:: Order Of Chaos - Eyehate Swansongs

Order Of Chaos

Despite existing for the better part of eight years (1995 through to 2003), and managing to release two EPs and a full-length effort, Melbourne based melodic death/metalcore act Order Of Chaos weren’t exactly what you would call the most well known of acts. But while the band only managed a small level of success during their time, the various members of the band certainly moved on to bigger and more well known projects, such as The Eternal, InSomnius Dei, Damaged, Earth, Canyonaero, Long Voyage Back, Blood Duster, Hellspawn and Abramelin. Fast forwarding some five years after they initially disbanded, the three piece act all found themselves between gigs, prompting a reunion of Order Of Chaos, with the recently released ‘Eyehate Swansongs’ being the band’s long in the works sophomore effort. Although comprising of songs that were written prior to the band’s original split (In 2003), ‘Eyehate Swansongs’ sounds remarkably vibrant and more hardcore orientated than their older material, which makes for more than a welcome return of the band to the scene. ‘Buried Alive’ is a punishing opening track that is full of thick and smothering guitar tones, and sounds like the perfect transition between melodic death metal and the band’s new hardcore orientated sound, while the fast paced follow-up track ‘Teach The Little Ones’, ‘Thorns’ and ‘Face To Face’ are steeped in old school punk influences both in the musical and on the vocal front. ‘Shallow Circles’, ‘Quick Fix Salvation’ and ‘Forever Beneath The Surface’ are quite catchy efforts with their groove infused riffing and their ever present hamming drums in the background, while the band’s cover of Faith No More’s ‘Naked In Front Of The Computer’ quite faithful to the original, if only a little rawer and more metallic sounding. The slower paced ‘Dirge’ and ‘Roll With The Punches’ manage to reveal a little more experimentation creeping into the band’s sound, which helps shake the album up a little more, while ‘Not Once’ stands out as the album’s strongest effort with elements of all the band’s wide ranging sound thrown into the eclectic closing number. It’s taken Order Of Chaos a long time to finally getting around to record a new album, but there’s no denying that the time spent waiting for ‘Eyehate Swansongs’ has been well worth it, both for the band and for those whose memories stretch back to Order Of Chaos’ past efforts.