I generally don’t go for gimmicks or over the top outfits in metal. Especially if such bands play second rate music, simply relying on their shtick to carry them. I also happen to think the likes of GWAR and Lordi are horrendously overrated. But if you are into that kind of a thing, A Band of Orcs will most likely please you in more ways than one.
Imagine a group of World of Warcraft orcs summoned into this earthy domain, who then listened to The Black Dahlia Murder and formed a musical group to sing about all things orc. With names like “Gogog Bloodthroat – Vokalz and Power Pretenze”, “Oog Skullbasher- Drumz and other bangings” and “Hulg Elfripper- orc zombie and undead guitars”, you know these guys have their tongues planted firmly in their cheeks and their costumes match their names with all performances and the rather well done video being done in full on Orchish, rather convincing garb.
But as with all of their costumed peers, how is their music? Well, it’s OK. It’s tight and well produced form of modern American metalcore/thrash meets death metal, that would fare decently with or without the Orcish selling point. It’s not great or even too memorable, but it’s pummeling, surprisingly tight and on par with the likes of Through the Eyes of the Dead, The Famine, Graves of Valor and such.
None of the six songs (and one suitably epic intro) are going to convince anyone that this is an act ready to breakthrough to the big leagues, but there’s competence, skill and overall production value that’s as good as anything that Hot Topic pedals (Sumerian Records, Good Fight Music, Artery Recordings etc). I’ve certainly heard far worse from signed, supposed ‘real bands’ than the likes of “I, Gogog”, “Warchief of the Apocalypse” , “Into the Maelstrom” and the rather enjoyable cover of Celtic Frost’s “Procreation of the Wicked”.
Even with this EP being re-promoted, re-released and re-circulated four years after its original release, A Band of Orcs aren’t going to get by on their music or their Orc gimmick alone, but the solid merging of both makes them a little more intriguing that the cookie cutter assembly line of bands that’s being force fed to metal fans nowadays.
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Lame.
on Apr 5th, 2011 at 02:20I’d rather listen to Battlemaster. They make use of similar BDM-esque sounds but they are far more adept and convincing. They also rely on oldschool Dungeons & Dragons lyrical themes over World of Warcraft and while perhaps a only a slight detail it does factor into my appreciation of the band as a whole.
on Apr 6th, 2011 at 12:12Actually, Vugelnox, the reviewer has many relevant details wrong. A reading of their website reveals that they ARE Dungeons and Dragons influenced (so do many of their interviews) AND they’re musical influences are more old-school, like Slayer, Iron Maiden, and Metallica. They even incorporate Slayer into their back-story. In fact, as the story goes they got accidentally summoned to this realm by a bunch of kids playing Dungeons and Dragons, then hooked on metal by the older brother of the DM who was playing Slayer’s “Reign in Blood” upstairs.
on Apr 6th, 2011 at 14:17I noted that they LOOKED like WoW orcs, and that they were in fact summoned to this domain. I dont mention anywhere that they used the WoW lore vs d&d lore
on Apr 6th, 2011 at 17:41all of that might be so… but after listening to a few songs I’ll still stick with Battlemaster ;-)
on Apr 7th, 2011 at 08:52These guys are currently opening for GWAR. That alone made me check them out…and I LOVED what I heard. Cool as all hell.
on Sep 4th, 2013 at 15:04