DippoMagoo Sometimes a band can change their sound in such a subtle way, that it only truly becomes noticeable over a long period, and multiple albums later. For example, when I first heard Ravenhead, the fifth full-length album from German power metal band Orden Ogan, I thought it felt like a direct continuation of their previous album To the End, and yet found myself a bit surprised to realize I was liking it slightly less. Over time, the album actually grew on me a little bit, but at the same time I came to realize that the band’s sound had indeed changed in ways that took time to notice, that I had briefly hinted at in my own review of the album two years ago, but listening to the band’s latest effort, Gunmen, due for release in July of 2017, has helped confirm that the little changes I had been noticing were indeed not my imagination, but signs of the band moving in a slightly different direction, while still keeping most of their classic elements intact. The result is another album I wouldn’t quite put up there with my all-time favorite, To the End, but it’s definitely another excellent album in a long line of them, and I think fans of Ravenhead, in particular, are going to absolutely love it.

First off, yes Gunmen is still largely the same kind of epic power metal Orden Ogan has always played, with a huge emphasis on vocal melodies, insanely epic choruses, and symphonic arrangements, so fans don’t have to worry about any major changes to the sound. In fact, I’d describe the album as falling somewhere in between the more complex sound of Easton Hope and the more straight-forward approach of Ravenhead, as it certainly has songs that are longer and more complicated than anything on the latter, but at the same time it’s also much catchier and more accessible than the former. Where the changes come in, though, more has to do with the intensity level. This is something I was noticing on Ravenhead, that at the time I had hoped would only be a temporary thing, but basically while that album still had a few of the classic, driving riffs found on albums like To the End and Easton Hope, I found that overall the tempos were a bit more restrained and the riffs weren’t hitting as hard as normal, with the band instead often relying more on mid-paced chugs that simply lacked the same power. Well, with Gunmen the band has taken this even further, as the majority of the songs here are more mid-paced throughout, mostly alternating between melodic leads, rhythm guitars and those chugging riffs, with truly killer lead riffs being few and far between. There certainly are bursts of speed on some tracks, but for the most part, the verses are rather uneventful this time around and move along at a rather plodding pace compared to some of the band’s past albums. As a result, while I love the choruses on every song, as well as the huge symphonic arrangements, choir vocals, and killer melodies, only a couple songs manage to keep me excited the whole way through, the way the band is capable of doing when they’re at their absolute best. At the same time, I can definitely understand what the band is doing here, as it feels like they’ve gone all in with the melodies and epic feel of their music, while toning down the intensity a bit, so I think it may even sound more distinct than past releases, but I guess it’s just a matter of preference, as I personally do miss the speedier tracks and higher intensity level found on To the End.

One area where the band thankfully hasn’t changed at all is the vocals. Needless to say, Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann’s singing has always been one of my favorite aspects of the band’s sound, as he has a very deep and powerful voice that stands out among power metal singers, while at the same time he’s amazing at adding in a bit of touch and pulling off some of the most melodic and epic sounding choruses ever written. Obviously, the band’s biggest strength throughout their entire career has been their ability to write some of the best choruses ever, and Seeb is a master at pulling these off. As always, there are some excellent choir vocals used throughout the album, as well as one memorable guest appearance, which I will talk about in more detail a bit later in the review.

Songwriting is the one area where I mentioned having some slight issues with the album, so let’s get to it. First up, we have the title track, which is actually a perfect opener and a much better title track than Ravenhead. It’s a western themed track which opens up with some huge orchestral arrangements, before the guitars kick in and the track speeds up, moving along at a brisk pace throughout the verses and keeping the intensity going with some great riffs, while of course the slowed down chorus is the best part, and is one of the most epic choruses the band has ever written, which is obviously saying a lot. The solo section is also really good, and overall it’s simply an amazing song that really raised my expectations for the album. The other song that really impresses me the way through is “Come With Me to the Other Side”, which opens up with a soft acoustic section featuring the beautiful voice of guest vocalist Liv Kristine, and while at first it feels like a ballad, something the band has always been great at, it quickly speeds up and becomes the fastest song on the album, with very speedy and fun verses, as well as probably the single best choruses on the entire album. Even the solo section feels particularly inspired, and overall it’s easily my favorite song on the album.

