The Arcane Order – In the Wake of Collisions
Metal Blade – digital release – 05 February 2008
By Neil Hauer
Danish quintet The Arcane Order are a relatively new addition to the metal scene. Forming in 2000, they have not exactly been the most prolific band, with In the Wake of Collisions coming as only their second full-length release to date. They bill themselves as a thrash/death metal hybrid, immediately evoking memories of seminal Sepultura records of years past, and at the very least implying an interesting, explosive style. This is somewhat true, but unfortunately they are also plagued by their fair share of problems.
The first track, ‘Death is Imminent’, serves as a microcosm of the various issues with this album. Opting to open with a grandiose keyboard movement, quickly accompanied by an ominous chant and promising guitar line, it soon degenerates into the all-too-generic verse section, a recurrent theme throughout the record. Far too often, the guitars will be playing an intriguing theme or solo, accompanied by the keyboardist’s well-placed orchestral flourishes, when at the first sign of vocals, all semblance of inspiration is dropped in favor of bland, flavorless riffs. It’s almost as if, through a communal acceptance of the vocalist’s shortcomings, the rest of band decided it would be best to simplify their parts accordingly, with the end result being that the entire segment is rendered lifeless and uninteresting. ‘Between Reason and Hubris’ is another good example of this, as the band are forced to abandon a surprisingly inventive solo section to accommodate the vocalist’s talentless screeching.
In the Wake of Collisions is a frustrating release, in that the band show promise instrumentally, but are clearly downplaying their skills in order to cater to their frontman’s limited abilities. With a new singer in place and some further refinement to their songwriting, they could potentially produce something great, but this album is not quite something I can bring myself to recommend.
Official The Arcane Order Website
Official The Arcane Order Myspace
Official Metal Blade Website
Metal Blade – digital release – 05 February 2008
By Neil Hauer
Danish quintet The Arcane Order are a relatively new addition to the metal scene. Forming in 2000, they have not exactly been the most prolific band, with In the Wake of Collisions coming as only their second full-length release to date. They bill themselves as a thrash/death metal hybrid, immediately evoking memories of seminal Sepultura records of years past, and at the very least implying an interesting, explosive style. This is somewhat true, but unfortunately they are also plagued by their fair share of problems.
The first track, ‘Death is Imminent’, serves as a microcosm of the various issues with this album. Opting to open with a grandiose keyboard movement, quickly accompanied by an ominous chant and promising guitar line, it soon degenerates into the all-too-generic verse section, a recurrent theme throughout the record. Far too often, the guitars will be playing an intriguing theme or solo, accompanied by the keyboardist’s well-placed orchestral flourishes, when at the first sign of vocals, all semblance of inspiration is dropped in favor of bland, flavorless riffs. It’s almost as if, through a communal acceptance of the vocalist’s shortcomings, the rest of band decided it would be best to simplify their parts accordingly, with the end result being that the entire segment is rendered lifeless and uninteresting. ‘Between Reason and Hubris’ is another good example of this, as the band are forced to abandon a surprisingly inventive solo section to accommodate the vocalist’s talentless screeching.
In the Wake of Collisions is a frustrating release, in that the band show promise instrumentally, but are clearly downplaying their skills in order to cater to their frontman’s limited abilities. With a new singer in place and some further refinement to their songwriting, they could potentially produce something great, but this album is not quite something I can bring myself to recommend.
Official The Arcane Order Website
Official The Arcane Order Myspace
Official Metal Blade Website
