Orient Pearl band is synonymous with '90s rock nostalgia, formed during a golden era that also saw the rise of the Eraserheads, Parokya ni Edgar, Rivermaya, and a few other great Pinoy bands.

Orient Pearl cemented their place in the Filipino music landscape with their monster hit "Pagsubok."  For years, vocalist Naldy Padilla was the face of Orient Pearl’s sound. His departure after 10 years was a poignant chapter in the band’s story. After disbanding in 2003, the members did other things, even becoming part of Asiano, a merger with the former Alamid.

Fast forward to 2024, Orient Pearl decides it's time to be "reborn" in a grand way. They're celebrating an epic three decades in the industry with a new vocalist, a new song, and planned collaborations with rap artists on the horizon.

The group's newest member is singer Rhoneil "Ney" Dimaculangan, known for once being the frontman of another alternative band, 6Cyclemind. He brings a wealth of experience and a voice that lent a distinctive vocal presence to 6Cyclemind hits like “Sige” and “Sandalan.” 

Ney now completes the Orient Pearl line-up, which includes Leo Awatin on the lead guitar,  Budz Beraquit, keyboardist, Ryan Gomez, bassist, and Third Caez, drummer.

Leo, who founded the band in 1993, shared that they were courting Naldy to rejoin them for a long time. However, their former vocalist clarified that he wanted to do other things and chart his career.

"As far as we're concerned, there's no bad blood between us and Naldy. I treat him like a brother. We're all good," Leo revealed.

Without Naldy, there was a missing piece in the puzzle. Budz shared how they were looking for someone who would be a "good fit" and would click with their audience.

"Una naming kinuha, babae.Powerful yung boses. Pero lumabas para lang kaming ordinary showband. So kumuha kami ulit ng isa pang banda. Pinagbabasehan namin ang reaction ng crowd. Kung magugustuhan ng mga tao. Pero parang hindi talaga sila swak," he observed.

Former music industry executive Jaworski Garcia of BlackSheepMNL was instrumental in introducing Ney to the band. And the rest is history.

Budz recalled it was different when Ney jammed with them the first time. Ney's voice amazed everyone as it was distinctive. "Ma-rerecognize mo agad siya. Meron syang tatak."

Soon enough, Orient Pearl came up with its newest single, and Ney was already doing the vocals. "Hari," dropped on the streaming platforms on Nov. 10, is all about believing in oneself and having a dose of positivity. We all have our God-given talents; we have to use them to the best of our ability, group members stated.

With Ney on board, Orient Pearl is preparing new renditions of their hit songs "Pagsubok" and Kasalanan. After "Hari," a second song is also in the works.

"The next song we're planning is more relatable to Gen Z. Pati yung tunog, pang Gen Z," Leo shared.

Another plan is to collaborate with well-known rap artists like Gloc-9 and Flow G.

Leo, the founder, explained their reason for being.

"Nandito uli kami kasi gusto naming mag-share ng music sa masa. Dahil sa song na ‘Pagsubok’ ay maraming na-inspire. Natutuwa kami roon. May pangarap kasi kami at yung hindi lang basta sumikat. Gusto sana naming magbigay ng legacy," Leo closed.

(We're back again because we want to share our music with a more significant number of people. We have inspired a lot through our music and are happy for that. Our dream is to get famous and leave a good legacy.)