Orion – “Passing Through” | Progressive Rock Central.com

Orion is back already, with the follow-up to their wonderful album of 2023, The End of Suffering. Their first release of 2024, will be the EP, Passing Through!

Ben Jones, the artist creating Orion’s music states, “Passing Through is a mini release, aimed at giving people an insight into where Orion will be headed next. It features three new songs, and hopefully breaks some new musical ground. There is also an extended version available, which also includes instrumental mixes of the three new tracks”. He continues, “With Passing Through, I’ve been keen to implement different time signatures, more intricate playing, wider soundscapes, and generally take a bit more of an adventurous path with the music. Beyond expanding my synth library, I’ve also added some orchestral sample packs into my musical palette. I’m no Michael Kamen, but it’s been exciting to resurrect my music theory knowledge, and apply it to strings, woodwind and horn sections. I’ve also added a seven-string guitar and a five-string bass to the mix, resulting in at least one track which is, I dare say, verging on heavy”.

The opening track, “The Tumult of My Heart” was “inspired by a book of the same name by Jason Spencer, from The Prog Mind, (A thank you to Jason for giving me his blessing). He describes the book as ‘a nonfiction release about confronting the harmful religion of my past. It may or may not interest you, but for those who have experienced religious trauma, I hope you can find encouragement and connection within its pages.” This track opens with soft electric guitar chords, before heavier chords enter the soundscape. The drums are more pronounced. Ben sings, “Navigating on a sea, where no moral compass can steer you. The poles have ceased to be, and the passing ships just fear you. Another time, and another place, a different god, with a different face. I’m just looking for the light, a beacon on the shore. A resting place to find what’s right, and a home forever more”. You can hear the Rush influence all over this track.

Orion adds another instrumental version of “The Tumult of My Heart”.

The second song on this EP is titled, “This Sickness”. Ben describes it this way, “I’m not a fan of social media. It’s just terrible. I appreciate the irony of the fact that my entire following is based around Facebook and Bandcamp, but that’s different. I don’t do absurd dances to terrible music… I write my own terrible music. As with all things, there are good parts and bad parts. In my view, the bad parts of social media seem to outnumber the good”.

“This Sickness”, is a much heavier song than the last. Ben unleashes powerful, heavy electric lead guitar riffs at the opening to display the anger he feels toward the influence of social media. Ben sings, “Another line of patients, to drip feed our creations. Clutching at the dreams in their hands. But this screen looks both ways, and feeds on all your days. And knows no limit to its demands”. He continues, “The patients and the doctors, they all bleed into one. Dosing up each other, until all identity is gone”. Yeah, he is mad, and it shows, through the rougher metal edge of this track, and above all, the lyrics. Ben sings, to close, “A willing master for the easily, led, to your demise, of jokers spinning a web, lure the fawning flies”.

An instrumental version of this “This Sickness”, is also included, if you haven’t heard enough metal guitar, from the original version.

The closing track from Orion, on this EP, is “The Ghosts Amongst Us”. Ben describes it in this way, “It comes from the gut-wrenching experience of caring for someone with a profound disability. Whilst it’s not something I’ve had to do; it is something I’ve witnessed first-hand”. The song is very-Rush influenced; as is most of Orion’s music. But that is a wonderful thing considering, right now, Rush are no longer a band. Ben sings, “Standing beside us, drifting between us. Do they know who they are? When I look into your eyes, are you even there? Or are you watching from afar? Like waking up asleep, they came into this world”. Then, he confronts the powerful question he asked above, “In the end, who are they alive for? And in the end, maybe it’s us that they have died for. In the end…” A difficult emotional experience delt with well with deliberate music.

Orion, then, closes the EP, with an instrumental version of “The Ghosts Amongst Us”, as well, to maintain consistency.

This is an interesting EP, that maintains the sound assembled within the End of Suffering; as Ben Jones’ next epic album is underway in production as we speak. If you enjoyed The End of Suffering, you will like this EP as well. Rush-like chords and sounds delivered with precision and emotional lyrics. While we await Ben’s next album, enjoy this collection of well-played songs.

End of Suffering Review: