▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Shatter Messiah ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Orphans of Chaos █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-03-05 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Thrash Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Sleaszy Rider Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ I first got into Shatter Messiah around the █ █ release of their debut Never to Play the Servant, █ █ back in 2006. Masterminded by █ █ Nevermore/Annihilator touring guitarist Curran █ █ Murphy, the Akron group stood out for their clear █ █ defiance of metal categorization and for having █ █ anti-religious lyrics that were surprisingly █ █ well-written and mature when compared to most █ █ extreme metal tripe. Unfortunately, they seemed to █ █ go silent for a while and fell off my radar. █ █ Orphans of Chaos, their fourth full-length, █ █ continues the groupÆs penchant for diversity among █ █ the metal genres. The overall template is right in █ █ line with the likes of Nevermore and some of Rob █ █ HalfordÆs solo work but one will find plenty of █ █ groove riffs mixed with intricate, borderline █ █ death metal tempo shifts, occasional King █ █ Diamond-style harmonies, and vocals that run the █ █ spectrum from classic metal cleans to near death █ █ metal rasps. █ █ However, this particular album does differ by █ █ having an outlook that is somehow even darker than █ █ its predecessors. There is a degree of grunge and █ █ possible sludge influence on the appropriately █ █ titled ôDoom,ö which is packed with dissonant █ █ guitar grinds and expressive vocal layering ala █ █ Alice in Chains. Even the catchier vocal lines on █ █ songs like ôShallowö and ôCold and Aloneö sound █ █ distraught. █ █ This tonal shift is further enhanced by the change █ █ in lyrical themes as the themes of religious █ █ questioning are almost entirely absent. In their █ █ place is a pseudo-narrative that reminds me of █ █ CandlemassÆs King of the Grey Islands, as the █ █ songs are a series of first person accounts █ █ revolving around themes of drug abuse and suicide. █ █ The band has had a few songs in this territory on █ █ their past efforts but I donÆt think itÆs ever █ █ sounded this oppressive. █ █ Overall, Orphans of Chaos is of the same high █ █ quality as Shatter MessiahÆs previous releases and █ █ offers much of the same intense genre blending. █ █ Those familiar with the band shouldnÆt be █ █ alienated by the darker tone and this wouldnÆt be █ █ an invalid starting point for fans already █ █ acquainted with Nevermore and Dream TheaterÆs █ █ heavier outings. HereÆs hoping the band can get █ █ itself back out there and perhaps to an even more █ █ noteworthy point than they were before. █ █ █ █ Highlights: ôShallowö, ôForget Forgivenessö, █ █ ôDoomö, ôCold And Aloneö & ôFreeö █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Fixx for Demise 4:17 ░ ░ 2. Shallow 2:44 ░ ░ 3. Slave 3:20 ░ ░ 4. Forget Forgiveness 3:28 ░ ░ 5. Nothing Friend 5:00 ░ ░ 6. The Mad Man Lies 4:52 ░ ░ 7. Doom 7:38 ░ ░ 8. Disruption 5:37 ░ ░ 9. Thoughtless Timeless 4:04 ░ ░ 10. Cold and Alone 5:19 ░ ░ 11. Free 6:47 ░ ░ 53:06 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░