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Soil Chronicles (FR)
<2020-10-11>
Je pourrais commencer mes chroniques d’albums de groupes Sud-Américains par un running-gag tant je me plais à répéter que j’ai une vraie tendresse pour les formations issues de cette scène. Et une fois de plus, le thrash / death metal des Chiliens d’Orion ne dérogeront pas à la règle.
Voilà une nouvelle fois un quatuor qui semble avoir arrêté ses horloges en 1985, à la période bénie des premiers Possessed, Onslaught, Sepultura, Pestilence, Slayer, Sodom, Kreator ou de leurs compatriotes de Pentagram.
Au programme, neuf titres d’une musique absolument passéiste pour laquelle le groupe n’a oublié aucun élément pour nous faire revivre visuellement et auditivement l’époque des racines du genre. Et très franchement, à l’écoute des 34 minutes que propose ce Mysterivm Cosmographicvm, on rajeunit de 35 ans direct : riffs bien thrash metal, ambiances glauques typiquement death, chant éraillé et grave façon d’un Guido “Sataniac” Wissmann (Desaster) qui aurait rencontré Thomas “Iron Tyrant” Werner (Hellish Crossfire) dans une messe noire ! Bien sur, ça va très vite du début à la fin : niveau rythmique, on est bien entendu dans le speed, parfois intense et d’une précision remarquable.
Ici, rien n’est laissé au hasard : Orion nous balance un monstrueux catalogue de riffs démoniaques, à l’aspect purement evil, avec une violence d’une monstruosité qui confine au sadisme ! Le rare moment de calme permet au groupe de laisser apparaitre furtivement un clavier pour un moment des plus solennels, qui donne au titre un côté occulte plus profond (“Epinomis”).
Pour le reste, c’est un martèlement incessant au moyen d’une batterie percutante, sur laquelle les musiciens s’en donnent à cœur joie à grands moyens d’accélérations brutales et de changements de rythmes nous prenant parfois à contre-pied, et laissant souvent apparaître un solo de guitare bien senti donnant un peu de clarté à ce magma de ténèbres.
Quant au visuel, c’est noir de chez noir : artwork en noir et blanc bien evil, photos du même tonneau, pentacle et démon de rigueur sur le logo, tshirts de Venom ou Pentagram sur les photos session.
Bref, on sait dans quelles eaux on navigue. Et on adhère dès le premier titre…
--- SoilChroniqueur
Extreme Chilean Metal (CL)
<2020-10-24>
Well where do I even begin as this band has only two demos released and awhile back, as I listened to one of their earlier demos they have really matured from then and now and have risen with a brilliant full length of death/thrash.
This is one of those albums that caught my attention from the first listen, the opener On Being and Becoming goes right for the throat, I was taken on how good the band sounds, lots of good hooks all over the track, ripping leads and the vocals are just right, you can understand them perfectly.
And basically this is what is offered here, there is no dull moment on this as there is plenty of neck breaking madness to get your fill to.
And to add on the track Epinomis some keyboards are thrown in and fit just right as they come in when the track breaks down and then goes off in the end.
This concludes with Witchery War which is the only old track on here and sounds way better than the original and a good closer to this.
All I can say this a must have to your collection this album slays!! one of the best of the year.
Headshot Music Issue (UK)
<2020-11-14>
If you visit the Metal Archives website, there must be about 20 or so bands with the name Orion... obviously, this is the version from Chile.
They also win the award for being the least productive band in this feature. They formed in 2002 and only recorded their debut album at the end of 2019, before it saw the light of day just over a month ago via Iron, Blood and Death.
Now, for those of you of a certain age, there was a vinyl compilation called Stars on Thrash, which Roadrunner put out in 1988... and Orion would have fitted in quite nicely, alongside the likes of Slayer, Pestilence and German Thrashers, Paradox.
