Symphony Of Heaven: Ordo Aurum Archeia | A Symphony With Height And Good Taste
(2024 – Return To Dust Promotions)
Let’s start from the beginning: Symphony Of Heaven is not strictly what you would call a Black Metal band. Nor is it Death Metal, Thrash… far from it. So what is it? Well, you could say that Symphony Of Heaven is a little bit of everything. All at the same time, and even beyond any label.
It’s torture to have to find a label for the music of a band like Symphony Of Heaven, but it also gives a certain pleasure to know that we are not dealing with something that sounds according to established rules. In that sense, it seems that over time and with each album, Symphony Of Heaven has taken it upon themselves to demolish preconceptions in an elegant, precise way with good songs, because if there’s one thing they excel at, it’s the good taste and quality of each composition.
Their sound is rooted in everything extreme, that’s clear, but accompanied by orchestration that sets the pace and mood for everything they play. One of the keys lies precisely there, and it is almost a trademark of Symphony Of Heaven.
Therefore, when one approaches “Ordo Aurum Archeia,” one will encounter a Symphony Of Heaven that has managed to refine its own style, cultivated over the years and albums, and which finds here the perfect place to demonstrate that they can hardly go unnoticed. The multi-connection with everything that is extreme makes Symphony Of Heaven escape definitions. Perhaps the closest we can find, although quite a far-fetched example, could be the Norwegians Dimmu Borgir, but at least it serves as a reference to know where we stand.
“Legendarium” is the introduction to the world of “Ordo Aurum Archeia”; a kind of orchestral entrance that gives way to “Archeia”, with bases between Thrash and traditional Heavy Metal but with rotten vocals that bring the proposal closer to Death/Black Metal, one could say, and even with a certain approach to Metalcore, although clearly Symphony Of Heaven does not go there. Can we talk about something progressive? Maybe, but not really. In “With Sword And Spear,” the roles are finally burned. Let me explain: we’re talking about a song with an epic ballad feel to it, but one that goes through several moods in its conception.
In “The Hunter,” Symphony Of Heaven trades speed for a semi-sluggish pace, rather melodic riffs and guitar strums, and background orchestration that brings it closer to Death Metal. And the band’s musical/orchestral ability is put to the test in the instrumental “Serenity’s Embrace,” a piece with a classical feel and an impressive guitar solo in the middle.
But it seems that Symphony Of Heaven is a machine that dribbles everywhere. And if you don’t believe me, there’s “Away With The Atheists,” another crazy track. Although it stays within the boundaries that SOH has accustomed us to on this album, there is a more relaxed vibe, like an orchestral ballad, but in “Portent Of Flame,” things lean more towards Death Metal with the speed of Metalcore and angelic orchestration that justifies the band’s name to a certain extent. It’s possibly one of the tracks we liked the most, and the truth is that it shows that Symphony Of Heaven are either completely crazy or simply geniuses.
But it doesn’t end there, no sir. Symphony Of Heaven adds to this “Ordo Aurum Archeia” the 2023 version of “In Anger’s Midst,” originally from their first album “The Season Of Death,” which may not have been really necessary but brings one of their classics up to date with a more modern sound.
And to top it all off, we have one more piece of madness. “Nomad” by Sepultura (from the old and beloved “Chaos A.D.”) in a version that does justice to the legendary Brazilians, rough, tribal-looking, and with an obvious difference in sound from the rest of the album, sounding more like a demo, which leads us to conclude that this version may have been recorded differently from the conception of the album itself.
Symphony Of Heaven’s connections with everything Extreme Metal leads to a proposal that defies definition. That’s no guarantee of anything, but Symphony Of Heaven has managed to cross the wires in the right way, and the result is there for all to see, or rather for the attentive ear that knows how to appreciate the musical quality that the band offers. Versatility is also one of the essential components of what SOH offers; “Ordo Aurum Archeia” is a collection of good, powerful songs that take us to different places and moods, and that is also a point in their favor.
The sound coming out of the speakers when you hear “Ordo Aurum Archeia” is tremendous. Although we don’t have many details about the recording of the album, except that it was recorded at Rusted Recordings Studio and that Pathos and Asaph (vocalist/guitarist and drummer of SOH) were in charge of production and engineering, it’s fair to say that the sound production is truly amazing. This is even more so when we know that a lot of effort has gone into creating a well-crafted product, not only in terms of the concept of the album itself or the compositions, but also in achieving a sound unity that, in this case, is sufficiently devastating. It should be noted that the background orchestrations are what take the laurels, but in addition, they have managed to capture an agile sound that borders on current parameters in terms of sound, which comes across as modern, heavy, and portentous. The mixing and mastering by Kevin Butler is responsible for giving the album that feel. The only exception, one might say, is the Sepultura cover, but it is more than evident that the idea was to give it that “tribal” air that in a way pays homage to the Brazilians in their sound at that time.
The artwork is in the same vein. With a very eloquent cover, the booklet is modest enough in relation to what the band proposes on the album itself. Of course, it comes with the lyrics to the songs, all of which have a direct Christian message, and even a kind of reflection or prayer, something typical of early Christian bands.
“Ordo Aurum Archeia” has only been released on compact disc so far, but we think it would be worth releasing it on vinyl. Hopefully, someone will make it happen. In the meantime, here is the official video for the song “Portent Of Flame” from this album, and if that’s not enough, here are the coordinates to find these beautiful people on social media…
https://www.facebook.com/SymphonyofHeaven
https://www.instagram.com/symphony_of_heaven
