Orden Ogan - The Order Of Fear (Reigning Phoenix Music) [Richard Oliver]
Germany can always be relied on to deliver the goods when it comes to power metal and Orden Ogan have been a reliable source of overblown cheesy metal goodness for nearly thirty years with The Order Of Fear being the eighth full length album from the band.
The band waste no time in kicking things off as album opener Kings Of The Underworld starts immediately and furiously with a hectic pace and a powerhouse battering from drummer Dirk Meyer-Berhorn and it starts a really strong run of songs which are big, melodic and anthemic whilst being catchy as hell. As with a lot of good European power metal there are songs with folk-leaning melodies as well as epic and grandiose symphonic moments but the main focus is on the melodies and hooks as well as chugging guitars, pounding drums, sweet guitar solos and the powerhouse vocals of frontman Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann. It is a formula that works to great effect on earworm tunes such as Moon Fire, Prince Of Sorrow and the title track. A weak point is the obligatory power ballad My Worst Enemy which is as sugary and melodramatic as possible but it is not terrible.
Orden Ogan are one of those bands that I have dipped into but not really dedicated a lot of time to so I can’t really compare where The Order Of Fear stands against the rest of the back catalogue but I can safely say that is a very solid European power metal album. It is very slick sounding with a flawless production and mix to it. The album does suffer from a bit of repetition with a lot of similar paced and sounding songs but the hooks and melodies are infectious with does work in its favour. Power metal is a genre that generally sticks within its parameters and Orden Ogan don’t really do anything different than a multitude of similar sounding bands but what they do is done extremely well.
The band waste no time in kicking things off as album opener Kings Of The Underworld starts immediately and furiously with a hectic pace and a powerhouse battering from drummer Dirk Meyer-Berhorn and it starts a really strong run of songs which are big, melodic and anthemic whilst being catchy as hell. As with a lot of good European power metal there are songs with folk-leaning melodies as well as epic and grandiose symphonic moments but the main focus is on the melodies and hooks as well as chugging guitars, pounding drums, sweet guitar solos and the powerhouse vocals of frontman Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann. It is a formula that works to great effect on earworm tunes such as Moon Fire, Prince Of Sorrow and the title track. A weak point is the obligatory power ballad My Worst Enemy which is as sugary and melodramatic as possible but it is not terrible.
Orden Ogan are one of those bands that I have dipped into but not really dedicated a lot of time to so I can’t really compare where The Order Of Fear stands against the rest of the back catalogue but I can safely say that is a very solid European power metal album. It is very slick sounding with a flawless production and mix to it. The album does suffer from a bit of repetition with a lot of similar paced and sounding songs but the hooks and melodies are infectious with does work in its favour. Power metal is a genre that generally sticks within its parameters and Orden Ogan don’t really do anything different than a multitude of similar sounding bands but what they do is done extremely well.
Power metal is meant to be big and fun with songs designed to be sung out loud by a boozed up crowd in a field and The Order Of Fear meets that standard admirably. 8/10
Duel - Breakfast With Death (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Matt Bladen]
If Clutch jammed with Sabbath as Billy Gibbons gave boogie pointers then you would get Duel. For four albums they have been kicking out the beer drinking, hard riffing jams that is like your favourite stoner band falling in love with NWOBHM, moving away from the stoner style towards a heavier doom inspired classic metal gallop as their career has continued.
Duel - Breakfast With Death (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Matt Bladen]
If Clutch jammed with Sabbath as Billy Gibbons gave boogie pointers then you would get Duel. For four albums they have been kicking out the beer drinking, hard riffing jams that is like your favourite stoner band falling in love with NWOBHM, moving away from the stoner style towards a heavier doom inspired classic metal gallop as their career has continued.
Inspired by 80's heavy metal, 70's heavy rock and 60's proto metal there's a menagerie of grooves here, as I said with each passing album they move more towards the occult, the dark and the mysterious, the likes of Italian B-Movie horrors, folks tales and general schlock inspires this fifth record Breakfast With Death, combining the like of Uncle Acid, Unto Other and Spirit Adrift with the likes of Blue Oyster Cult, Budgie and Blue Cheer.
Founding members Tom Frank (vocals/guitar) and Jeff Henson (guitar/vocals) have been joined by a new rhythm section and they have brought a lot more metallic heaviness to Breakfast With Death, from the Grand Magus-like Fallacy taking Duel further into the leather and stud wearing style of heavy metal. Drew Potter’s bass and Patrick "Scooch" Pascucci’s drums bringing some thrash-like Chaos Reigns, as well as a post punk sneer to Pyro.
Founding members Tom Frank (vocals/guitar) and Jeff Henson (guitar/vocals) have been joined by a new rhythm section and they have brought a lot more metallic heaviness to Breakfast With Death, from the Grand Magus-like Fallacy taking Duel further into the leather and stud wearing style of heavy metal. Drew Potter’s bass and Patrick "Scooch" Pascucci’s drums bringing some thrash-like Chaos Reigns, as well as a post punk sneer to Pyro.