This just reeks of early Thrash, with a distinctively dark edge and it is fast becoming one of my favourite new releases. It just takes me back to buying a lot of albums blind, as you had to do back in the 80s as you didn't always get chance to hear these bands. Quite often I would buy an album based on the cover or from a review... And Mysterium Cosmographicum really does fit in with that era.
A feel a retro radio show coming on... and I will be including Soul Procession from this album on it.
Artnoir (DE)
<2020-11-21>
Obwohl Orion schon seit 2002 existieren, haben sie mit zwei Demos plus dieser neu hinzugekommenen Scheibe nicht gerade viel vorzuweisen. Ob und was sie neben der Band alles noch so treiben – ob sie allfälligen anderen Projekten nachgehen etc. – ist im World Wide Web nur schwer zu entnehmen, da sich die Chilenen in der digitalen Öffentlichkeit ziemlich rarmachen. Dafür gehen sie nach Betätigung der Play-Taste gleich in die Vollen und behalten dies die knapp fünfunddreissig Minuten auch konstant bei.
Geboten wird auf „Mysterivm Cosmographicvm“ schnörkelloser Black / Thrash-Metal in der Tradition von Possessed, den chilenischen Pentagram und Venom. Gesanglich erinnert D.L. Mayhem streckenweise an Celtic Frost. Experimentiert wird auf dem Debütalbum schon gar nicht. Das höchste der Gefühle sind einige simple Keyboards, die manchmal zur mystischen Untermalung dienen.
Für Metal-Puristen ist „Mysterivm Cosmographicvm“ somit genau das Richtige.
--- Pink
Voices From The Darkside (DE)
<2021-01-11>
“Mysterivm Cosmographicvm” is the first full length by ORION from Chile. Their last release was a demo in 2007. In one simple line, I can say this is pretty much the fantastic South American relentless sound everybody absolutely digs! ORION is not winning any awards for inventions, however what they manage to accomplish is to put out a slab of old school worship that completely rips from start to finish. There are no deviations, no moments of loss of direction, this is just an all out attack on the senses. The album keeps getting better track by track. The sound is thick, there are no electronics that get in the way here. This is perhaps one of the best time travel capsules around! The sound takes us right back to the late 80s to mid 90s evil atmospheric attack. Really well written and it will be an absolute treat in a live setting. At 34 minutes, the album is just perfect! The solos are fantastic, they’re aggressive and don’t lose out on melody, which we seldom experience these days. The band manages to do this on literally every single track, which is brilliant! The rhythm is punchy, the bass is audible, well mixed in and sounds great. The drumming is perfect, no BPM gimmicks or such. The vocals truly fit in well with the rest of the music, they’re right out of the depths of sonic hell. Track # 4, ‘The Unreality Of Time’, offers a respite to the constant riff attack, the band gets together to a slower plane yet managing to retain the viciousness. At 4:53, ‘Unreasonaed Perceptions’ is the longest track on the record with an absolute killer solo that takes us back to the classic Thrash era, simply fantastic! Needless to say, the band keeps you completely engaged from start to finish with this utterly delicious slab of Metal. If you’re a fan of early SEPULTURA or if you like classic Thrash or if you’re just a regular fan of Metal music, you need to check this album out immediately. What ORION manages to do is take in the classic sound and place themselves in the cracks of time effortlessly. On the whole the debut from this Thrash / Death outfit from Chile is a complete riot.
Please get a copy! For more information, please visit: www.facebook.com/orion.cl, www.facebook.com/ibdc666
--- Vamsi Kanagovi
VM-Underground (NL)
<2021-02-03>
Iron, Blood and Death Corporation, is surely a treasure cove of unearthing underground metal, whether it is Death, Black, Speed, Thrash and old School Heavy. Without any doubt, their current roster is one hell of a maze to counter with. Out of nowhere, they always appear and out of them, I have seldom been able to resist the allurement of exploring rare and exotic names from mighty south Americas. South-American landscape, where many great ancients once roamed and left many creations that still haunting modern era human minds. The Chileans of Orion, surely another such haunted wanderer into cosmic mystery, who are seeking, exploring and expressing the multiverse and its unfathomable mysteries with their bewildering mixture of Thrash and Death Metal.
