An Ending in Fire

All must things must come to an end, so why not go out with "An Ending In Fire"? American death metal innovators Order From Chaos called it quits after this crushing album was recorded in 1995. Their last album proves to be a literal summary of the band's musical talents and writings, as it contains material written from '89 all the way to 1994. "An Ending In Fire" is more musically mature than its preceding releases, mostly due to improved musical execution. The songwriting proves to be of their highest caliber, alongside their signature occult lyrics. It is without question a fine way to end one of the best bands to ever play death metal.

The album basically consists of three different songs, composed of smaller parts within. The first track, "Conqueror Of Fear" features three older songs put together, with an intro and outro song written around it. The result is pretty ferocious, as not only do these songs work out naturally well arranged as such, but their lyrical content is related (which is further examined in Pete Helmkamp's book "The Conqueror Manifesto"). Right away, "Dawn Bringer Invictus" opens up with classic Chuck Keller riffs, proving to be rhythmically interesting and memorably phrased. This song leads into "Tenebrae/The Sign of Draconis", which is taken from the "Dawnbringer" album. At this point, it's obvious that Mike Miller's powerful drumming still has his punkier feel with a variety of well done beats, proving to be his best OFC performance. Once "Plateau of Invincibility" comes in (from an EP of the same name), Helmkamp sounds as disgusting as ever, delivering dynamic vocal patterns with his unholy voice. I almost prefer this version due to his vocal delivery.

The longest track on the album is the only song to itself, so to speak, nicely titled "There Lies Your Lord, Father Of Victories". This song was likely one of the last the band wrote, if not the last. The song itself is brilliantly structured, going through a variety of moods but avoids meandering forever. It also contains some of Keller's finest lead work, and is the kind of solo that should be featured in a guitar magazine. There are some really epic sounding riffs found here too, perhaps a precursor to Ares Kingdom...

An old song from the "Will to Power" EP starts off the album's final movement, "Somnium Helios". "Nucleosynthesis" sounds very hardcore influenced, and gets down to the point right away. The second track of this song, "De Stella Nova" is pretty much a precursor to what Chuck Keller was going for in his side project, Vulpecula. It's spaced out sounding ambience, which makes sense with the lyrical focus on the cosmos, and ultimately our death as the sun expands to a red giant and consumes us. "An Ending In Fire" ends the album off, as the flame engulfs Order From Chaos' existence as a band.

Compared to "Stillbirth Machine", the production isn't as crushing, but is still powerful and doesn't sound too far removed from what OFC's production is usually like. The production on this makes it ideal to recommend to a first time listener of the band, and still proves to be satisfying after many listening sessions.

Order From Chaos achieved a lot in terms of being original and boundary pushing in the extreme metal world. This album may have been the last, but proves to be one of their strongest efforts, next to their debut album. If you're in need of death metal that is powerful and dark, yet executed in an entirely different manner (there's not even a blastbeat to be found!), then this is an album you have to hear. Actually, if you're into any type of extreme metal, this album is a worth your time.

This release is the third (Plateau of Invincibility is actually an EP) and final full-length album by Order From Chaos. An Ending in Fire was released post-humously, three years after its recording and the termination of Order From Chaos. The band has stated that they broke up because Order From Chaos had served its course, always succeeding their previous album with the following album and that An Ending In Fire is the culmination of Order From Chaos. And that it is. Three songs of epic black/death metal spread out in nine tracks and clocking up at almost 38 minutes. Sounds very ambitious. And that it is also.

Fortunately Helmkamp, Keller and Miller have more than enough chops to pull it off. And boy do they pull it off excellently. The three songs are all very epic without sounding cheesy and they all sound very extrordinary. By that I mean that they don't really resemble anything I've ever heard by any other band. They are very much different from even OFC's first album Order From Chaos. First off the soundworld is very different. The sickly dirty guitarsound is gone. This time it is closer to your ordinary guitarsound though the dirtyness is still there. Also, the songwriting is more intricate and unorthodox than on Stillbirth Machine. The songs have numerous phases and parts and the way they weave into each other is exquisite.

The riffing on An Ending in Fire is very catchy. As examples one could mention the very beginning riff of Dawn Bringer Invictus (part I of Conqueror of Fear) (Helmkamp's vocal perfromance is something out of this world), all the riffs in the last two minutes of There Lies Your Lord, Father of Victories and the first riff of Plateau Of Invincibility. All the epicness (of cosmological scale), rage and chaotic order make this album a grand listening experience that should be experienced by each and everyone. I don't usually say this, but this is one album that shouldn't be missed by any fan of extreme metal. Definitely essential.