Metal Underground.com

Stop me if you have heard this description before: a band that dresses up in costume, is a fan of blood, guts, and gore, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Yeah, seems very GWAR-like, right? Obviously, if you clicked on this review, you know that this isn’t the case. A Band Of Orcs does seem like a more ruthless take on the light-hearted GWAR, but there’s much more to the band beyond worshipping the ground that Oderus Urungus spits on. These guys are top-level musicians, and they display this on “Adding Heads To The Pile.” They also show their stubbornness in trimming songs, as the content does not justify the length the album takes up.

A Band Of Orcs is a death/thrash metal act, with a nod to bands like Goatwhore and Behemoth. Their lyrics deal with fantastical/mythical themes, depicting goblins, dragons, and ice kingdoms. It’s a wet dream for D&D nerds, and that audience of metal heads will be engrossed by what A Band Of Orcs has to offer in that field. The music is easy to get into, as long as a listener is content with raspy screaming, pounding double bass drums, and a tight chemistry between the two guitarists.

The most worthwhile attributes to the album can be pinpointed to the first half, where the band is still working off of fresh ideas. “Prepare For Domination” and “In The Keeper’s Chamber” are composed with the mission for slaughtering all ears alike, and they do just that with an abundance of drool-inducing solos. “Hall Of The Frozen Dead” is a catchy jam boosted by a resounding chorus, while the sinister “Wyrd of the Winter Wolf” gnaws at the listener with its soul-draining whiplash effect.

“Adding Heads To The Pile” gets mundane after the excellent, majestic “Stormbringer,” with about 20 minutes of yawn-inducing songs to end on. There’s little that warrants attention, and ending with a seven-plus minute instrumental “A Deeper Evil” was not the smartest choice. The exhilarating guitar play notwithstanding, the rest of the material is a bore-fest. They would have been wise to close the album out after “Stormbringer,” which would have been at least a more upbeat tone, instead of forcing themselves to the over-hour mark.

What is with bands lately who think they need to fill up a CD whether it is justifiable or not? A Band Of Orcs is not interesting enough to fill up more than 45-50 minutes, and it doesn’t help when the songs tend to follow similar patterns. A couple of twists shape the more enjoyable moments on “Adding Heads To The Pile,” but there’s just too much here to make this album worth recommending as a whole. This album is best heard in small chunks, taking necessary rests to gear up for more of the same.