Orion has been around since 2001, and took considerable number of times to forge and release their debut demo ‘Pulverizing Skulls’ in 2005, followed by another demo “The Seven Gates Are Opened…” in 2007. Then comes forth silence. And, it’s for fourteen years. Speculating that, the Chileans might have meet star peoples or entities from beyond, and happily taken away by them to receive revelations about Universe and Cosmology. And, after 14 years of journey, the Chilean are back to share their revelations in sonic form with their debut full-length, titled “Mysterivm Kosmographischvm”. A title, which doesn’t belong to any specific linguistic form, but easy to realize, what it tries to convey. Mystery of Cosmos and far beyond. Sound wise, the quartet seems to have stopped its clocks in 1985, at the blessed period of the first Possessed, Onslaught, Sepultura, Pestilence, Slayer, Sodom, Kreator or their compatriots of Pentagram. On the disc, nine tracks of absolutely retrospective music for which the group has not forgotten any element to make us visually and audibly relive the era of the genre’s roots. And quite frankly, to listen to the 34 minutes it offers: banal thrash metal riffs, typically murky atmospheres death, scratchy vocals and hellish drums craft. Of course, it goes very quickly from start to finish: rhythmic level, we are of course in speed, sometimes intense, but with remarkable precision. The incessant hammering by means of a percussive drum, on which the Chileans gave themselves to their heart’s content with great means of ruthless accelerations.
Now, each nine track seems like arranged with a vision to make everyone have their own visuals and thoughts. Although, writing down song by song of all these visions may sound gibberish to any reader. But, who cares, as I can’t resist to put my own visions after listening each track and returning to each one many times. As in the beginning with ‘Of being and becoming’, which like an invitation into blur of muddled horror, of crawling, sick revulsion from the supernatural vileness to be beheld. From there ‘Sourl procession’ appears, which evoke the horrific spectra of Possessed and the darkness of Weapon and have the force to drag anything down with its formless, ever-clinging weight into gulfs beyond the reach of created flight or the fathoming of organized entity. ‘The Way of Truth’ then comes as a baffling and mystifying one, for a sorely troubled mind that seeks truth in a whirlwind of chaos and madness. As the seeking was too baffling, the next track ‘The Unreality of time’, can be explained as – Time, the thing is infinite and, at the same time, ghastly. ‘Unreasoned Perceptions’, reminds the challenge of such seeking and in doing so, I could not have been more hideously startled as if some hellish conception of Francisco Goya had suddenly come to life and emerged from one of his creations, where perception is beyond any reason still unreasoned. Like this hideous vision and perception to be continued, ‘Epinomis’ appears like forged in blackish phosphorescence, where atmosphere smells like burning sulphur. Surely a change of atmosphere but this insidious atmosphere, will make you prepare for the upcoming ‘Uttermost Absence’, where the impression will be as suggested in the title. The change of transitions here are so instantaneous, so utterly without effort or visible transition that it reveals the song-crafting skills and imaginations of the Chileans. After being totally baffled by such experience, ‘The Wanderer’, will remind, despite all the endeavors to explain the cosmic mystery, we will always be a wander, and all efforts are merely hallucinations. However, after such bewildering journey, you may think such profound mysteries can’t simply mere hallucinations. And, to the end of this record with ‘Witchery War’, where intro acoustics with its moldiness of antique charnels and the fearsome progressions, I found myself staring into the verminous, apish warfare…only to return to reality.