Compared to those two tracks, the rest of the album is still solid, but I find most of the other tracks to be lacking a bit in the energy department. The second single from the album, “Fields of Sorrow” is a great indication of what to expect from the album, as right from the start it opens up with some mid paced chugs, which dominate most of the track, as it’s a more restrained track that’s more about the epic feel of the music than it is about being fast or heavy. The chorus is absolutely stunning, though, and it’s a nice track overall. Likewise, tracks like “Forlorn and Forsaken”, “Ashen Rain”, and “One Last Chance” are fairly plodding during their verses, but once the huge arrangements and choruses take over, they become a ton of fun. I will single out “Ashen Rain” in particular, for being a track where I really struggle with the chugging during the verses as it can get really repetitive and boring in a hurry, yet at the same time, I really can’t fault the track become of how damn brilliant that chorus is! Really, my biggest complaint about this album is that the band just can’t quite put enough full songs together that works for me, the way they were able to on To the End and in the middle of Ravenhead and this frustrates me to no end, because I know they’re capable of doing it, but it’s like they just chose not to for some reason. The biggest example of this is the near 9 minute closing track “Finis Coronat Opus”, which starts off slow and remains mostly plodding throughout the first half, before opening up with a beautiful soft vocal section towards the end, and between this and the opening of “Come With Me to the Other Side”, I can’t help but feel the album could have used a ballad to break up some of the tedium between all these mid-paced tracks. Overall, though, the song, like the rest of the album, is solid but definitely not as strong as the band is capable of.

Moving back to the positives, “Face of Silence” is fairly fast and fun during its verses, and while I wouldn’t quite put it on the same level as the two best on the album, it’s an excellent track overall with another unforgettable chorus. Likewise, “Down Here” is a fairly paced track, with another memorable chorus, though at just over 3 minutes it does feel like it ends a bit too early. One last highlight is “Vampire in Ghost Town”, another track which stays mid-paced throughout its verses, though I find this one a bit more fun than the rest and once it speeds up for its epic chorus, it becomes a favorite. Again, not quite as strong as my two favorites on the album, but still an excellent, incredibly addictive track, and if the whole album was even as strong as that one, ignoring those two masterpiece songs, I’d be very happy.

Overall, Gunmen is probably the weakest of the last few Orden Ogan releases for me, as it has too many mid-paced tracks where I struggle to find excitement during the verses, and I miss the faster, heavier riffs of past albums like To the End and Easton Hope, but it’s still a great release overall and is sure to please fans of the band. The symphonic arrangements and choruses are as awesome as ever and the production and performances are as strong as always, so despite my complaints about the songwriting, I’d still say it’s a very high-quality release. To be honest, this is a case where if it was a different band I’d probably be more positive, but just knowing how good the band can be I feel the need to be a bit harsh, especially in a case like this where there are two songs that show the band at their absolute best, and then the rest just can’t quite measure up to those two. Still, an easy recommendation for any power metal fan looking for some great melodies and some truly spectacular choruses.

originally written for myglobalmind.com: http://myglobalmind.com/2017/06/22/orden-ogan-gunmen-review/

DippoMagoo Coming into the new year, one of my most anticipated album was Ravenhead, the fifth full length album from German power metal band Orden Ogan. In their early years, they were more of a folk metal band, but starting with Vale their power metal elements started to show through, before largely taking over on Easton Hope, which was their first album I ever heard. That particular album was probably their most complex to date, blending in some very strong elements of symphonic and prog metal, to go along with their by then trademark riffs and epic, soaring melodies. It was undeniably an impressive album, but at times it felt like the band was trying to do a bit too much, with the songwriting not always being as consistently strong as it could have been. With the following album, To the End, they simplified their sound quite a bit, pushing their epic power metal elements even further in front, while leaving everything else not completely behind, but certainly less in the spotlight than before. The result was by far their catchiest, and most consistently engaging album from start to finish, and it ended up being one of my top 10 favorites of 2012. Unsurprisingly, Ravenhead continues along the same path, and is an even more focused and stripped down album, which manages to be nearly as good as its immediate predecessor.

