Sunday, October 18, 2009

The Ordher - Kill the Betrayers (2009)

Kill the Betrayers is an explosive follow-up to The Ordher's debut Weaponize, and the Brazilians deliver a brand of dark thrashing death on overdrive, characterized by a chugging, carnal guitar tone. This is another case where I wish the bass were louder, though the guitars are excellent and nearly every track features some memorable riffing amidst the punishing drums and gruff barking.

No time is wasted in laying right into the listener with "Progeny", a sledgehammer of tight riffing that will spin your neck right off your shoulders with its athletic pace and unleashed leads. If you're a fan of Hell Eternal or Krisiun, you've already paid the admission price and should get quite a lot of enjoyment from tracks like "Fevered Priests", "Conspiracy", "Kill the Betrayers", and "The Devil's Whip". The album isn't completely hammering; "At One With Darkness" is a swelling ambient guitar intro and "Earth Burns" is an anthemic, march-like piece that closes the album. Kill the Betrayers is not a revelation, but it's a solid effort which will consistently surprise you by throwing out raging death/thrash rhythms that make each track distinct from the next. Louder bass would truly flesh out this release, but I have few complaints beyond that.

Highlights: Progeny, Conspiracy, Silent Enemies, Earth Burns

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

http://www.myspace.com/theorderextreme

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