Order of Ennead

An Examination Of Being

Written by: EW on 02/05/2010 19:16:41

Alongside his day job in God-botherers Deicide drummer Steve Asheim also has a role in lesser-known outfit Order of Ennead with whom we here have the release of their second album "An Examination Of Being" on Earache Records. Recent times have seen Deicide adopt an increasing technicality to their music against the bludgeoning brutality of old and it is this template that OoE themselves borrow from quite greatly, mixing references to Necrophagist and Decrepit Birth in a thrashy well-produced mixture. Rather like Necrophagist, many of the songs here are laid out in order to display the prodigious talents of guitarist John Li who shreds and solos his way through songs like "Conduits to Eternity" and "A Portal to Rapture" with a mixture of thrash sensibilities and Chuck Schuldiner-esque death metal licks.

Over a number of listens I've argued with myself about the integration of Li's performance into the album, deciding whether these 9 songs have been laid out merely for performances' sake over the need for great and memorable songs. My consensus is, and one that could change over a greater amount of time, is that OoE have just enough in their collective locker to counter this argument, but more diversity certainly needs to be added to rival them against Necrophagist and Decrepit Birth and eventually the genre masters, Death. With the clean modern production and Ashiem's triggered pummeling lended to the album we are very much looking at a solid death metal record but one benefitted by Kevin Quirion's raspy BM vocals and moments delved into thrash territory, such as "The Scriptures Of Purification" which stop the album from becoming too stagnant and one-dimensional.

At 40 minutes long "An Examination Of Being" is just the right length to make a strong point for Order of Ennead's ascendancy based on their name alone and not that of the band's obvious connections. Though not quite a 'great' record this is well scripted enough to appeal to fans of the bands mentioned above and become a solid footnote in the annals of modern technically inclined death metal.

Download: Conduits to Eternity, A Portal to Rapture
For the fans of: Deicide, Decrepit Birth, Necrophagist
Listen: Myspace

Release date 19.04.2010
Earache Records

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