Release Date 17.04.2026
Format CD/LP/Digital
Genre Progressive/Death Metal
Origin USA
Ordh materialized when former Barishi guitarist Graham Brooks chose a fresh musical path. He recruited his long-time drum partner Dylan Blake, added bass player Josh Smith from Kiefcatcher, and enlisted vocalist Jonathan Hébert of Come To Grief. The quartet spent a couple of grueling years ironing out their material before hitting the studio to create their debut album, "Blind In Abyssal Realms". They took a highly organic approach during the tracking sessions. Drums were captured using old microphones before handing off the mixing duties to Andrew Oswald and the mastering to Brad Boatright.
Death metal has endless subgenres, and Ordh throws a massive wrench into the machine with their progressive death metal attack. You get five lengthy compositions offering wild time signatures and intricate guitar work. The music channels heavy hitters like Entombed and Demilich, tossing in a bunch of epic structures instead of short bursts of aggression. Brooks brings a feral guitar tone to the table, linking up perfectly with Hébert’s deep, booming growls. It is a massive wall of sound demanding a decent amount of attention to process the layers hidden inside.
Giving this a spin reveals a heavily constructed beast requiring patience. "Apis Bull" opens the gates and drags you through twisting corridors of heavy riffs and changing tempos. The drumming is undeniably impressive, keeping the constantly shifting patterns locked down. Sometimes, the sheer length of these tracks gets a bit demanding on the ears. The music operates on an enormous scale, constantly adding new elements to digest. You definitely hear the passion poured into the writing, even if a few segments drift into the background during a casual listening session.
Oswald’s mixing job preserves the rawness of the tracking sessions. You get a very natural, uncompressed audio experience making the instruments project beautifully. The low-end rumbles ominously, supporting the intricate guitar leads. Visually, Paolo Girardi provided a warped, nightmarish cover painting matching the dark music contained inside. It is a complete package designed for extreme metal heads who want long, intricate compositions.
"Blind In Abyssal Realms" stands as a highly ambitious debut. Ordh unleashes a barrage of twisted riffs and thunderous rhythms. The musicianship is top-notch, and the dedication to crafting massive songs is obvious. A few trims to the compositions might have made the impact even stronger, making the final rating totally fair. It remains a very worthwhile trip for anyone who wants their extreme music twisted, dark, and highly technical.
Score: 8.0
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