Orden Ogan's 'The Order of Fear' - Album Review

Considering my love of power metal, and particularly the tougher and more symphonic ends of the genre, a rather glaring omission on this blog over the years has been the lack of coverage afforded to the German band Orden Ogan. I gave their set at the 2018 iteration of Bloodstock Open Air a rather lukewarm review and I have mentioned a couple of their albums in my end of year round-ups over the years - but I have never seen the band live properly, nor have I ever made the effort to review one of their albums. In truth, the band have never fully clicked with me. They are one of those bands whom, on paper, should really be up my street - but, for whatever reason, I have often been a bit disappointed with their output. I have heard most of their albums and each one contains three or four real standout tracks - but I have never felt truly satisfied with any of them. I really wanted to make an effort in 2021 and cover their seventh studio album Final Days (which I did briefly discuss here) - but by the time my CD copy arrived after a lengthy dispatch delay it was too late to write about it. That was a shame, too, as Final Days is easily my favourite Orden Ogan album to date. The sci-fi themes really suited the band's cinematic sound, perhaps more favourably than the fantasy and western(!) themes which had graced previous albums, and the songwriting seemed to be much more consistent, too - with the band's current line-up, which debuted on Final Days, racing out of the traps. I listened to it quite a lot in 2021, then, but it did not really prompt me to go back again and dig out the band's older albums. I do really need to, as given that I am in a much bigger power metal phase again I might find more to enjoy compared to my previous listens, but that will need to wait - as the band released their eighth studio album earlier in the month. The Order of Fear is the album and it shifts themes again - this time opting for a horror feel, with a slight Lovecraftian edge. The band do enjoy their themed albums it seems - but the songwriting style and grand orchestrations which have been found on all of their previous albums return here. Another issue I have often had with the band relates to production, as I generally feel that frontman and producer Sebastian Levermann's production style fails to capture sufficient crunch. He is quite an in-demand studio hand, though, albeit generally for mixing, but he has produced albums by the likes of Rhapsody of Fire - so I have often been disappointed with the lack of weight and heaviness on Orden Ogan's albums, despite  Final Days and this album sounding stronger overall. Given the regular comparisons made to Blind Guardian, I would love Orden Ogan's albums to sound as aggressive as some of Blind Guardian's. Clearly Levermann favours a smoother production, though, as The Order of Fear retains it despite the recent improvements. Songwriting-wise, I do not think that this latest album is as good as Final Days - but like most of the band's albums it includes a handful of very strong songs, even if the overall quality is not maintained throughout.

In my opinion, too, this album is pretty top heavy. Much of the best material comes early on and the album does drag somewhat towards the end. The band do not waste any time getting going, though, with the opening track Kings of the Underworld one of the fastest and heaviest cuts here. There is no slow build-up, either, with Dirk Meyer-Berhorn's double bass drumming immediately rolling in whilst the duelling guitars of Niels Löffler and Patrick Sperling form a crunchy backing for the majestic vocals of Levermann. I like how the album just kicks off without any fanfare. Power metal intros often feel pretty samey, so the racing double bass drumming and the knotty guitar lead which form the basis of the song's verses are welcome. Levermann sings from the off, too, and he sounds as good as ever. He has a very accessible vocal style but he suits the band's big sound - with his subtle keyboards adding plenty of depth despite the guitars dominating. The verses are almost thrash-like in their pace, then, but there are slower moments - such a groovier pre-chorus section which allows some bigger riffing to take over briefly before the pace returns for a bigger-sounding chorus filled with some of the album's biggest hooks and plenty of choral harmonies. Songs like this are exactly what I want from Orden Ogan. It is a powerful track from the off and it has a great mix of up-tempo riffing, aggressive guitar moments, and some soaring vocal hooks. The balance is well-struck here, including Löffler's shredded guitar solo, and the production actually seems to pack more of a punch than is sometimes the case. If everything the band released was of this quality then Orden Ogan would likely be a real favourite - but, unfortunately, that is not the case. As mentioned, though, the early songs on this album are generally the best tracks here - with the mid-paced title track following and providing plenty of crunch. Unlike the driving pace of the opening song, the title track is much crunchier and anthemic with big power chord riffing, melodic guitar leads throughout, and less intense drumming. There is still a kinetic energy but the song is less thrashy, which allows Levermann's voice to really shine. He sounds excellent here, with his voice driving the verses nicely, before the more involved chorus features more choral harmonies - as well as some symphonic keyboard trappings to add a grandness. The chorus is certainly a shout-along, fists-in-the-air moment that is sure to go down well live - and it is another strong track which shows off the best of the band despite the slower pace.

