Fallen Order-The Age Of Kings

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Active since 2005, with the current line-up having been completed with the arrival of guitarist Kieran Gallagher some four years later in 2009 (a move that likely served to benefit second guitarist Ben Jays given the epic duo guitar solos that reverberate throughout "The Age Of Kings"!), Fallen Order are a Lower Hutt, New Zealand-based five-piece band which plays "Metal of the heavy kind"! Need a translation of that last part? Yes? Sure thing then. Translated that means that New Zealand's Fallen Order, which simply rules on the mic thanks to the powerful vocals of one Hamish Murray (think along the lines of Queensrÿche's Geoff Tate, but with Demon's Dave Hill thrown in for good measure!), play eighties metal (Iron Maiden/Judas Priest) with a modern twist. Now, I can already hear what you are all saying out there. I gather it's something like "But Andy, how is that any different then say the hundreds, no, let's make that thousands(!), of other nostalgia-lovin' modern day metal bands trolling about out there looking to part me from my hard-earned money?". Well, first of all let me just say that your question, which was rather insightful(!), is a legitimate concern. Every day it seems as if new bands like Fallen Order are coming down the pipeline. Ones that seem as if they are content to come onto the scene with one foot firmly planted in the past and one foot settled in the present. So, how do you separate the legitimate contenders from all of the lousy pretenders? As a (seemingly) life-long metal fan you could just take my word for it when I say that Fallen Order, which lists it's influences as being Iced Earth, Manowar, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Gamma Ray, Dio, Grim Reaper, Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy and Helloween, is the real deal. On this 5-track EP* we find ourselves staring into the eyes of a band that merges some old familiar names (to my ears it's mostly Iron Maiden and Manowar although even bands as far-ranging as Omen and (early) Metallica seem to stop by to say hello!) with more "modern" day acts (Iced Earth, Gamma Ray, DragonForce and, execution-wise, Amon Amarth) and, in much the same way as a band like Death Dealer has manged to skillfully combine the past and present, do it all while sounding as if that is just the natural order of things! With the talented duo of Tooley and Nikki Terror rounding things out for Fallen Order (on bass and drums respectively**) this band and their self-recorded and self-produced debut release begs to be heard by a larger audience. Still, should you want a sneak-peak for yourself (something that I would understand all too well) then you can hear the track "The Age of Kings" right here: http://onlinemetalpromo.bandcamp.com/album/hello-tokyo-omp-armed-and-ready Afterwards, as I'm sure you'll want to know more about this killer heavy metal collective and how to get a copy of this five-track EP for yourself, be sure to head over to the band's Facebook page and "like" them so that you can be kept up to date on what will likely be one of your (newest) favorite epic metal bands! Here's hoping that "The Age Of Kings" is just the first of MANY fine moments for Fallen Order!

Fallen Order's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/FallenOrderBand

*Even though it has "only" five-tracks (length-wise) "The Age Of Kings" is more like a full-length release as it runs slightly over thirty minutes! I mean look at the (epic) title cut. "The Age Of Kings" alone is over nine minutes long so there is more then enough BANG for your buck!

**Hamish Murray, who has the perfect name to be fronting a kick-ass traditional heavy metal outfit like this(!), was kind enough to send me a bio to go along with the MP3's to "The Age Of Kings". In it it mentions how Fallen Order benefits from "Bulgarian-tinged drum fills" and "fast fingered bass lines". I couldn't agree more especially when it comes to the bass playing of Tooley! Why it is that more traditional heavy metal bands don't employ this kind of bass playing I'll never understand, but a mere two tracks into "The Age Of Kings" and I was thanking the metal gods above that not only was this style of bass playing present, but it was mixed in such a fashion that you could actually make out said skilled-performance!