Band:	Orphanage
Album:	Driven
Style:	Melodic death metal, Gothic metal
Release date:	April 13, 2004
A review by:	Jeff

01. The Sign
02. Black Magic Mirror
03. Cold
04. Prophecies Of Fame
05. Dead Ground
06. My Master's Master
07. Back Gate
08. In Slavery
09. Truth Or Lies
10. Driven
11. Infinity
12. Addiction
13. Beyond The Fall
14. Ender's Game

Do you know Orphanage? No ? Well in fact this band is a real cult band nothing more. The problem is that they suffer of the fact that a lot of people don't really know them? and, at the end then, they are not also famous like their compatriots Within Temptation or After Forever. But you must know that without Orphanage all this well know bands from Nederland would certainly not be the ones that they are. Just for the info, you must know that, "Enter" of Within Temptation was released in 1997, "Angel Fall First" of Nightwish in 1997 too, "Prison Of Desire" of After Forever in 2000, "Oblivion", the first release [a masterpiece of Gothic/Doom Metal with female vocal] of Orphanage, in? 1995. You can easily understand that we are not with a newcomer here, but with certainly one of the most important band of the Metal Scene.
After a long break of 4 years, Orphanage is back with "Driven" and believe me, this come back is more than welcome. Listeners get ready to enter in a world of beauty but also sadness, darkness and anger. Get ready to enter into of the world of Orphanage through their last release "Driven"?


Orphanage use to do a beautiful but also powerful and dark metal. And like for a lot of "gothic" bands we have great and beautiful female vocalist. For Orphanage this is the great voice of Rosan Van Der Aa, and we can compare her voice with the best ones of the category, no problems. Orphanage use to have two voices in their compositions the one "clean" by Rosan, but also the grunts and screams, made by George Oosthoek. And without any doubt [and you can trust me] we have here one of the best Death Metal singer ever. His voice is more than impressive, and give, more that it possible , power to the music of the band. The music of the bands don't need it, but the voice of George give to its an energy and a force which made that it's more than impressive. With great lyrics, you see here that just with their two singers, Orphanage blast all the opposition that they could have.

And the music ? Well here again is not good, but just great. A lot of excellent guitars riff with a damn powerful sound, don't ask me how but all the riffs of this album are catchy, and all the songs of the album will enter and stay in your mind without any difficulties. The others instruments, are more than present, the bass lines of Remko are great the Drums of Sureel more than effective and the Keyboards [and samples] of Lasse just perfect for the music of Orphanage.
But the style of "Driven" is not the same as their first releases. It's more modern and maybe the ones who like "Oblivion" for example will find a real difference with "Driven". Personally I think that an evolution is necessary for all the bands, and the fact that Orphanage is more progressive, more "modern" with some samples sometime, is just good to me. Because at the end this album with its powerful guitars riffs and vocals, sound maybe not like their first ones, but definitely due to the talent of this guys, we have something that we can't find every months. We have something unique.

About the production? I'm sorry, but again; I can't say anything wrong about it, it's just perfect another time. The sound is clean and we can feel all the instruments, and the two voices of the singers are also very well mixed. For the artwork and the cover? Nothing to say again, it's well done, with lyrics, pictures etc. Just a very good job?.


Well well, I can't add anything to that review, and I will just ask to all the metal heads without any exception to listen this album. This band deserve to be know, but well with that album I have no doubt that Orphanage will be now to the rank that it deserve. "Driven" is a damn good album made by great musicians, and for sure we will hear about it.
Nothing to add, we have a masterpiece here and "Driven" will be in the top of the list of my favourite albums of the year. Come on guys!!! Buy this album or dieeee!!!