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Album Review – Orden Ogan / The Order Of Fear (2024)

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One of the torchbearers of German Power Metal is back with their seventh album, continuing their saga with a particularly triumphant lesson in dark metal music.

A standout in the Power Metal genre and a crucial part of the international metal scene since their 2008 debut album Vale, Arnsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s own Power Metal warriors Orden Ogan are back with their latest epic The Order of Fear, their seventh studio opus, continuing their saga with a particularly triumphant lesson in dark metal music in a Hollywood-style story. Recorded, mixed and mastered by the band’s frontman Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann at Greenman Studios, and displaying a classy artwork by Dan Goldsworthy (Aborted, Corpsegrinder, Accept, Alestorm, Cradle of Filth, Gloryhammer, and many more), The Order of Fear seamlessly fits into the band’s impressive catalog, showcasing all the dexterity and passion for heavy music by the aforementioned Seeb on vocals alongside Niels Löffler and Patrick Sperling on the guitars, Steven Wussow on bass, and Dirk Meyer-Berhorn on drums.

In the opener Kings of the Underworld there’s no intro, nor any moments of peace; it’s a fast-paced, no-shenanigans Power Metal attack right from the beginning led by the classic drums by Dirk while their guitars sound absolutely striking and vibrant. Then the title-track The Order of Fear offers an overdose of whimsical lyrics declaimed by Seeb (“I heard the king is dead / Now others reign instead / Pulling the strings in the dark of the day / Abel, my good old friend / Through shadows we descend / He’ll follow me to the end of the way”) while the music is a well-balanced mix of Heavy and Power Metal, followed by Moon Fire, another solid and entertaining creation by the band bringing forward traditional Power Metal with some additional background elements, adding a more epic vibe to it. Then an acoustic, gentle start gradually morphs into a galloping sound in Conquest, with once again Dirk pounding his drums accompanied by the metallic bass by Steven, whereas the fast riffage by Niels and Patrick set the tone in Blind Man, a fun and thrilling Power Metal extravaganza that should work really well if played live.

The second half of the album offers more of their metal hymns, starting with Prince of Sorrow, with Seeb kicking some ass on vocals as usual while the riffs by the band’s guitar duo sound striking, followed by Dread Lord, which tries to be epic but ends up being cheesy and generic, although the riffs and solos by Niels and Patrick are once again very pleasant. It’s then time for a stunning power ballad titled My Worst Enemy, led by the passionate vocals by Seeb, bringing a touch of finesse to the album; and speeding things up again the band delivers the electrifying Anthem to the Darkside, alternating between heavier moments and more melodic passages, with Dirk kicking some serious ass behind his drums. Finally, the interlude The Journey Thus Far offers a dark narration that will take you on a wild musical journey titled The Long Darkness, with Seeb leading his henchmen in a melodious, epic and charming song where all backing vocals enhance the power of his own vocals, offering over eight minutes of classic Orden Ogan by bringing forward their trademark riffs and bass lines, pounding drums and soaring vocals, also ending in a climatic and epic way.

“The album is much more stripped down,” commented Seeb. “It is to the point, more metallic, direct, and perhaps ‘authentic’. The guitars are more in the foreground, but of course, it didn’t work entirely without orchestral elements,” he complemented, and if you want to experience that more metallic side of the band you can grab a copy of the album by clicking HERE, also keeping in mind that soon this ten-song cinematic story will be available in a reading version through the official Orden Ogan fan club. You can also find more information about the band and the album, and of course more of their music, on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Spotify, joining the band in their quest for Power Metal. In a nutshell, the saga goes on in The Order Of Fear, an album that will surely please all fans of the band, therefore leaving everyone eager for the next chapter in the metallic book by one of the torchbearers of German Power Metal.

Best moments of the album: Kings of the Underworld, Blind Man and Anthem to the Darkside.

Worst moments of the album: Dread Lord.

Released in 2024 Reigning Phoenix Music

Track listing
1. Kings of the Underworld 3:58
2. The Order of Fear 4:26
3. Moon Fire 4:14
4. Conquest 4:12
5. Blind Man 3:52
6. Prince of Sorrow 4:02
7. Dread Lord 3:33
8. My Worst Enemy 3:28
9. Anthem to the Darkside 7:09
10. The Journey Thus Far 0:54
11. The Long Darkness 8:21

Band members
Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann – vocals
Niels Löffler – guitars
Patrick Sperling – guitars
Steven Wussow – bass
Dirk Meyer-Berhorn – drums

Album Review – Warcrab / Scars of Aeons (2016)

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Enjoy one of the most complete and thrilling Sludge Metal albums of the past few years, courtesy of six exceptional musicians from the UK.

