Album Review: Orthodox – A Door Left Open (Century Media)

‘A Door Left Open’ is the new album from Nashville bruisers Orthodox. Twelve tracks that take the listener on a white-knuckle ride through panic, paranoia and dread. It is out on June 6th, 2025, via Century Media.

A contender for the most extreme albums of the year, Orthodox’s new album is mean. The sonic equivalent of a violent assault, albeit one with purpose. It punishes the mind, body, and soul from the start and aside from flashes of flair (although even those moments are rooted in aggression), it brutalises.

It’s not just the barrage of riffs, the pummelling dished out by the drums, the scathing vocals, and the inspired guest spots, that makes this album such a visceral listen though. Orthodox have crafted something that embodies tension, creates an uncomfortable atmosphere, and feels downright feral for the most part. Alongside that intensity there’s the cleverness of the guitar harmonics, the rawness of the squeals, and the crunchiness of the breakdowns. Orthodox promise a noisy experience and that is exactly what we get with this album.

For me, it speaks volumes that the first part of the album flies by in heart-racing fashion. Orthodox delivering some of their sharpest sounding tracks, alongside some of their most blunt. Tracks like Can You Save Me?, Body Chalk, and Dread Weight wreck, but do so in stylish fashion. Sure, Orthodox unleash carnage here, but they know exactly what they’re doing and aren’t afraid to experiment with traditional metallised structures.

Matt McDougal from Boundaries is the first of several killer guests and the talented vocalist gets involved in one of the album’s grooviest head bangers with Blend in with the Weak.

It’s around this point that Orthodox start to change up the formula too. Delivering two tracks that the three-minute mark. First, Godless Grace, and a slower, more deliberate tempo, resulting in heaviness you will feel in the pit of your stomach. Then with the choppy, technical rhythm of Keep Your Blessings, where a blistering chorus proves to be the most unforgettable thing about it, aside from the way the vocals scream bloody murder.

Orthodox are on the form of their lives, and all the proof is here. Not just with everything that came before, but with creative brutish bangers like Sacred Place and Step Inside. The more the album goes on, the more it feels like the extreme album of the year. Especially as there is variety and Orthodox’s approach is experimental enough to ensure that there is no desensitisation at any stage. Take my word for it, you’ll be feeling each blow even as the album reaches its latter stage.

Mastodon’s Brann Dailor is an unexpected guest, but a welcome one as his clean singing gives One Less Body a different feel. Whereas Comeback Kid vocalist Andrew Neufeld s in on the fast and frenzied experience that is Commit to Consequence. The sound of beautiful pandemonium, especially as in between those two beasts is the fantastic Searching for a Pulse. A track that draws influence from the hardcore side of metal but remains rooted in the extreme, proving to be one of the album’s most aggressive sounding tracks.

How do you wrap up an album this intense? By delivering the longest track of all at nearly four minutes and going ‘all out’ as far as stompy savagery goes. There was never any doubt that this album wouldn’t finish in such a bludgeoning way, but listen carefully, Will You Hate Me? has some intriguing touches. No spoilers, it’s far too much fun experiencing it, this album, and everything this band does for yourself. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did, even if it leaves you aching all over.

Orthodox – A Door Left Open Track Listing:

1. Can You Save Me?
2. Body Chalk
3. Dread Weight
4. Blend in with the Weak (feat. Matt McDougal)
5. Godless Grace
6. Keep Your Blessings
7. Sacred Place
8. Step Inside
9. One Less Body (feat. Brann Dailor)
10. Searching For a Pulse
11. Commit To Consequence (feat. Andrew Neufeld)
12. Will You Hate Me?

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