Review Summary: Heavy, nasty and mean, Disorder of the Order shows a reenergized return for the Aachen-based thrashers, delivering their attack with no mercy.
Holy Moses’s reformation in 2000 happened at a very ideal time. Despite the mainstream popularity of groove and nu-metal, the new millennium saw a resurgence of traditional heavy metal music and thrash metal as well, especially in Europe. The members of the Teutonic scene, Kreator, Destruction, Sodom or Tankard all dropped their misguided musical adventures and returned to the style that made them famous on the first place. For each and every one of them the result was their strongest records since the late 80’s/early 90’s and their fanbase appreciated this return very well. Fortunately Holy Moses is no exception from this. Their 2001 EP, Master of Disaster was already an aggressive and violent piece of Eurothrash that showed Sabina Classen and her bandmates haven’t lost their touch in the genre, but the true test was the new full-length record. And they passed it successfully.
In terms of musical approach Disorder of the Order mirrors what the bigger German bands were doing, by returning to their roots but also focusing heavily on catchy and well-rounded structuring as well as modernizing their sound just enough to make it glossier and thicker. What helped them achieve this was two things. The support of their new label Century Media and Andy Classen. Andy was one of the lead driving forces behind the band and although he didn’t returned back to his post as guitarist, he contributed both as a songwriter and record engineer, thus making sure his alma mater’s return would sound as good as possible. He did a fine job here, making every instrument sound balanced and old-school as well.
After a short little intro, the opening track “We Are at War” instantly shows the real deal as its fast paced and filthy riffing are guaranteed to calm the nerves of any Holy Moses fan who had its doubts about how they going to sound. The rest of the album also maintains a solid and consistent level of quality, thanks to the songwriting that balances the furious barbaric speed and the mid-paced chugging. In fact “Disorder of the Order” is easily the band’s most varied records since “The New Machine of Lichtenstein” and with a good combination of rawness and melody its more listenable then some of their more straightforward but more predicable material. A perfect example of this if none other than the title track which is one of the most headbangable songs the band has written in their career, thanks to the perfectly rhythmic structure and well-used lead guitar sounds.
“Break the Evil” is a short and punkish blast perfect for those which prefer the faster side of Holy Moses, while the upcoming trio of songs (“Deeper”, “Hell on Earth” and “I Bleed”) feature a combination of a march-paced guitar sequences, walls of heavier and melodic chords and sections of lead guitars that often serve not as individual solos, but builders of atmosphere. Each one of them are highlights “Deeper” is my favorite due to its simple but effective chorus and expectational build-up. While the entire album has a good sense of dark, brooding atmosphere, “Verfolgungswahn” is another personal favorite of mine, as it’s ultra-heavy, yet echoing riffs, vocals, and eastern-inspired leads are the closest the band gets here to revisit the dark and apocalyptic sound of “Terminal Terror”.
Of course not everything is a fully shaped diamond on this record but when “decent” is the most negative term you can use to describe the weaker material, you know you’re in for a good album. I mean songs like “1000 Lies” or “Blood Bond” are not bad, they just simply not as exciting or hard-hitting as other songs. As for the bands performance, everybody is very solid here. The riffs are varied and hard-hitting, the drumming is tight, the guitar solos are a bit spare but executed with a great sense of melody and style. And of course we have Sabina Classen who continues to prove herself as one of the most vicious and characteristic vocalist in thrash metal. Time did no damage to her voice, as she combines raspy shouting, death metal grunts and spine-chilling screeches with extreme efficiency. Also she shows a great amount of self-restrain compared to the Master of Disaster EP, where her banshee-like delivery boarded the levels of excess and self-parody. Thankfully here she is much more stomachable for major and non-fans alike.
By successfully bending old and new, Holy Moses managed to make their return and transition to the 2000’s into a permanent one, and “Disorder of the Order” is a strong, solid piece of work, that stays in the higher rank in their discography. Recommended for anyone who considers themselves a fan of thrash metal and it also functions as a great gateway record for those who are not familiar with this. Underrated and under-appreciated as much as they are, your ass is gonna get kicked if doubt their ability to rock your socks off.