Compared to other German power metal bands, I've always found Orden Ogan to be rather unique. I've seen them compared to the likes of Blind Guardian and Running Wild, but to me there’s a lot more to their music than that. For one, they've always had a decidedly dark tone to their music, which is even more the case on Ravenhead. I also find their music is generally more dynamic, more epic and certainly much more modern sounding compared to most of their countrymen. To sum it up: While they do share some similarities with other bands, their music easily stands out among the crowd, and they have a sound that is unmistakably theirs.

Ravenhead definitely feels like a logical progression from To The End. The songwriting continues to be much more streamlined and straight-forward than on previous works, perhaps even more so. There’s no more massive progressive power metal elements, and the symphonic elements are once again toned down. Instead, this is an album dominated by crushing riffs and soaring melodies. The verses and instrumental sections are generally quite heavy, with Orden Ogan’s signature brand of aggressive, modern sounding guitar work dominating, but once the choruses show up, the melodies are in full force. The band has always been great at writing memorable choruses, and this album is certainly no exception. One thing that is a little lacking this time around is the speed. Don’t get me wrong: This is certainly a power metal album all around, so you can expect many up tempo parts, but with the exception of a couple tracks, these sections tend to come in bursts, with the tempo generally being more subdued than normal. Take the opening title track as an example: It has everything you’d expect from an Orden Ogan song, including those killers riffs, huge vocal melodies, an incredible chorus, an awesome instrumental part, etc, but compared to the title track of To The End, the speed has been greatly decreased, and this applies to most other tracks here. I personally prefer To The End, but judging the two albums purely on songwriting quality, Ravenhead is certainly up to par, and while the title track doesn't get me as excited as I’d like, it’s an excellent song in its own way.

Frontman Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann has always been a standout feature of the band, and this is as true now as on any of their albums. He has a very deep and powerful voice, which certainly separates him from the typical high pitched power metal vocalist, and his delivery is very forceful and commanding during the verses, but when those epic choruses come in, he has a smooth quality to his voice that greatly enhances the music. The choir vocals are outstanding as always, and obviously the two guest singers both sound excellent.

For most fans, their first taste of this album will likely be the lead single “F.E.V.E.R”. Opening with a keyboard part that feels like it could have been taken from a pop song, the track quickly speeds up, and is easily one of the best and most addictive songs on the album, if not in their entire discography. The ridiculously infectious chorus certainly has traces of “Land of the Dead”, one of my favorite from To The End. Another big standout is “The Lake”. It begins with the type of ultra modern sounding, slowed down riffs that dominates many of the tracks here (a sound which was previously showcased on “This World of Ice”) but towards the end of the opening verse it speeds up, and the chorus is pure magic. The speediest song here is “Deaf Among the Blind”, and it’s certainly one of the best. I mentioned two guest vocalists earlier. Well, the first is Chris Boltendahl, who appears on the mostly mid tempo track “Here at the End of the World”, which doesn't sound too different from a Grave Digger song, except obviously it’s enhanced by Seeb’s vocals, while Boltendahl raspy voice is still as strong as ever. The other guest is Joacim Cans, who shows up briefly during “Sorrow is Your Tale”, and helps enhance what was already a pretty awesome track.

The second half is lacking a bit in the energy department, and while there aren't any weak tracks, putting the calm instrumental track “In Grief and Chains” right next to the closing ballad “Too Soon” seems a bit odd, and effectively makes “Sorrow is Your Tale” the last proper metal song on the album, at track 9 out of 11, which I find a bit disappointing. “Too Soon” is a nice closer, but it has nothing on “A Reason to Give”, the prototypical epic ballad that Orden Ogan always manages to deliver. Seriously, their ballads are often among their best songs, and this one certainly lives up to all expectations. Right from the start, there’s some nice folk melodies, and the song calmly builds up, before turning into one of those larger than life ballads few other bands seem capable of, along the lines of “The Ice Kings”, except possibly even better.

