Amherst’s favorite sons, Orchid, are unleashing their first crop of unreleased music in 20 years in the form of The Skull Sessions. A far cry from your standard collection of lo-fi demos, The Skull Sessions is an aural catalog of the revered hardcore band at their sonic and creative apex. 

While these songs might be over two decades old, the stunning quality and urgency present in these recordings serve as the perfect fighting music for a new age.

Two tracks from The Skull Sessions are available to hear now via Orchid’s Bandcamp page, with the full album set for digital release on March 7.

An extremely limited edition of skull-shaped physical copies (in variants of black, red, and violet) can be purchased exclusively in person during Orchid’s current West Coast tour which is now underway.

Following a string of sold-out East Coast dates, which reunited Orchid live for the first time in 22 years, The Doom Loop Tour continues on the West Side. Kicking off in Seattle last night, the run will continue through Portland, San Francisco and the Los Angeles area. Each night includes a special handpicked lineup including support from Iron Lung, Great Falls, Physique, Bastard Noise, Regional Justice System, Agriculture and more. For more info and tickets go here.

Orchid Live Dates:

2/11: Portland – Revolution Hall 
(w/ Iron Lung, Great Falls, Physique)

2/13: San Francisco – Great American Music Hall 
(w/ Jerome’s Dream, Strangelight)

2/14: Oakland at Eli’s Mile High Club 
(w/ Kowloon Walled City, Greyhound)

2/15: Los Angeles, CA – The Belasco 
(w/ Jerome’s Dream, Bastard Noise, Regional Justice Center)

2/16: Pomona, CA – The Glass House 
(w/ Agriculture, Habak)

Photo courtesy of A.J. Barillaro.