Orden Ogan – The Order Of Fear

Orden Ogan
The Order Of Fear
Label: Reigning Phoenix Music
Out: July 5^th, 2024
Playing time: 48:11

Orden Ogan were considered an insider tip in the Power Metal scene for many years. With their latest albums, however, they have played their way into the circle of major Metal acts and can count on a loyal fan base. The band was founded back in 1996 in Arnsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia. Since then, singer and former guitarist Sebastian Levermann has kept the flag of Power Metal flying high. Since injuring his hand, he has had to hang up his guitar and is now solely a singer. Bassist Niels Löffler took over on second guitar in 2019. Former Xandria bassist Steven Wussow was recruited for the four-string low-frequency instrument. The last album ‘Final Days’ (number three in the German album charts!) was also recorded in this constellation in 2021. Now, three years later, ‘The Order Of Fear’ is being unleashed on the metal community. Here, too, the fictional character of the immortal Alister Vale takes centre stage.

‘Kings Of The Underworld’ starts without any intro. There is merciless power here. Without any bombast. And then comes the title track ‘The Order Of Fear’. The tempo is only slightly reduced. And you can hear the typical choir chants. ‘Moon Fire’ starts in the mid-tempo range before the guitar duo slightly increases the tempo. And what a guitar solo. Another chorus that fans are sure to sing along to loudly at concerts. ‘Conquest’ starts ballad-like but later becomes a mid-tempo stomper. ‘Blind Man’ offers High-Speed Metal right from the start. Mainly because of the driving guitars. This continues with ‘Prince Of Sorrow’ and ‘Dread Lord’. The ballad ‘My Worst Enemy’ provides a well-deserved break to take a deep breath. With another huge guitar solo. With the Metal anthem ‘Anthem To The Darkside’, Orden Ogan show that they haven’t completely suppressed the bombast. ‘The Journey Thus Far’ is a spoken interlude that leads to the crowning finale ‘The Long Darkness’ – an eight-minute epic. This Metal anthem is characterised by several melodic and rhythmic changes, but without drifting too far into progressive realms. You can also hear a good deal of bombast.

Have Orden Ogan ever produced a poor album? I can’t remember. ‘The Order Of Fear’ is on the same high level as its predecessors. It’s really fun to listen to.

Orden Ogan – My Worst Enemy: https://youtu.be/HggJJottXZE?si=UNqJaiYHXMIjfEep

Lineup:

Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann – Vocals
Niels Löffler – Guitars
Patrick Sperling – Guitars
Steven Wussow – Bass
Dirk Meyer-Berhorn – Drums

Track list:

• Kings of the Underworld
• The Order of Fear
• Moon Fire
• Conquest
• Blind Man
• Prince of Sorrow
• Dread Lord
• My Worst Enemy
• Anthem to the Darkside
• The Journey Thus Far
• The Long Darkness