Destruction of Orion - States of Horror

Destruction of Orion is a one-woman funeral doom metal band from Bulgaria. The project was formed in 2023 by musician Tehina Spasova (also of Silent Deep Ocean), who wasted little time in gracing the scene with the debut album “Decreasing Brightness.” She has returned to drop unfathomable darkness into the underground in the form of the second full-length album, “States of Horror.”

I was a fan of the debut but “States of Horror” is on another level. It takes the elements of funeral doom, elements that were already represented to a stark degree in that debut, and pushes them to a new level of darkness. Can something be darker than black? Can the most depressing, despondent metal genre get even more lost in the void? And while it further sinks, grasped by the tendrils of death itself, can it still present itself as an album with an overall concept that still hits on every level and each song? The short answer? Yes. The long answer? Yes but keep reading.  

I love the nature of the keys and bass. I know a lot of funeral bands tend to be more abstract in terms of music, wanting to put atmosphere above instrumentation. Although very atmospheric, “States of Horror” never forgets to keep itself grounded. It’s a subtle approach but there is always something going on in each of the songs—Destruction of Orion is not content in just playing a riff and letting it hang on for 10 minutes with nothing else happening. The keys illuminate the darkness, highling each note of misery and loathing—they truly bring out the best of the album. But the bass guitar is always there, keeping the songs grounded—after all, this is metal and that bass won’t let anyone forget.

Based on the song titles, this album seems to be speaking out about various human conditions and the mental prisons they build for us. We are, all of us, not perfect and there are so many things that exist just to destroy our very essence. But sometimes it is more than that–sometimes our goals, our souls, and who we are as people are up for forfeit. “States of Horror,” is an album that faces these conditions and situations head on. Funeral doom conjures many adjectives..cavernous, profane, and sulphuric, just to name a few. But this album conjures up the very depths on the wrong side of the human condition.

After a brief intro, “Avolition,” begins the album with simple but unnerving clean tones and an ominous backdrop. The title is a term that means ‘lack of interest or engagement in goal-directed behavior.” Not only that but it’s the inability to initiate it to begin with. I can really feel this through the song—a struggle to move forward but feeling trapped within. This condition can be associated with schizophrenia and depression so it’s not something a person can “just get over” easily. And this song isn’t easy. The vocals are frightening, like the bottlenecking of nightmares as they reach their destination–waiting, binding their name to infect. The guitars exist as shadows overheard–always there to oppress and cast shade. There is a tone of dark ambience between the liminal spaces–it’s almost a living creature, conjured up by psychosis. I’ll highlight some more of my favorite songs from this album below. 

“Lethargy,” is the longest song on the album at nearly 11 minutes—and one of my favorites. Funeral doom is the perfect style to approach this subject considering those unfamiliar with it would say it's sluggish and lacks energy. However, there is a ton of energy here used to help paint a musical picture of this state. The slow tempo is peppered with keys and glacial riffs—this feeling of trying to get up and find a reason to go on can be painful and slow, indeed. It’s also a symptom of another underlying illness. This song is layered perfectly, an exploration of what lies underneath even as the outside remains more visible. I love the middle part of the song, with it’s clean but nearly regal keyboard passage. A dark melody arrives afterwards, paired with a riff as heavy as the mental burdens we carry. The final half of this song is perfect funeral doom: slow, deep, and unforgiving.

“Anhedonia,” is the final full-length song but also one of the most striking ones. This state of horror is the lack of desire to engage with the world, losing desire to participate in things they once find enjoyable…or having the difficulty to express emotions. To me, this is the most scary horror represented here. The loss of one's desire to express themselves or find solace in their hobbies…that’s like the decay of everything you are. And to be trapped within that….to want to scream out to the world but not able to….goddamn.  

And this song nails it. This is a furious piece of music. It’s not in a way like death or black metal. But in a way that only funeral doom can be. This is barely constrained by human deterioration, just begging to be let out but held back by so many mental cages that it feels as if there won’t be an escape.  Also of interest, the other half Silent Deep Ocean, Gregory Ritchey, provides spoken word vocals.  That project also released a full-length this year, "In Dark Eternity," and you should check it out too.  

The keys are really fantastic here, capturing that lost part of being who you are. The metal aspects hammer in the notion that the lack of enjoyment is what is keeping you from enjoyment–it’s a vicious cycle, a circle of dwindling opportunities and circumstances that threatens to get so small that it suffocates. 

"States of Horror," is an unnverving, haunting album because of it's very raw and uncomfortable subject matter.  Tehina Spasova has a real talent for doom metal and Destruction of Orion's album contains some of the genre's best songwriting this year.  

Rating: Excellent