Moon Fire is similar pace-wise, but the song feels more melodic overall - with less of an anthemic atmosphere and more of a focus on fluid guitar lines and soaring vocal hooks. Despite the ludicrously repetitive chorus lyrics, the hooks found within the vocal melodies are likely some of the album's most memorable moments - whilst parts of the verses slow down to allow the keyboards and Steven Wussow's bass to dominate. It gives the song a smoother feel overall, then, with the crunch of the opening two songs reined in. Production-wise, this is more what I expect from the band - but it suits the song's more melodic approach. A bit more crunch would have been welcome, but I like the bass-led verses as they help to separate the song out from the others - and the 1980s-esque chorus key change is certainly fun. Both Sperling and Löffler solo, too, which helps to give the song a bit of a kick. Conquest is another pretty strong effort and it is one of those power metal tracks which goes for a folky sound - with traditional-sounding melodies early on and a slightly lighter overall sound at times. There are no folk instruments here, with the opening guitar melodies instead playing the folky melodies as the song gets underway. There are Thin Lizzy vibes during the song's early moments, then, but there is still some crunch to be found here - especially during the chorus which features some subtle gang vocals which is sure to get fists pumping. The chorus is one of the album's moments, though, which showcases the limits of Levermann's production style. Given the layers of vocals and keyboards, alongside the rest of the band, it sounds a bit over-stuffed. Parts of the song feel a bit muffled, then, in a similar manner to those early DragonForce albums - but the hooks still manage to break through and the chorus is still memorable. The main hook here, though, comes from the folky guitar lead early on - and that is what the song will be remembered for. Blind Man ups the pace again and it is easily the most aggressive song here so far with the exception of the opening track. Conquest felt pacy, but the folky melodies and the production quirks meant that it did not feel all that heavy - but this track is tougher overall. The keyboards in general are utilised less here, with Levermann instead making use of various vocal layering techniques to create a deeper sound. This allows the busy riffing of Löffler and Sperling to dominate - and the guitar duo throw in a few different riffing ideas, particularly during the verses which feel a bit stop-start. Upping the heaviness, too, there is a later bridge section which features some harsher-sounding vocals from Levermann - which are a nice contrast to the rather epic chorus which has a similar overall feel to Moon Fire's despite the heavier context.

Opening with a drum barrage, Prince of Sorrow is another pacier piece, but unlike the previous song the production feels much fuller. The guitar approach is similar, with a few knotty leads thrown into the verses to break up the vocal melodies, but the keyboards and choral vocals are utilised much more this time - and the song feels more majestic as a result. Generally the mix favours the guitars, which is welcome, although the chorus does end up feeling a bit pomp rock with some rather parpy keyboard stabs at times which feel a bit out of place. I like this sort of sound in the right context, but it feels a bit crude for a band like Orden Ogan - where a more string-led approach might have worked better. Dread Lord is heavier and it reins in some of the pace featured during the last few numbers - with a crunchy mid-paced riff dominating throughout whilst Meyer-Berhorn's punchy drums really kick through the mix. As this is a heavier song, with less of a keyboard backing, the production feels pretty weighty here. Levermann's production has generally improved over time as mentioned, with this album and Final Days feeling stronger on that front than anything which came before - but there are still moments on this album which I do not like. This song feels heavy though thanks to the focus on the band's heavier side - and there are no shortage of melodies despite this thanks to a chant-along chorus and some choice guitar leads. Sperling lays down a lengthy and shredded solo, too, with the song being one of the highlights of the album's second half. Slowing the pace down quite considerably, and with some piano from Jonas Krampe, the ballad My Worst Enemy is the album's slowest piece - and it shows the band's knack for writing a mournful slower track which does not feel too cheesy. Power metal ballads can sometimes feel a bit too over-the-top, but Orden Ogan generally have a darkness to their sound despite the big hooks and soaring guitar leads featured throughout their songs - and this extends to their ballads. Levermann's voice is naturally suited to slower moments and his phrasing and tone convey a decent amount of emotion here - particularly during the big chorus. The last chorus rendition in particular really soars, with another big key change present, whilst Sperling includes another lengthy guitar solo, too, which starts off slowly and gets progressively faster. It is a decent ballad, but given the two lengthy pieces which are to follow it may have benefitted being a bit earlier in the album.

The last two proper songs here are longer than average and are broken up by a short spoken word piece. Neither of these longer tracks are particularly strong in my opinion - and I have often felt that Orden Ogan benefit from shorter and punchier arrangements. They can feel a bit bogged down in longer songs, and Anthem to the Darkside feels a bit like a band which is not sure in which direction they want to turn. All of the band's typical ingredients are here but they have sacrificed big hooks to instead focus on a more epic and symphonic overall sound which means that the usual hooky approach is watered down. Even the chorus feels too mournful overall and lacks the big pull of many of the others here - and the song feels like one that is trying to be something of a concept piece whilst forgetting to consider memorable songwriting. There are strong moments, including a pretty ferocious riffing instrumental section and some stand-alone vocal-led sections which could have been made features of, but overall it feels a bit disjointed. The short spoken word piece The Journey Thus Far links the two longer pieces, and it is as awkward as those sort of pieces usually are, whilst the album closes out with The Long Darkness - which is better than the previous track overall, but given it is the second longer piece in a row it loses some of its impact. It is generally a slower-burning piece which has a strong atmosphere and a pretty decent chorus - but it is pretty doomy for Orden Ogan, which creates a strange overall atmosphere. There is an atmospheric edge to much of the band's work, and they are certainly not a 'happy' power metal band, but this song is pretty morose even for Orden Ogan - even if it does pick up somewhat part way through. Ending with something more anthemic and upbeat may have worked better overall, but when the pace picks up it feels a bit more typical. There is also a guitar solo from Roberto De Micheli (Sinestesia; Rhapsody of Fire) which closes out the song, though, which is packed with some great neo-classical runs as would be expected. It is a shame that the album gets bogged down towards the end as generally the material here is of a good quality. The opening run of songs are the best but there are still plenty of other enjoyable moments - even if the band's take on a more progressive sound does not really work for me. Final Days is, so far, their best work in my opinion - but I have been enjoying The Order Of Fear over the past month despite the negative points made here and my general view on the band's sound and production style. There is a lot to enjoy here, though, and it remains an enjoyable power metal album.

The album was released on 5th July 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music. Below is the band's promotional video for Moon Fire.