UMUR
"Will to Power" is an EP release by US, Missouri based black/death metal act Order From Chaos. The EP was released through Putrefaction Records in 1990. "Will to Power" is the band´s first label release, after releasing three demos. Order From Chaos formed in 1987 and are often mentioned among the earliest and most influential US black/death metal acts.
Stylistically the music on "Will to Power" is not black metal though, but more a blackened death metal style. Lead vocalist/bassist Pete Helmkamp has a very convincing snarling/raspy vocal style, which is the blackened element in the music, while the instrumental part of the sound is more death metal oriented. Actually the instrumental part of the music is death metal through and through. The musicianship is decent but obviously a bit immature at this point.
The sound production on the 3 track, 9:17 minutes long EP is of a pretty low quality. It sounds like the material was recorded in one take at a rehearsal room. That of course provides the release with a very raw and authentic "live in the studio" type of quality, and it´s probably a very subjective opinion if that´s a good or a bad thing. Personally I think the lo-fi sound production drags the EP down, and as a consequence a 2.5 star (50%) rating isn´t all wrong, despite the otherwise pretty decent quality music. There´s promise here though and especially Helmkamp´s vocals deserves a special mention. But considering that this is a 1990 release, the music is actually also pretty well developed death metal.