And, in reality, it was almost like, I had suffered a visual hallucination that might mark the beginning of some obscure cerebral disorder, or had been visited by a spectral phenomenon, by something from realms and dimensions that are past the normal scope of human perception. With such experience, it’s sufficed to say that the strong analogue production worked overwhelmingly and will keep any exposed one engrossed and enticed from beginning till end. With all these, in this debut offering Orion offers straightforward Thrash/Death Metal in the best of tradition of and on course to established their own sound. Released with an equally mystifying Cover design by Ibay Aryfin, represents the whole visual spectra of “Mysterivm Cosmographicvm”. This will surely evoke many thoughts of what or what not this means, while pondering the Tape, CD or Vinyl’s. Also, shall be enough to entice to explore countless times. Even though, this is just the beginning of 2021, but it won’t be unwise, if any exposed listener going to consider “Mysterivm Cosmographicvm”, as one of the finest and fascinating release of the year, and also from this mesmeric continent.
--- Randolph Whateley
Metal Temple (GR)
<2021-02-09>
From the city of San Javier, a Chilean band named ORION that crosses the genres of thrash metal & death metal released “Mysterivm Cosmograghicvm” on September 30 2020. Recorded between August 2019 and December 2019 at Equinox Studios in Rancagua Chile. Previous releases include 2007’s “The Seven Gates are Opened” (Tyrannus Records) in the form of cassettes that includes a cover by PENTAGRAM’S “Demonaic Possession”; and 2005’s CD entitled “Pulverizing Skulls”, released independently–and a release that includes a cover of KREATOR’S “Tormentor” and DEATH’S “Zombie Ritual”.
“On Being And Becoming” - the opening album track begins with nearly one full minute of pure thrash in the style of blackish death metal–the referenced style intends that the thrash is tastefully seasoned with melodic double picking along guitar strings. D.L. Mayhem’s vocals suggest lifetime veneration toward Lemmy Kilmister of MOTORHEAD; and, toward Tom Warrior of CELTIC FROST & HELLHAMMER. At about two minutes forty seconds, the drums rest for two measures while the rhythm guitars of Pacto & Toku and the bass of D.L. Mayhem, replay the rhythmic motif for two measures; Apocalyptic Destructor’s - drums add a slow two-measure roll to escend across the set of toms. The band enters a moment of pure (unseasoned) thrash and I like this–but further accents especially when chord changes occur on a down beat would certainly enhance this. If guitars & bass adhere to rhythms- this is when drummers can subdivide beats (not to increase speed) but for intersect conversive rhythmic interest: Apocalyptic Destructor almost does this with a short pattern on a crash cymbal that serves as though pick up beats to introduce Pacto’s guitar solo. This solo begins as though the melody tempo drags behind the band - but this may be intentional. He adds a second line–a shorter melodic legato phrase that rolls like a curvaceous stream of water.
“Soul Procession” - the second album track begins with a lovely guitar and bass mix - and before we reach ten seconds, we hear a “Blah” in honor of CELTIC FROST’S Tom Warrior. Pacto’s guitar solo perfectly clashes with the rhythms and tonic key; after which the band, especially Apocalyptic Destructor slows the tempo - playing snare only on the second and fourth beats - allowing for a stronger foundation and better synchronized groove–and I love this moment of raw heaviness. “The Way of Truth” - the third album track opens quickly, if not abruptly - and by seventeen seconds, slows to a slow, raw and heavy trudge. This is great. The song - especially via snare moves between slower and speedier tempos; while guitars pleasantly remain unmuted - and whether strummed or not–still allow for the viciousness of distortion to ring through her ultimate amplified majesty.
“The Unreality Of Time” - the fourth album track begins slowly & heavily–utilizing the ominous tritone. One guitar arpeggiates through higher strings while the bass doubles the counter motif on other guitar’s lower “e” string - nice; sadly, like "The Unreality Of Time”. I wish for more. “Unreasoned Perceptions” - the fifth album track opens with hefty doses of rhythm guitar distortion. The tempo is fast and unproblematic. This may be my favorite album track. At about two minutes ten seconds Apocalyptic Destructor rests from the previous thrash style - and we feel the increased aggression (due to increased heaviness) of both the rhythm and the sound. Immediately prior to the guitar solo, guitar and bass play the motif and harmonize it - recalling METALLICA’S “Frayed Ends Of Sanity”. Rhythm Guitars replete with string ring sound wonderfully after the solo–with subtle touches of angered dissonance - nice tune!
