Once upon a time, shortly after being founded by then Aborted frontman BST in 2008, The Order Of Apollyon were rounded out by stalwarts of the British underground. The band then underwent a merry-go-round of musician changes through the release of their second album, before settling on a stable line-up staffed by luminaries of the French metal scene, which brings us to this third album. I blame Brexit.
“The Lies Of Moriah” introduces the album with an acoustic passage before all hell breaks loose, unleashing a chaotic frenzy of riffs and pounding drums. Scathing melodies and harmonies litter this album, however the chaos that I allude to is at least paced consistently. “Grey Father” is the one track that stands out for me, its primary ascending riff telling a story of its own before a doom-laden chorus takes over.
“Soldat”, with its intro choral chants and synth giving way to frenetic blasts will do nothing to allay comparisons to Behemoth, and by the time closer “A Monument” comes around you can’t help but feel that you’ve heard it all before somewhere, despite the confident structuring of their songwriting.
The line-up stability has brought a certain consistency and maturity to the band’s sound. The debut album was rather mediocre in all honesty, with the sophomore a far more choppy and attacking slab of blackened death metal. This third effort falls somewhere in the middle… there’s nothing particularly original about what they’re doing, however, The Order Of Apollyon deliver a competent take on some old ideas.
(6.5/10 Doogz)
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