Album Review: The Heretic Order – Evil Rising (Massacre Records)

Feeling particularly evil? Wanna have your soul consumed by occultism in musical form? Then head over to the latest rituals performed by The Heretic Order. A band with a modern spin on classic metal influenced by the occult and horror based in both fact and fiction.

The London based band released their second album, Evil Rising on June 22nd 2018.

Those familiar with the likes of Dream Evil will find The Heretic Order’s style of horn-throwing metal appealing. It has got all the hallmarks of riff-heavy classics but with a cleaner and modern spin on it.

It’s also far less cheesy. Although the chorus of title track that sees “evil rising” bring belted might make it seem otherwise at first. There’s nothing cheesy about gargantuan riffs, finger blistering solos and hellish vocals that sound like they’re being sung while gargaling a mouthful of blood.

Things get really heavy for Hate is Born, Omens will make your body shake as if you’re possessed and Mortification of the Flesh will see the exorcists called in.

Although The Heretic Order keep things pretty high-tempo for most of the album, when they take their foot off the gas it doesn’t dent its impact as shown with the slower, darker and groovey Under the Cross. A banger of a tune.

The latter half of the album is almost all about energy though. Good old fashioned head-banging metal heaviness that leaves you with a big old silly grin on your face. The screeching solo that introduces The Mask is followed by rhythm that has just a little of the Sabbath about it and a nice bit of gothic melody.

Then there is The Forest of the Impaled. A track that moves at a tremendous pace and is one of the best on the album before the The Scourge of God goes on a slashing rampage with doomy riffs, flashes of heavy intensity and some epic twists and turns.

If that didn’t finish you off then Visions isn’t about to allow you to walk away with your bits intact.

It’s good, really good. Influences and styles meshing well to create a delightfully evil sounding record.

The Heretic Order – Evil Rising Full Track Listing:

1. Prelude
2. Evil Rising
3. Unholy War
4. Hate is Born
5. Omens
6. Mortification of the Flesh
7. Under the Cross
8. Straight Down (to Hell)
9. The Mask
10. The Forest of the Impaled
11. The Scourge of God
12. Visions

Check it out yourself below.