Album Review: The Heretic Order – III (Massacre Records)

The Heretic Order, a classic metal band for the modern age, release their third album, III on May 27th, 2022. III tackles myriad issues both modern and old. From the topical ills of world pollution, disease, human greed and the corruption of religion, the Illuminati and secret society connection with alien life, to historical tales from the dark ages of humanity such as the genocide of the Cathars, executions in the tower of London, and Mayan human sacrifice.

Aways giving us ample reasons to head-bang, The Heretic Order return with, what might very well be, their best album to date. Their most refined, their most focused and their most head-banging inducing release.

Bookended by haunting, gothic and horrifying atmospheric pieces (Prologue/Epilogue), it’s the epic Children of the Sun that really kick starts this album. A flurry of riffs, pounding percussion and the metal snarl of Dominus Ragnar gets the blood-pumping through veins. Followed then by the killer King of the Damned. Where a rhythmic beat meshes wonderfully with a twisted edge and the chorus is pure fire.

Harsher, more blacker vocals, make themselves known on Dark Shadows but the real selling point of this track is meatiness of the riffs. Burn This World then brings thrashy speed metal to the dungeon, with an awesome melodic outro. The Conjurer, pure sinister mayhem, and Mark of the Beast, a track that oozes dark and evil atmosphere while both continuing the head-banging trend of quality that exists throughout this album.

Satisfied? Few won’t be at this stage of the album, yet there is so much more to come. The latter portion featuring more and more reasons to give yourself serious neckache. Starting with the longest track on the album, the horror-laden heaviness that is Spirits of the Night. A track that has groove, creativity and atmosphere. The dedication to the darkness is more than admirable and it gives III a fresher feel, even when knocking out old-school hard rockers like Deaf Forever that is like a mix of AC/DC and Motorhead, if you can imagine that.

Spiders takes a more methodical approach, the tempo slow and sounding very sleazy and gothic. Some guitar soloing injects some life, before the finale (aside from the Epilogue) of Invictus goes crazy. An energised blast of thrash-infused heaviness, with melodic breaks, to see this album off in style.

It’s a banger. Another banger from a band who consistently put bangers out. III is The Heretic Order on a creative high and the end result speaks for itself.

The Heretic Order – III Full Track Listing:

1. Prologue
2. Children Of the Sun
3. King Of the Damned
4. Dark Shadows
5. Burn This World
6. The Conjurer
7. Mark Of the Beast
8. Spirits Of the Night
9. Deaf Forever
10. Spiders
11. Invictus
12. Epilogue

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