If you follow me at all, then you know my penchant for a slice of epic power metal. Germany’s purveyor of anthems Orden Ogan are now onto their seventh studio album with recent release Final Days. This time, they have moved on from the Wild West theme of 2017’s Gunman, and fully embraced the robotic uprise on their futuristic themed latest album. Orden Ogan‘s brand of epic power metal has always been about the anthemic singalong chorus’. There is absolutely no shortage of them here, a plethora of guitar hooks to “woah-oh” to at live shows.
Heart of the Android opens up in suitably pounding fashion. Their inner Beast In Black is unleashed to fire out a mighty power-pop hit on Inferno. Try as I might I cannot resist belting my lungs to the chorus of Let the Fire Rain every time I listen to it. This is power metal at it’s very best, when just a single listen through gives you all the practice you need to burn your vocal chords out next time around. If there is one thing Orden Ogan know how to do as well as anyone it’s writing an absolutely killer chorus. Always focussed on the melodic vocals with the instruments providing a stellar platform.
The folk metal side of previous albums has largely been sidelined on Final Days, in favour of channelling pure power metal energy. It would be easy for a power metal album focussing on a futuristic landscape to descent into an ultra cheese-fest. But never the case here. Well of course there is a little fromage on display – when is power metal ever devoid of a little coagulated milk? But pure epic grandeur is the name of the game here. At 50 minutes, it’s a perfect length album too, without breaking the hour barrier far too many power metal albums do unnecessarily.
Alone in the Dark features a guest appearance by one of the premier vocalists in heavy metal today. Brothers of Metal’s Ylva Eriksson lends her powerful pipes to great effect on a standout track, dominated by soaring vocals and pounding drums. In fact, I could easily pick a number of standout tracks on this album, such is the overall quality on display. A second guest appearance by guitar maestro Gus G. on Interstellar results in a riff-fest with a kickass solo – would we have expected anything less.
If you are a long-standing fan of Orden Ogan, there is a huge amount to like here. Newcomers to the group, and power metal in general will also find plenty to get their teeth in to. Very easy to listen to, but don’t mistake that for poor quality. Final Days is an excellent album, and easily the premier piece in their catalogue. “The world is going down in flames in the dawn of the AI” may be a common thread in Sci-Fi flicks, but something tells me the human race might be responsible for that long before the machines take over. Thankfully here we have another glorious album to see us through to our impending demise.
Score: 8/10
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