Orden Ogan
Alcatraz Line up: 2018, 2021, 2024
Germany and power metal are a match made in heaven. Take Orden Ogan, for instance. Orden Ogan, which translates to ‘order of fear’, have built a reputation as an excellent power metal outfit (think Helloween, Blind Guardian and Running Wild). Oddly enough they had always wanted to make a dark fantasy western album. When asked what the idea was behind the ‘Gunmen’ (2017), figurehead and jack-of-all-trades Sebastian Levermann said the first two tracks they wrote were so reminiscent of Ennio Morricone that it was now or never. The album did well in Germany and beyond, confirming their status as one of the heirs to the German power metal throne. The album is bursting with high-octane riffs, blazing solos are legion and the huge singalong choruses invite crowd participation. The occasional folk metal and progressive elements help to keep things vibrant and interesting. On a lyrical note, their 2008 debut ‘Vale’ introduces us to their mascot Alister Vale, whose adventures run like a loose red thread throughout all of their albums. Their most recent effort ‘Final Days’ was released twice: the original 2021 album was later re-recorded with a number of guest vocalists, including Stu Block (Into Eternity) and Elina (Leaves’ Eyes).