First time I hear about this band. I don't know shit about these guys. Thank god, I didn't spend much time searching for information about them because my beloved Metal Blade had everything I needed in the promo (as this label does with every release). Anyway, I read some reviews for The Machinery Of Oblivion here and there and I was expecting a great record that would kick my hairy ass! I placed the CD in my CD player being ready to face the upcoming Armageddon...
The Arcane Order were formed in 2000 under the name of Scavenger in Denmark. The idea belongs to guitarist Flemming C. Lund.After recruiting Boris Tandrup by his old band Autumn Leaves and a 20 year old local drummer, Flemming contacted a well known Swedish singer and he asked him to record the vocals for a promo CD. Upon waiting for more than seven months, they finally understood that this agreement had to be cancelled and an old friend of Flemming, Kasper Thomsen from Raunchy recorded the vocals for a promo, a promo that was bound to get them sign a contract with Metal Blade.
After signing their contract, they entered Jacob Hansen Studios and produced this very good debut album called The Machinery Of Oblivion. I want to say something to make you understand this review better. I am not going to review this CD as an ordinary album, but as a debut album...
Hmmm, let's start with something I mentioned above. Jacob Hansen, who is without any doubt an acclaimed producer, has done a magnificent job with this album, giving it the strength it needed to sound heavy and raw. One of the factors I liked this album is the production, which if it was weaker; I don't know what my opinion would be. Another thing that made me like this album and the band in general was their diversity. Besides their basic Swedish Death Metal outfit, I sensed many Black Metal melodies as well as their obvious electronic parts. One thing that annoyed me was the more than obvious Nevermore influences. In Infinite Ghost Anathema, it's as if I was listening to a Nevermore solo part! We're talking about the same structure, the same sound! Now, I want to explain what I said above about reviewing this CD as a debut album. If this was their second, third or fourth CD, I would surely be a bit amazed, but we're talking about their first official release here, which means that for a debut album it surely kicks ass! I mean, these guys are surely full of inspiration! Their tracks are great and they definitely won't make you get bored even for a single second!
What the fuck am I supposed to say now? I'll say only one thing. This album rules! Get the fuck out there and be sure to buy it! There are no excuses! The only thing I want now is to see them live!