I would have preferred to have at least one or two additional speedy tracks, but overall Ravenhead is another epic, dark and very heavy power metal album, sure to please existing Orden Ogan fans, as well as anyone looking for some ridiculously catchy power metal, with awesome choruses. To The End is a personal favorite of mine, and despite a couple very minor flaws, I’m enjoying this one almost as much, so that’s the sign of a band that keeps delivering.

(originally written for myglobalmind: http://myglobalmind.com/2015/01/11/orden-ogan-ravenhead-review/)

adg211288 To the End is the fourth full-length album by German power metal act Orden Ogan. It was released in 2012. Orden Ogan began life as more of a folk metal act but almost all traces of folk are gone in To the End, which is my introduction to the band’s music. Instead Orden Ogan are producing almost pure power metal, but they have a multi-facetted approach to power metal which includes sections of traditional heavy metal, symphonic metal and progressive metal, as well as the occasional folk melody to hint at their roots, albeit not in a metal context.

Since it is dominantly a power metal release however all the elements you’d expect to find, speed, melody and catchy songs, are present and correct and are the driving force behind the music. Orden Ogan’s riffs don’t quite have the sort of intensity to them that is common among the German power metal acts (of the Blind Guardian ilk), but the music is packed with energy all the same, which keeps the album flowing well. Since power metal can have a lot of overlap with the other styles Orden Ogan put into the album these sections just slip right into the album nicely and without disrupting that flow.

Even so, I can’t honestly say that To the End is any more than a solid example of the power metal genre, because honestly although I do like the vocals in general there are some parts where the delivery does go a bit too far into ‘cheese’ territory even for me, particularly some of the choruses which have a choir style to them which is interesting enough at first but by the time I’ve heard a few of them, I’ve had enough. I prefer my power metal with a bit more bite which Orden Ogan managed in part during To the End, but I’d have liked to hear them go all the way. My regard for the album could easily have been taken up a notch if they had, possibly even to top tier standards, as musically the album is diverse without losing focus of its apparent goal.

Additionally, and this is where To The End really lost some credibility with me, Orden Ogan decided to end the album on a ballad track called Take This Light. Ballads in power metal albums can either work very well, if they do something a bit special (Blind Guardian are good at this), or they can come across as just all the cheesy elements found in power metal gathered together, and then have the metal take out of them. This one is unfortunately the latter, and placing it at the end of the album is a bad move in my view, since the album previously just hurtled along with barely a pause, so it’s like the brakes had to be hammered on suddenly, and everything just falls apart. It honestly makes me want to hit the stop button after the preceding Angels War (a remake from the band’s debut album Testimonium A.D. (2004)) comes to a close.

My dislike the final song aside, Orden Ogan made a satisfying enough release with To the End. It is a solid effort within the power metal genre but I highly doubt it will appeal far beyond the genre’s devotees as To the End isn’t the sort of album that’s going to convince you of power metal’s credentials if you haven’t been a believer before. The more selective of the power metal fanbase may ultimately want to skip over this one as well, although I’d consider To the End to be a grower, as I didn’t really feel much for it on my initial listen, but the returns have become increasingly better with each spin I’ve given it. A great album tier rating is deserved, but at the end of the day the album just doesn’t stand out from the crowd quite as much as its potential should allow.

80/100

(Originally written for Heavy Metal Haven (http://metaltube.freeforums.org))

Time Signature Reality lost...

Genre: folked up slightly symphonic power metal

I always feel like I'm running somewhat of a risk when I dive into some power metal, because - as some of you might know - cheesy music does not sit well with me, and power metal has a reputation for being very cheesy at times.

And with their folk- and symphony-induced power metal on "Vale", Orden Ogan have several cheesy moments. It's not dangerously cheesy, and there are lost of hard-hitting tracks on this album, which certainly help the listener navigate safely through the seas of cheese. But, still, there are too many ballady moments and plasticy keyboards and too much pompousness for my taste.

It's not like the music is bad or anything. The Orden Ogan guys are very good musicians and the tracks are multifaceted with lots of layers built upon the guitar riffs, of which there are several aggressive and groovy ones.

Recommended to fans of European (cheesy) power metal, but those who prefer in-yer-face rock should listen to Firewind or Harrow or Rawhead Rexx or something like that instead.