After toiling for eight years under different band names (including Templar), with various bass players and through a series of compilation and tribute albums, Pennsylvania's Order of Nine finally seems to have things falling into place. A record deal with Nightmare Records (vocalist Lance King's label) and a melodically dark third album called Season of Reign may finally get this quartet with three guys named Michael some increased recognition. Doomy riffs and a chugging rhythm section lay the foundation for vocalist Michael DeGrena to take these songs to the next level. With a voice combining elements of ex-Iced Earth singer Matt Barlow and Queensryche's Geoff Tate (it's no wonder that Templar appeared on the Rebellion Queensryche tribute album, covering "The Thin Line"), DeGrena wraps his pipes around these songs and never lets go. His melodramatic, occasionally operatic, delivery could grow tiresome if it wasn't for Season of Reign's decent pacing, highlighted by the metal hymn "Somnia Requiem." "Nameless," an atmospheric and semi-acoustic bonus track, is out of step with the rest of the album but provides further insight into this band's depth.
Track Listing:
1) Learn the Way
2) Some Sort of God
3) Bloodline
4) The End
5) Moment of Weakness
6) Vow of Silence
7) Bull Run
8) A Matter of Pride
9) Somnia Requiem
10) Betrayal
Bonus Track: Nameless
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
