Gunmen
Gunmen moves Orden Ogan into a world of revolvers and supernatural western stories. Musically, the band stay closer to home. Heavy guitars, large vocal layers and easily remembered melodies provide the foundation again. The setting changes, but the main question remains whether the songs can support all that scale.
Fields Of Sorrow gives a convincing answer. Its dark atmosphere and large chorus complement each other well. The guitars carry enough weight and the singing makes the emotion clear without taking away the momentum. The dramatic approach works exactly as intended here.
The Face Of Silence chooses a firmer, marching rhythm. The chorus has the immediate force that suits this band. Its backing provides enough support and stays interesting beyond the singing. Moments like these demonstrate how well Orden Ogan can connect heavy riffs with simple, strong melodies.
The long closer Finis Coronat Opus seeks greater variety. It moves through several moods and takes time developing its ideas. The broader structure suits the record's ambition. It produces one of the stronger pieces because the changes do more than simply enlarge the arrangement.
Even so, Gunmen is less consistent than its best moments might suggest. Every chorus does not make the same impression. The heavily treated, layered singing also returns so often that the effect starts wearing thin. The full sound sometimes lacks space, making the voice feel less direct. The guitars remain good, but cannot rescue every less distinctive melody. There are enough strong songs to make the album worth hearing. As a whole, it would have benefited from sharper choices and more air between its large gestures. The strongest performances show how effective a little more contrast could have been.
