Orden Ogan

Genre: Folk Metal (early), Power Metal (later)
Formed in: 1996
Line-up:
Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann – Vocals, Guitars & Keyboards (ex-Nüpfelgard, ex-Suidakra (live))
Tobias “Tobi” Kersting – Guitars (Duke)
Niels L?ffler – Bass (Leaves’ Eyes, ex-Sardonic, ex-Predator, ex-Stormblade, ex-When Illusions Burn)
Dirk Meyer-Berhorn – Drums (ex-Trapture)
For some they are ?the only legitimate Blind Guardian successor (Rock Hard Germany 03/08), for others ?the new Running Wild (Metal Hammer Germany 11/09) but ?even when ORDEN OGAN regard themselves as following the tradition of these bands, the have got so much more to offer (Rock Hard Germany 06/08).
This new German force in the Melodic Metal realm is said to be one of the most inventive new bands and the big zines' journalists praise the masterly and unique mixture of traditional Power Metal with modern elements, folk and progressive influences as well as elements from the Gothic genre. ORDEN OGAN know perfectly how to create an atmospheric depth, normally only created by exceptional artists like Savatage. But does that fit together? Absolutely!
Further proof for ORDEN OGAN's complexity and class is shown with on their second album ?Easton Hope, which will be released by AFM Records on January 22, 2010. Driven by the positive evolution following their labeldebut ?Vale ORDEN OGAN worked at full speed on new songs which show a repeated enhancement to 2008's surprise success. With high attention to details ORDEN OGAN flirt unabashed with the musical legacy of cultbands such as Running Wild (?We Are Pirates!) and Blind Guardian (?Nothing Remains). This love to traditional German Melodic Metal sounds is underlined by the guest appearances by former Blind Guardian drummer Thomen Stauch on the latter and ex-Running Wild cult-guitarist Majk Moti performing a solo on ?We Are Pirates!. But nevertheless the band's own character is always clearly present. The listener is aware at any second that he has not fallen for some copycat. Instead ORDEN OGAN manage to unfold a yet unforeseeable international potential on ?Eastop Hope - not least due to the modern sound and nearly American sounding, brilliant production. As with ?Vale, the recordings were done at Green Man Studios (Arnsberg / Werl, Germany), but this time singer/guitarist Seeb also handled the Mixing duties and the result is impressive. The ultra-powerful sound is nothing short of productions by Colin Richardson or Andy Sneap. The elaborate choir recordings in the cathedral of Wildeshausen have been masterly integrated into the bandcontext, which was another huge challenge, and last but not least ORDEN OGAN even won over renowned Michael Schwabe (Monoposto Studios), who is responsible for several No 1 hits, to do the mastering. Legendary cover artist Andreas Marshall was again asked to draw a painting which was used to create the cover artwork and layout. This again shows the band's dedication since this approach is much more expensive and complex than a digitally ceated artwork and can hardly be found these days.
?Easton Hope starts off with the stunning ?Nobody Leaves, which pricks your ears up with aggressive guitar assaults ands Seeb's powerful voice. Next is ?Goodbye which focusses on grandiloquence and one of the record's most catchy chorusses. After that we enter ?Easton Hope, the very city in which the concept story is set. This one is a true epic with progressive ingredients and yet another terrific chorus. This could be continued throughout the whole record up to the closing track ?Of Downfall And Decline. Every song has its own identity. 11 songs, 11 direct hits. Even after listening to it 30 times ?Easton Hope still is compelling, high-class and grows even more.
At the latest with the release of their self-produced ?Testimonium A.D. (2004) ORDEN OGAN became the biggest insider tip of Germany's metal scene and got overwhelmed with praise from critics. The official label-debut ?Vale was released by Yonah records in February 2008. This album featured the whole passion of this ambitious band fronted by singer/guitarist/producer Seeb. It took more than two vears to complete this concept record which for the first time featured an Andreas Marshall cover artwork. ?Vale was greatly received in Germany and got people excited not only by the high class songs but also a professional videodclip for ?The Lords Of The Flies. So with hindsight it is not that surprising that the record exceeded all sales-expectations and therefore completed the sensation. Top rankings in German soundchecks and excellent reviews back up the band's exceptional status. It was particularly well received that ORDEN OGAN delivered a fresh and non-cliche piece of traditional metal art that stands out with its uniqueness. Even more: This new mixture united the tastes of old school metalheads and fans of the new generation. With numerous strong live-shows ORDEN OGAN demonstrated their outstanding reputation and clearly pointed out that they are a band to look for in the future. Finally their second album ?Easton Hop is now coming out, with which ORDEN OGAN definitely surpassed themselves. Rest assured, that you will be hearing a lot more from this hitmachine from Arnsberg in 2010. Just recently they have been confirmed for Wacken Open Air...