Order of Orias - Ablaze (2020)

Hailing from the land down under, today we have Black Metal duo Order of Orias and their ravaging full-length release “Ablaze”. Featuring six tracks of devilish music, the band finds the perfect balance of atmosphere and harshness to create nearly 40 minutes of blistering and demoralizing music. Aimed at Black Metal purists, this release unleashes relentless guitar work and pummeling drumming, similar to bands like Immortal and early Satyricon.

Wasting no time to showcase their brutality, Order of Orias opens with the blistering riffing of “Blood to Dust”, a superbly violent track that commands respect and shows great determination. The onslaught continues with the demoralizing “Gleaming Night” and its crafty tempo changes, and the sheer brutality of “Raging Idols” with its killer guitar leads and polarizing tempo changes. Black Metal comes in all shapes and sizes, but consistency in terms of brutality while introducing ambiance is something that this release excels at.

Our favorite track is the more melodic and sinister “Snares and Thorns”, a piece that slithers like a vicious snake as it crafts a very somber and catchy atmosphere. Blending in brutality and sexy melodies, “Crowned in Brass” delivers that sweet combination of harsh vocals, mellow riffs, and chaotic tempo changes. The band’s two members are perfectly in sync when composing such pummeling and yet insightful tracks, full of foulness and musicality.

Closing with the savage “Dawning Light”, Order of Orias has managed to keep an intense edge to this release from start to finish. While carefully incorporating atmospheric elements and more melodic passages, the band shines in delivering relentless brutality in “Ablaze”. With tons and tons of BM albums coming out every day, it is quite good to find an album that while delivering the expected rawness and pummeling intensity, it also incorporates some more melodic elements into the mix.

Label: World Terror Committee

Release: April 30th, 2020

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Australia