The songs are a bit louder, a bit filthier, a bit darker, as if a bunch of good ol boys discovered a goth club and distortion. For instance the occult doom vibes of Bezerker or the throbbing evil of Greet The Dead both showcase how the latter part of this album gets heavier and darker in scope, closing with the the wild eyed shout of Burn The Earth.
Southern gothic meets British chug Breakfast With Death is a proto-metal feast for anyone that loves their music on the spooky side. 9/10
Motivik – Renouncement (Roxx Records) [Paul Hutchings]
Motivik? Never heard of them before this promo dropped our way. A quick perusal of the helpful blurb reveals that this is the vehicle for two musicians, multi-instrumentalist Ryan Roebuck and vocalist Courtney Simmons. The duo, from Atlanta, Georgia released their debut under the Motivik moniker in 2020, in the shape of Death of the Gunman, an album I may well hunt down after this release.
Southern gothic meets British chug Breakfast With Death is a proto-metal feast for anyone that loves their music on the spooky side. 9/10
Motivik – Renouncement (Roxx Records) [Paul Hutchings]
Motivik? Never heard of them before this promo dropped our way. A quick perusal of the helpful blurb reveals that this is the vehicle for two musicians, multi-instrumentalist Ryan Roebuck and vocalist Courtney Simmons. The duo, from Atlanta, Georgia released their debut under the Motivik moniker in 2020, in the shape of Death of the Gunman, an album I may well hunt down after this release.
With the session drums of Alex Emidio providing a solid anchor to the hour-long album, and with the duo drawing in guest appearances by vocalists Jason Weaver, Chris Ackerman (Betrayal), Jason Wisdom (Becoming the Archetype) and Andre Chiang (Shamash) and guitar from Greg Minier (Applehead, The Crucified) and Derek Corzine (Burial Extraction, Crowned In Sorrow), there’s plenty to explore here.
Predominantly drawing on thrash metal influences, there’s also a range of other styles, from traditional metal to the more extreme elements. An instrumental opener isn’t unusual in any shape or form, and it’s unsurprising to see Palace Of Ashes sticking to blueprint. It’s a decent start though, and leads into a powerful selection headed up by Dethroned and rounded off by the emotive Once Again.
Simmons brings a range of vocal styles to the party, from 80s hair metal to modern thrash, he’s got the range to cover most of the ripping beasts that the band unleash. Of course, bringing in the guest vocals adds heft and a modern style, with the death growls on tracks like Break The Walls bringing a contemporary flavour to the compositions. Stand out track Septicaemia begins with a beautiful flourish on the guitar before a crunching riff drops in; there’s plenty more sweet guitar work throughout this track, although Roebuck’s playing throughout is impressive.
At times I’d suggest that there is a visceral progressive element to the album, the kind of style you’d get if you added Trivium with Tesseract and a bit of Anthrax. It’s rammed full of punishingly good songs, which work together as a fine collection. It’s only Once Again that I question, for the start is not a great listen. Otherwise, there is plenty included here to enjoy and whilst it takes some time to appreciate the intricate layers, persisting with it provides a rewarding result. 7/10
Regicide - Resist Control (Independent) [Mark Young]
Resist Control is the debut full-length release from the Essex Thrash/groove outfit Regicide. Active since 2020, they have steadily released singles and Eps to acclaim within the UK scene. The cover art is provided courtesy of Tattooist Nigel White and if the music matches this striking cover, then we are in for a treat.
Consisting of Niall Green on Vocals/Guitars, Josh Birch on Bass, Mike Davies on Guitar and completed by Jordan Maze on Drums we start with an intro that slowly brings in general sounds of disquiet, it doesn’t go anywhere (I have noted that I’m sick of intro tracks, sorry lads) and I’m thankful for when things start properly with One By One, a dense stomping track that has one of those classic arrangements to it and takes no time in getting stuck in. This is exactly the kind of start I like, occupying that mid-tempo range for the most part, that allows them to build around it. It is an imperious start, and straight away you can see why they are held in such high regard. It sounds great, everything is balanced nicely including that blend of groove/thrash. Next up is You Ain't Nobody which is pure speed and aggression.
The title track, Resist Control is all epic chugging and a high-speed melodic guitar line that transmutes into a glorious Thrash out with some exemplary double bass (nice one Jordan!!) that drops into that classic Thrash build once more. This is the thing, the use of tried and tested builds and arrangements so that it reminds you of that golden era of Thrash, but it isn’t a poor knockoff. Once again, the breakpoint is royal, slowing down and grinding those guitar parts until they take off once more. It’s that energy that is bleeding through that makes it so immediate.
