ASPHYXIUM ZINE

Saturday, December 25, 2021

Full Length Review: Orion’s Reign "Carols of Chaos" Ice Warrior Records by Corban Skipwith

Location: Athens
Country: Greece
Genre: Symphonic power metal
Full Length: Carols of Chaos
Format: Digital, streaming
Label: Ice Warrior Records
Release date: December 23, 2014
I personally can’t think of a better time than now to post a review about this, as it is Christmas I’d like to wish everyone happy holidays and a thank you to all the Relentless Family for sticking with me over the years!
Orion’s Reign with Carols of Chaos
So this right here is an 8 song complication album of famous Christmas songs that have been given the good old ‘metal remakes’ and turned into little pieces of head banging goodness just in time for the holiday season.
See, when it comes to albums like these (as in cover albums, remix albums etc) the most I ever got into that was the ‘Punk Goes Pop’ series and even then I only really enjoyed the 4th and 5th installations and of course with these things there is a stigma of ‘novelty’ behind them because of the fact that it is an album of covers and remakes that it can be hard to judge them and ultimately critic them as you would a regular album with a collection of original tracks.
But look, for what it’s worth I think this is a dope interpretation of the Christmas Carols, I love the fast guitar and those banging drums! This sounds like a Prog Metal’s best attempt at a mash up as it does well in keeping that ‘grand, larger than life’ feel most Christmas songs have but by replacing it with the classic Prog Metal elements that the Subgenre itself does in making its own music ‘unique and larger than life’.
I know this is a bit of a shorter and less descriptive review but I’m kind of at a loss for words, you’ve all heard these songs thousands of times before it’s just now you’re hearing it with a metal twist! I can guarantee there will be fans of this type of novelty out there and for those who are seeking an album like this but worried about the overall quality then this is the one for you!
Its production is top notch, the instrumentation is fire and the overall aesthetic is still Christmas related and it does a nice job and keeping the spirit of that special holiday alive!
If you think this is for you, go check it out now! What better time or day than now? Corban Skipwith

Lineup:
Geo Strife: Guitars
Michael Batistatos: Lead guitars, bass
Kirk Gazouleas: Keyboards
Noel Kardaris: Drums

Track list:
1. Intro
2. Carol Of The Bells
3. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
4. O Come O Come Emmanuel
5. Nutcracker
6. Interlude
7. We Three Kings
8. What Child Is This
9. O Holy Night

 

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