Album Review: Orden Ogan – Final Days (AFM Records)

Since the band’s latest release, the superb ‘Gunmen’, Orden Ogan have been at the forefront of power metal. Now, after a few delays, the new album ‘Final Days’ will finally be released on March 12th, 2021 via AFM Records.

Frontman and vocalist, Seeb comments on the upcoming new album:

Final Days is a dark-science-fiction-concept-record and it features all Orden Ogantrademarks, fat and modern riffs, epic choruses and melancholic orchestral arrangements. On this record you will find the best songs that we have ever written. Gunmen was a strong and important record for us, but Final Days takes it to the next level.

Having risen to the upper echelons of the power metal world and getting a ton of attention of the back of the excellent Gunmen, you could suggest that there is some pressure on Orden Ogan. Pressure to not just live up to the last epic album but better it. Pressure that would crush most bands.

Orden Ogan are not most bands and seem to revel in the demand/expectations of their fanbase. Not to say, this level of fist-pumping, head-banging, grin-inducing power metal comes easy to them, but they certainly don’t seem to struggle when it comes to putting memorable and catchy music together.

Which is exactly what they’ve done here. Kicking off with the riffy powerhouse that is Heart of the Android and the hyper head-banging tempo of In the Dawn of the AI. Two early showcases to ensure everyone is clear from the start that this is very much Orden Ogan.

The first proper taste of something a bit different comes with the much more accessible and daringly poppy, Inferno. Catchy and bouncy, the chorus is a hell of a singalong.

Keeping things punchy; Let the Fire Rain (kick-ass drums and group vocals) and Interstellar (what a solo by Gus. G) make their impressive mark. Followed by the powerful and anthemic, Alone in the Dark where Brothers of Metal’s Ylva Eriksson offers some classy vocal levity. This is Orden Ogan at their most varied and most interesting.

The energy is brought back up for the thumping head-banger that is Black Hole and Hollow. Two fast-paced and crowd-pleasing heavy tracks with Orden Ogan’s trademark power metal perseverance. While jammed in the middle of those two is Absolution for Our Final Days. A track that makes the case for being the grandest sounding tracks so far. Orden Ogan continuing to defy any and all expectations of what they are capable of.

The good stuff must end and end it does with what is actually the most epic track on the album. The aptly titled It Is Over is a track that encompasses everything that makes Orden Ogan such a joy to listen too. From the chunky riff work to the enormous drum beat to the extravagant vocals, in the chorus particularly, and the voice recordings that talk of the end times. This is how you do an album closer.

To the surprise of literally nobody, Final Days is as brilliant as anyone could have hoped or expected. Orden Ogan are literally untouchable in the power metal department these days and Final Days just solidifies that.

Orden Ogan – Final Days Full Track Listing:

1. Heart of The Android
2. In the Dawn of the AI
3. Inferno
4. Let the Fire Rain
5. Interstellar (feat. Gus G)
6. Alone in The Dark (feat Ylva Eriksson)
7. Black Hole
8. Absolution for Our Final Days
9. Hollow
10. It Is Over

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