Dying To Be Liked with its opening solos, attacks with a more hardcore feel to it whilst still possessing that Thrash sensibility to it. It gives them another direction to then throw into the blender. There is a pick-up in aggression and attack that gives way for a more traditional hardcore ending. Unified Strength changes tack again, returning to that muscular mid-tempo once more and it feels that this is a more comfortable/natural fit than the style shown on Dying To Be Liked as it rips along at a good rate. Run Your Mouth is the end and is the sum of all the parts shown prior. That groove and swing is here, as well as the faster parts that they do so well.
Predominantly drawing on thrash metal influences, there’s also a range of other styles, from traditional metal to the more extreme elements. An instrumental opener isn’t unusual in any shape or form, and it’s unsurprising to see Palace Of Ashes sticking to blueprint. It’s a decent start though, and leads into a powerful selection headed up by Dethroned and rounded off by the emotive Once Again.
Simmons brings a range of vocal styles to the party, from 80s hair metal to modern thrash, he’s got the range to cover most of the ripping beasts that the band unleash. Of course, bringing in the guest vocals adds heft and a modern style, with the death growls on tracks like Break The Walls bringing a contemporary flavour to the compositions. Stand out track Septicaemia begins with a beautiful flourish on the guitar before a crunching riff drops in; there’s plenty more sweet guitar work throughout this track, although Roebuck’s playing throughout is impressive.
At times I’d suggest that there is a visceral progressive element to the album, the kind of style you’d get if you added Trivium with Tesseract and a bit of Anthrax. It’s rammed full of punishingly good songs, which work together as a fine collection. It’s only Once Again that I question, for the start is not a great listen. Otherwise, there is plenty included here to enjoy and whilst it takes some time to appreciate the intricate layers, persisting with it provides a rewarding result. 7/10
Regicide - Resist Control (Independent) [Mark Young]
Resist Control is the debut full-length release from the Essex Thrash/groove outfit Regicide. Active since 2020, they have steadily released singles and Eps to acclaim within the UK scene. The cover art is provided courtesy of Tattooist Nigel White and if the music matches this striking cover, then we are in for a treat.
Consisting of Niall Green on Vocals/Guitars, Josh Birch on Bass, Mike Davies on Guitar and completed by Jordan Maze on Drums we start with an intro that slowly brings in general sounds of disquiet, it doesn’t go anywhere (I have noted that I’m sick of intro tracks, sorry lads) and I’m thankful for when things start properly with One By One, a dense stomping track that has one of those classic arrangements to it and takes no time in getting stuck in. This is exactly the kind of start I like, occupying that mid-tempo range for the most part, that allows them to build around it. It is an imperious start, and straight away you can see why they are held in such high regard. It sounds great, everything is balanced nicely including that blend of groove/thrash. Next up is You Ain't Nobody which is pure speed and aggression.
Starting with a galloping riff that more than resembles Slayer, it’s just quality all the way through, classic riff structures that hark back to the glory days of Thrash. Suppression goes for the mid-ground and sees them on the front foot with some precise riffing that you could play for days. That balance is on show again as they bring the groove in once more and there is a low down and dirty break around 3 minutes in which has a diabolical swing to it. It’s quality stuff!
The title track, Resist Control is all epic chugging and a high-speed melodic guitar line that transmutes into a glorious Thrash out with some exemplary double bass (nice one Jordan!!) that drops into that classic Thrash build once more. This is the thing, the use of tried and tested builds and arrangements so that it reminds you of that golden era of Thrash, but it isn’t a poor knockoff. Once again, the breakpoint is royal, slowing down and grinding those guitar parts until they take off once more. It’s that energy that is bleeding through that makes it so immediate.
Similarly, Disposable Crown has that energy, probably even more so than Resist which causes involuntary nodding of the head. Digging into the structure, the riffs may sound simple in comparison to others, but it is that efficiency in selecting what goes where and when that gives their music that something that shows you don’t need to shoehorn a million notes in to make it sound good.
Dying To Be Liked with its opening solos, attacks with a more hardcore feel to it whilst still possessing that Thrash sensibility to it. It gives them another direction to then throw into the blender. There is a pick-up in aggression and attack that gives way for a more traditional hardcore ending. Unified Strength changes tack again, returning to that muscular mid-tempo once more and it feels that this is a more comfortable/natural fit than the style shown on Dying To Be Liked as it rips along at a good rate. Run Your Mouth is the end and is the sum of all the parts shown prior. That groove and swing is here, as well as the faster parts that they do so well.
That balance I mentioned earlier is captured here as well as that hardcore element once more. It is a storming end to what is an exceptional debut album. There is an effortless display of balancing different styles together to give Regicide a unique voice amongst others in the UK scene. I think this melding of styles plus their dedication to the craft puts them in a strong position to develop and progress. Check out their socials for where they are playing next! 8/10
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