“Epínomis” - the sixth album track opens with twenty seconds of a thrash drum beat of eighth-note patterns, while rhythm guitars ascend a zig zag melody - a sequence of eighth-note phrases. I would like this better if Apocalyptic Destructor would slow & stabilize the tempo–and he does just that at twenty seconds into the song with a speedy double bass drum pattern–and further reduces snare hits from an unsynchronized pattern of eighth-notes to utilizing (much improved) snare hits on merely the second and fourth beats. For the versus, rhythm guitars slow to allow for a fully distorted string ring for the power chords on the lower, wound strings and I grow excited again. (There are few sounds in life I love so much as allowing a fully distorted guitar to sustain an unmuted power chord; my fists clench, my lip curls - nice!).
“Uttermost Absence”- the seventh album track opens with ferocious chunky bouts of distorted rhythm guitar; and rhythmically, the guitar finds the fulfillment of drums at about one minute–when the beat finally slows. Sometimes the feeling of fulfillment does not endure. At two and one half minutes - the tempo slows again, and we are yet again closer to synchronicity. If this were played at half the speed and the triplet counter motive that revises the theme were played more slowly with a stronger, accentuated attack “Bum bum / Bum bum” - maybe with a harmonic on the low ‘g’–think KING DIAMOND’S “Killer”, we’d have radio play.
“The Wanderer” - The eighth album track opens with a melodic melody that moves slowly, while it is simultaneously rearticulated with quadruple picking. Pacto’s guitar solo opens with a continuous yet variable minor third pull-off on the higher strings - almost reminiscent of an automotive siren moving closer and further (by strategic use of the whammy); continuous utilization of this wonder-bar tool is done with a “Mysterivm Cosmographicvm” iteration of perfect death metal class.
“Witchery War” - the ninth & final album track opens with clean guitars - with a distorted rhythm backdrop of guitar and drums to create a sombre, yet impending connotation of something dreadful–and I remember “Merciless Death” from a beloved DARK ANGEL of my youth. At about one minute ten seconds, the song opens into a standard riff at a speedier tempo. Guitars & bass sustain a heavy presence - and even include a recurring embellishing bass phrase (a resurging “Merciless Death”–transfigured not transposed if only not from the latter, of the original clean guitar lick) that endures for about thirty seconds. The speedier tempo resumes for the song to end - not with a Witchery whimper but with a War like bang.
Songwriting: 8 Musicianship: 7 Memorability: 7 Production: 8
--- Barbie Rose
Hypnos Webzine (IT)
<2021-02-12>
Dopo lo Swedish Thrash dei Suicide Nation e quello più di stampo Bay Area dei Metalriff, torno a parlare di una band cilena con questi Orion, da non confondere con l’omonima band indiana recensita ormai diversi anni fa, autori di questo interessante debutto dal titolo “Mysterivm Cosmographicvm”. A differenza dei loro concittadini sopra menzionati, questi Orion puntano su una deriva più estrema del Thrash, dove sopra una solida base di Slayer, vengono innestati richiami a quel proto-qualcosa, Death o Black che sia, che caratterizzava i seminali debutti di Sepultura o Sarcofago. Nonostante non siano un gruppo di primo pelo, la cui nascita sembra risalire al 2002, gli Orion riescono ad evocare un genuino recupero di tali sonorità, non solo in termini di suoni, sporchi e cafoni come difficilmente se ne trovano al giorno d’oggi, ma anche di reale coinvolgimento in quello che fanno. Infatti, i primi ascolti sono stati estremamente positivi, poiché il quartetto capitanato dal cantante e bassista D.L. Mayhem suona veloce e bello incazzato, infilando anche una serie di brani d’effetto, tra i quali menziono la devastante opener “On Being And Becoming” ed “Opinomis”, dove sono presenti dei brevi passaggi di tastiera che richiamano direttamente gli Absu di “The Third Storm Of Cytraul”, che dal vivo sono sicuro faranno molti sfracelli. Poi, non nascondo che a lungo andare il lavoro perde parte del suo appeal, un po’ per via di una certa ripetitività di fondo nel riffing, ma anche per via delle vocals dello stesso D.L. Mayhem, monocordi e prive di quella dinamicità capace di dare una spinta in più alle tracce. Tuttavia, nonostante questi difetti, “Mysterivm Cosmographicvm” è un lavoro che messo a tutto volume dello stereo regala parecchie soddisfazioni e nonché una buona mezz’ora di furioso headbanging.
