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Facing The Ruin

    
       
       
       
     
             
Out Of Order are a heavy metal band from Germany formed in 1991, releasing their debut album 'Powered By Aggression' in 1999. The bands sophomore album 'Back In Hell' was released in 2002. Beginning life as a power/speed metal band, Out Of Order have progressed to a harsher, harder and more thrash metal sounding band. The bands new album 'Facing The Ruin' was released in 2019 and is a full on, full tilt, high velocity heavy metal rampage.    
             
One of the years finest releases, the new album from German metallers Out Of Order, is, and I wouldn't normally mention this until the end of a review, but am so excited by this album I just have to say it now, a "ballad free zone" - yes, ten songs, fifty two minutes and not a single ballad in sight... And just to clarify why I'm so excited, for anyone who is reading my reviews for the very first time, or has and hasn't yet realised, I am not a fan of ballads on heavy metal albums. So now that my (little) rant is over, let's strap ourselves in and get ready for the fiery blast that is 'Facing The Ruin'. The new album opens with the thrash metal influenced 'Watching You'. Remember when American thrashers Flotsam And Jetsam hit the scene back in the eighties? Well that's the sound of Out Of Order, the classic melodic thrash metal style to have come out of the legendary Bay Area. 'Watching You' is mid tempo, very heavy, and a far cry from the traditional power metal style of most German bands. 'Self Deception' quickens the pace, scorching the Earth as it hurtles on by, waking up the head bangers of the world, forcing their heads back and forth at an extreme rate.    
             
Thrash infused heavy metal doesn't really get much better than this - unless you're the legendary, pioneering band Rage (also from Germany), who for over thirty years have led the way in thrash infused power metal. Anyways, back to Out Of Order, who power on with the speedster 'What For', the albums intensity not dropping for a second. Fast paced and thunderous, 'What For' is melodic, energetic and fiery. With a title that details exactly what the lyrical topic is, 'The Sniper' is one of those epic "story telling" anthems, spliced with, am guessing, footage from an interview with a sniper... 'The Sniper' is high velocity thrash, highly energetic and melodic, with a sing along able and highly infectious chorus. 'Guilty' displays a lot of musical influences, both riffage and lyrics, ranging from (the aforementioned) Flotsam And Jetsam and Black Sabbath, just to mention two - there are many more but I don't wanna spoil the wow factor as you discover a few more.    
             
Halfway through the album and the highly intense and in your face feel is unrelenting, with absolutely no break for a breather. 'Tears' is a mid tempo Megadeth thrash metal style foot stomp, picking up the pace after the mid point, packing a huge punch as it hits hard and kicks harder. Epic and glorious, 'God Is Angry' is a majestic march of melodic thrash come heavy metal. Much more traditional in its sound than any other song on offer, 'God Is Angry' is a swaggering anthemic waltz, with a hymn like chorus delivery. 'On The Rise' features a guest singer, the Norwegian singer/songwriter Liv Kristine, former lead vocalist for the symphonic metal band Leave's Eyes and current singer for the folk metal band Midnattsol. More than just your regular duet, Liv takes the lead vocal role, relegating the bands singer to a secondary role, well, for the first minute or so anyway... A huge symphonic edge beckons as 'On The Rise' comes to life, the song turning in a blistering performance of pace and is the most aggressive and savage offering on the album. Heavy thrash metal in abundance pushes 'Blood Vengeance' along at high speed. Head bang able and one hundred percent infectious, 'Blood Vengeance' is one of the best, if not the best, song on the album. Bringing this "ballad free zone" to a close, is the blistering high velocity rampage 'Apocalypse'. Fitting, as an apocalypse normally ends almost everything. Fast paced yet melodic, Out Of Order manage to meld NWOBHM, thrash and traditional heavy metal all together in one seamless stream.    
             
Overall, an intense and high octane meld of thrash and traditional heavy metal, 'Facing The Ruin' is a corker, and one of the years best releases.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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