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coverIt’s time to get extremely heavy with the precise fusion of Death, Sludge and Doom Metal blasted by British squad Warcrab, a sextet that has been on the road since 2009 offering their warlike music to fans of the dark side of underground metal, starting with their self-titled debut EP in 2012 and then with their 2014 EP named Ashes of Carnage. Hailing from Plymouth, a city on the south coast of Devon, England, Warcrab are back with new material and will crush your head with the darkened and sluggish compositions found in Scars of Aeons, their debut full-length album and one of the best of the genre from the past few years in my humble opinion.

The music by Warcrab is not only highly recommended for connoisseurs of Sludge Metal, but it’s also an amazing alternative for fans of bands like Bolt Thrower, Amon Amarth and Slayer due to the more aggressive approach coming from their Death Metal influences. That exciting mix of different types of extreme music led them to play numerous shows across the UK in 2015, sharing the stage with renowned artists such as Vader, Incantation and Desecration, which also turned out to be an excellent source of creativity and potency for the music found in Scars of Aeons. If there’s a word that can be used to define their musicality, I would say that word is “heaviness”.

The intro to the opening track Conquest couldn’t be more obscure and damned, but it’s when drummer Rich Parker starts pounding his drums that a dark feeling truly impregnates the air. Martyn Grant’s vociferations boost the vileness of the song, with guitarists Paul “Budgie” Garbett and Leigh Jones being spot-on with their heavy and demonic riffs throughout the song’s eight raw and fierce minutes, ending with a sensational solo by lead guitarist Geoff Holmes. The following song, Destroyer of Worlds, is tailored for breaking your neck and pulverizing your spinal cord, with the Death Metal vocals by Martyn matching perfectly with the musicality generated by the rest of the band. It is a kick-ass combination of the heaviness and moodiness of Sludge Metal with the belligerence of Death Metal, or in other words, the level of brutality in this amazing composition is definitely not for the lighthearted. And increasing their speed a bit and leaning towards a more Death Metal vibe, Warcrab keep attacking us all with their visceral music in the solid In the Shadow of Grief, where all guitarists are in perfect sync while Rich continues to fire his rhythmic and potent beats.

group-photoIn the sensational Bury Me Before I’m Born, Geoff’s soulful solos are exactly what’s needed to give more balance to the overall inhumanity generated by the band in the beginning of the song, before Martyn growls his possessed words in a demonic way. Moreover, it has a primeval and tribal feel that gets mesmerizing as the song progresses, with the thunderous bass by Dave “Guppy” Simmonds snarling like an evil monster in the background. Warcrab still have a 10-minute ode to darkness and hate to offer us all, the title-track Scars of Aeons, a groovy and powerful composition where Martyn leads the band’s Doom Metal assault with his deranged growls and screams. Despite being a neck-breaking tune, it also brings forward a good amount of melody and harmony to the listener, proving how talented the whole band is, gradually slowing down and getting more and more blackened and melancholic until all is said and done.

As aforementioned, I consider Scars of Aeons one of the most complete and thrilling Sludge/Doom Metal albums of the past few years, offering all the elements traditionally found in this type of music and at the same time presenting a fresh vibe thanks to the sensational job done by all Warcrab guys with their instruments. They deserve our respect and support for carrying the flag of extreme music in such a classy way, and in order to do that we should all give them a shout at their Facebook page, bang our heads to their music at their YouTube channel, and obviously purchase Scars of Aeons at the Black Bow Records’ BandCamp page.

Best moments of the album: Destroyer of Worlds and Scars of Aeons.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2016 Black Bow Records

Track listing
1. Conquest 8:29
2. Destroyer of Worlds 4:47
3. In the Shadow of Grief 5:56
4. Bury Me Before I’m Born 4:51
5. Scars of Aeons 10:09

Band members
Martyn Grant – vocals
Geoff Holmes – lead guitar
Paul “Budgie” Garbett – guitar
Leigh Jones – guitar
Dave “Guppy” Simmonds – bass
Rich Parker – drums