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FALLEN ORDER
The Age Of Kings EP

Self-released (2014)
Rating: 5.5/10

Hamish Murray (vocals), Ben Jays (guitar), Kieran Gallagher (guitar), Tooley (bass) and Nikki Terror (drums) are the musicians who make up the current line-up of Fallen Order.

The band originates from New Zealand and has existed in some form since 2005, but The Age Of Kings is their debut offering. It’s a five-track EP consisting of a batch of strong melodic heavy metal tracks which sound as if they’ve been plucked from the underbelly of the mid 1980s, but given that contemporary shine.

There’s nothing overly thrilling about this opus; it drives hard in the bass and guitar departments, but lacks conviction at times in the vocals of Murray who – for the most part – has a rather standard warble. This can be extremely frustrating, because there are times when Murray opts for some truly high-pitched screeches which he should employ more since they give the EP that extra slice of the epic.

None of the tracks really stand out. ‘Stand Together’ is a formulaic metal trudge with an Iron Maiden edge, but it kind of trundles like one of those long lost New Wave Of British Heavy Metal tracks that collectors drool over yet which no-one else finds appealing. “Out of the darkness and into the light…” yawns Murray amid a steady tirade of strong, clunking bass and striding percussion, but it’s all rather tepid I’m afraid to say. ‘Sign Your Life Away’ is another galloping slab of mediocrity crying out for an injection of fire, an injection which only comes occasionally with Murray’s higher curves and a sizzling solo, but it’s the sort of mini-composition that desperately needs a monster number and a gargantuan performance from its frontman in order to rise above the norm.

‘Falling Down’ is a rather bland affair; it begins with a simmering guitar and some intricate touches within the percussive realms, but it’s so bereft of punch that by the time Murray interjects it becomes just stereotypical tired metal. Respite from the formulaic finally comes via the title track, which offers extra spice in the percussion and skips with conviction in the riff. I’m still begging to unleash metal fury with those squeals, but they come all too infrequently.

As the EP comes to an end, I’m just not fazed by what this New Zealand posse has to offer. This sort of standard modern metal can be found under nearly every rock I overturn, and so with that in mind, I continue my search for something not necessarily mind-blowing or original but more cutting edge. Fallen Order is akin to a blunt sword.

Neil Arnold

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