergroup Violent Bullshit alongside members from Black Army Jacket and the Fiery Furnaces. Additionally, Green, Killingsworth, and Garlock have continued collaborating in the project Ritual Mess.

Green also provided guest vocals on "Pow Pow," the lead track from LCD Soundsystem’s 2010 album This Is Happening.

Although presented with attractive reunion proposals—including an invitation to perform at the Netherlands’ Roadburn Festival—the band initially declined to regroup. However, after a 2023 interview conducted by Machine Music featuring Green, Killingsworth, and Wallace, discussions about reuniting commenced. In December 2023, Orchid announced a reunion tour scheduled for 2024. Their first concert in more than twenty years took place on May 5, 2024, at The Drake venue in Amherst. For this series of performances, original member Brad Wallace returned to the lineup as an additional guitarist.

Style

Orchid’s sound is predominantly characterized as hardcore punk and screamo, marked by intense dissonance, rapid tempos, and chaotic energy. Their music fuses the melodic and lyrical sensibilities of post-hardcore and emo with the aggressive extremity found in powerviolence (sometimes referred to as emoviolence) and grindcore genres. The Italian publication "Emotional Breakdown" commended Orchid’s compilation Totality as a concentrated representation of dark and intense music that has significantly influenced numerous artists within the scene.

Legacy

Orchid holds a prominent position within the screamo genre. NPR commentator Lars Gotrich acknowledges Orchid alongside Pg 99, Circle Takes the Square, and Majority Rule as pivotal contributors shaping emotional post-hardcore music. Jayson Green has described the band’s essence simply as a hardcore outfit.

The Canadian post-hardcore ensemble Silverstein recorded a cover of "Destination: Blood" featured on their album Short Songs. In 2013, Dog Knights Productions released a tribute compilation titled Epilogue of a Car Crash!. Piet Onthel covered "Weekend At The Fire Academy" in 2018, while Letters of Marque contributed a rendition of "Lights Out" to the 2023 charity compilation Spring Roots & Lullabies, benefiting Trans Lifeline.

Members

  • Jayson Green – lead vocals, keyboards, percussion (1997–2002, 2024–present)
  • Will Killingsworth – guitar, keyboards (1997–2002, 2024–present)
  • Jeffrey Salane – drums, percussion (1997–2002, 2024–present)
  • Brad Wallace – bass guitar (1997–1999), guitar (2024–present)
  • Geoff Garlock – bass (1999–2002, 2024–present)

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

  • Dance Tonight! Revolution Tomorrow! + Chaos Is Me (Ebullition Records, released September 10, 2002)
  • Totality (Clean Plate Records; CD issued January 15, 2005; vinyl edition in 2014)

Singles and EPs

  • We Hate You Demo (Self-Released, 1997)
  • Split release with Pig Destroyer (Amendment Records, 1997)
  • Orchid 7-inch (Hand Held Heart Records, 1998)
  • Split with Encyclopedia Of American Traitors (Witching Hour Records, 1998)
  • Split with Combat Wounded Veteran (Clean Plate Records, 2000)
  • Split with The Red Scare (Hand Held Heart Records, 2000)
  • Split with Jeromes Dream (Witching Hour Records, 2000)

Appearances on Compilations

  • "Weekend at the Fire Academy" featured on Songs Of The Dead (Ape Records, 1998)
  • "September 18th, 1993" included in Falafel Grind (Obscene Productions, 1999)
  • "How Far It's Gone" on the compilation Better Luck Next Time (Witching Hour Records, 1999)
  • "Flip The Tape" from Tribute To Fort Thunder (US Pop Life Vol.12) (Contact Records, 2001)

External links

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