Orden Ogan - Gunmen album review

German power metallers finally kick up some dust

By Holly Wright
( Metal Hammer )
published
Cover art for Orden Ogan - Gunmen album

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Orden Ogan have struggled to crack the UK’s turf like they have on mainland Europe, often suffering well-meaning Blind Guardian comparisons, but over 21 years the German power metallers have peeled away from their Tolkien-worshipping forebears with a grittier steer where drums are double-pedal and riffs rip you a new one. Gunmen – a concept tale about the Wild West, with a spooky twist – is possibly the album to convince us Brits that they’re more contemporary than their ‘Euro power’ tag implies. First track, Gunman, goes straight in for the kill with a muscle-flexing collision of brass and kickdrum and an anthemic chorus, continuing the bombast on the hefty Fields Of Sorrow. The sweet croons of former Leaves’ Eyes chanteuse Liv Kristine do little to dilute the power attack of Come With Me To The Other Side, leveraging Orden Ogan’s ambition to dish up something grittier for the Euro metal brigade.

Holly Wright
Holly Wright

With over 10 years’ experience writing for Metal Hammer and Prog, Holly has reviewed and interviewed a wealth of progressively-inclined noise mongers from around the world. A fearless voyager to the far sides of metal Holly loves nothing more than to check out London’s gig scene, from power to folk and a lot in between. When she’s not rocking out Holly enjoys being a mum to her daughter Violet and working as a high-flying marketer in the Big Smoke.