-- KarmaKosmiK
Last Rites (US)
<2021-06-18>
Okay, enough with the tech-thrash and whirly-doos—it’s time to get back to basics. Hailing from San Javier in the Maule district (about a three hour drive south of Santiago), Orion’s roots go back as far as 2001. After two demos from the mid-2000s and a handful of lineup changes, the band’s debut, Mysterivm Cosmographicvm, materialized late last year. And, as has been shown time and again is tradition with Chile, it was well worth the wait.
If one were to throw Possessed’s Seven Churches, Celtic Frost’s Morbid Tales, Master’s Master, and Discharge’s Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing into a meat grinder and mash the bloody chunks together, only to gargle them down in an attempt to gain cosmic enlightenment and supreme power over death, then one would have a pretty good idea of what to expect from Mystericvm Cosmographicvm. Orion’s approach isn’t particularly flashy on the surface, but it’s delivered with total conviction. Much in the way in which the stoneworkers of Chile’s past constructed these vast monuments that withstood the test of time, Orion construct an impenetrable temple carved from these giant blocks of ancient extreme metal.
Trying to break the album down into pieces is difficult, for it all flows so well. The punky d-beat attack of “Soul Possession” and “Unreasonaed Perceptions” and the weighted doom sections on “The Way Of Truth” stand as a testament to the timelessness of the Hellhammer scriptures. The more razor-honed thrash sections of album opener “Of Being And Becoming” and “Uttermost Absence” set the Master and Possessed stones atop Orion’s cairn. The sparing use of atmospheric synth on album highlight “Epinomis” summon the blackness of early Rotting Christ or Varathron. The slow, drawn out solo that emerges from the doom and gloom rears its head like an enraged serpent flexing its power before the song dives back into the chaos.
The production job on Mystericvm Cosmographicvm is rich without sacrificing any bit of the filth and aggression in the music. The subtle touches like the aforementioned synths or the acoustic intro that bleeds into album closer “Witchery War” are placed perfectly. The guitars and drums all sound loud as hell, but with plenty of room to breathe warmly without succumbing to overcompression. The bass is a bit tucked away at times, but it does get a few moments in the spotlight, particularly at the climax of “Witchery War.” Despite the album’s brutish affront on the surface, it is masterfully thought out and crafted, grabbing the attention with unbridled energy and holding it throughout the songs with quick changes that push the songs forward with supreme urgency.
Cultmetalflix
<2021-12-23>
From the cover one might imagine Raw BM (My Doctor says they hurt…what-?) and one would be wrong. This is DM with shredding riffs and atmosphere bordering on Aggressive Old School Thrash. Accented vocals give it a ferocious edge which I’m appreciating as I’m sure other will too. Tempos are varied with passages dipping occasionally into quite familiar territories (I won’t mention Metallica again in this piece… I won’t! Poop!) Overall, this is going to appeal to those who prefer the decidedly more primal side of the genre.