At the height of Nu-metal’s popularity when bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit and Slipknot were leading as a massive charge, something rather unique also arose in the form of Orgy. A band vastly different from their contemporaries, Orgy’s sound certainly fit more comfortably in the Industrial Metal realm, but still, was in a league of its own. Self-described as Death Pop, if you were a fan of ’80s Synthwave, mixed with modern Alternative Metal, no matter the title you want to use, you were bound to love Orgy.
Initially forming in 1997, Orgy would go on to become the first band signed to Jonathan Davis’ Elementree Records; which at the time had distribution with Reprise Records. A partnership where few knew what would happen… there were a few fun facts about the members of Orgy that should not be noted. First, you had Lead Vocalist Jay Gordon; who in fact co-produced Coal Chamber’s 1997 self-titled debut. Second, you had Guitarist Amir Derakh; who had earned some notoriety as a member of ’80s Metal act Rough Cutt. And last, by not least, you had Guitarist Ryan Shuck; who was a part of the band Sexart… where he would play alongside future Korn vocalist, Jonathan Davis.
With plenty of more intriguing aspects surrounding Orgy’s cast individually, when joined together, by August of 1998 they were set to take on the world with the release of their debut album Candyass. Released on August 18th of that year, the album picked up momentum and found an audience within just a few months; thanks in part to an appearance on the Family Values Tour in the fall, alongside Korn, Limp Bizkit, Incubus, and Rammstein. Somewhat of a key moment in history of Orgy, what would follow would be the release of their impeccable cover of New Order’s “Blue Monday” that December, thus leading to even more broader popularity. In fact, you could argue that “Blue Monday” served as a gateway for audiences to see how special Orgy was; soon leading to even more attention drawn to the single “Stitches.” So, where did this unpredictable rise lead? It led to Candyass attaining platinum status, hitting Number 1 on Heatseekers charts, on its way to becoming one of the late ’90s most beloved Metal leaning records.
Truly an inspiring story of success, matching Orgy’s musical attack was a stylistic appearance that unified ’80s New Wave fashion, Glam Rock, all with a sweet little Gothic twist. Something that enticed many, the promotional images out at the time (on press posters, etc.), immediately made you feel like you were transported into a subculture of something far out of this world. A fascination that stirred around well into the new millennium, it was in October of 2000 when Orgy plotted another impact with their highly anticipated follow up, Vapor Transmission. An album that had massive buzz surrounding it – and more than likely one that placed a ton of pressure on the band themselves – Vapor Transmission delivered in many facets of the word. Very much a continuation of the trajectory Orgy began with Candyass, the new album featured a delightful collection of tunes that solidified that they were not a novelty act, but one with significant abilities, both as songwriters and atmosphere creators. Evident with tracks such as “Fiction (Dreams in Digital),” “Eva,” and “Opticon,” Vapor Transmission would peak at 16 on the Billboard 200 and eventually attain gold status.
A more than respectful way to follow up Candyass (an album which has attained platinum status), to Orgy’s dedicated following, Candyass and Vapor Transmissions are essential listens… even over two decades later. More than likely two albums which survived the physical format purge many music fans partook in at the onset of digital downloading, leading into the streaming age, both CD formats remain fixtures in many collections. This in mind, it comes with great excitement in 2024 to learn that both Candyass and Vapor Transmission have been re-released in a vinyl format. Arriving on February 2nd, the two new releases through Real Gone Music are fit with some interesting details that make them even more compelling to look into.
First and foremost, the obvious selling point here is that Candyass is now available in the vinyl format for the first time ever. Beyond this, each album is remastered and pressed in a pretty eye-gazing way. For Candyass, the remastering (done by Mike Milchner of Sonic Vision) is fresh, bright, and crisp. Something that makes for a lovely listening experience, making it pop even more is a high quality 180 gram clear with red and yellow swirl pressing; or fire orange color if you go to Best Buy. Really nicely done, it is also presented in a grand gatefold packaging with all the original art.
Then, for Vapor Transmission, you also get a remastered copy (done by Milchner as well), but this time including “The Spectrum.” A bonus, originally “The Spectrum” was exclusive to the first 1,000 copies of the CD edition put out all the way back in 2004; that was until the digital release of it in December of 2020. A really cool bonus for collectors, Vapor Transmission is also given a color treatment pressing; this time in red and yellow “plasma,” or purple swirl if you go to Best Buy. Matched with pristine sound, as well as the original art in a gatefold package, it is the perfect sidekick to the Candyass re-release.
Overall, when looking at the journey of Orgy – past, present, and future – Candyass and Vapor Transmission are pinnacle points in time. Aware of this history and recognizing it, Orgy (currently led by Jay Gordon, along with a lineup of Bassist Nic Speck, plus Guitarists Carlton Bost and Ilia Yordanov) are set to tour April into May celebrating 25 years of Candyass. A run that kicks off on April 11th, before ending May 25th, they will co-headline with Cold on each of the dates. With that, the next question many might ask is – when can we expect a new, proper Orgy album? While that remains to be seen, they have put out several stand alone singles over the last decade since 2015’s Talk Sick EP. So, only time will tell what is next for Orgy in the way of a new album. Thankfully there is a tour, plus these two new must have vinyl edition releases of both Candyass and Vapor Transmission.
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