ORDER OF NINE – Seventh Year Of The Broken Mirror

Order Of Nine is a very dark and heavy Prog Metal band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Seventh Year Of The Broken Mirror is the band’s fifth album. They were formed back in 1997 under the name Templar and released their first album under that moniker. Since then the band has achieved moderate success and toured internationally to make a solid name for themselves.

These guys present a standard six-man Prog line-up complete with twin guitars and keyboards. Although the general theme of the music is Progressive, they do tend to cross various genres throughout the album. There are many aspects of Thrash and Doom Metal heard, as well as some strong Power and Symphonic Metal riffs. The most distinct sound from Order Of Nine comes from their bold vocalist Michael DeGrena. He carries a smooth baritone vocal suggestive of Peter Steele and Geoff Tate. DeGrena has great command over all the tracks… it is clear the compositions are built around his unique vocal style. However, DeGrena does show some limitations with his vocal style, which is primarily due to the lack of range. The songs are all presented in a lower key to accommodate his voice, and he is really unable to expand to any kind of a higher or more emotive register.

Musically the compositions are offered in an exceptionally technical fashion. The production and instruments are tremendously precise. All of the tracks are very well-rehearsed and spotless. This type of musical presentation is common for a Prog Metal band, but can also act as a detriment (at least in this case) because it is difficult to gain an emotional grasp on the songs. It’s almost as if the songs are too clean-cut. However, there is one track in particular that is extremely well-presented on a musical and emotional level. The 9-minute epic “Eye Of The Enemy” has all the elements of a classic Prog/Power Metal song, complete with high energy riffs and a great melancholy orchestration. This is also one of the few tracks where the vocal line does not drive the theme, but it enables the entire musical composition.

The album as a whole is very difficult to grasp, simply because the songs are complicated and there is a lack of passion vocally. There are many bits and pieces in this album where that is not the case at all, and the musical and vocal presentation is electrifying. However, when listening to Seventh Year Of The Broken Mirror from start to finish it can be hard to follow given all the various directions the band is taking. There is no doubt plenty of talent, and even genius, within Order Of Nine. Many hard core Prog fans will surely enjoy this album. Unfortunately, it’s very complex and sometimes simplicity is best, especially in the world of Metal.