Review by Daniel for Order From Chaos - Stillbirth Machine (1992)
The 1992 debut album from Kansas City blackened death metallers Order From Chaos is another release that I picked up through the tape trading scene back in the 1990’s but can’t recall returning to since my initial few listens. I do remember it making some fairly significant waves in the underground at the time though, particularly here in Australia where this sort of black/death hybrid sound is so prevalent. Despite finding enjoyment in all three of Order From Chaos’ albums over the years, I think it's fair to say that “Stillbirth Machine” didn't make the sort of impact on me that its modern-day reputation seems to command though so I’ve been meaning to return to it for some time now so that I can see if I’ve been a little harsh on it.
If you’re a sucker for a technically precise & clinically produced death metal sound then “Stillbirth Machine” might not be what you’re looking for. You see, Order From Chaos are one of those bands whose appeal lies in their ability to produce a dark & evil atmosphere through a fairly loose & sloppy yet no doubt exciting blend of death metal, black metal & thrash metal. You know… the type that has all of the kvlt elists frothing at the mouth? They’re bloody good at it too just quietly but I’m not sure that sound sits entirely within my comfort zone. Order From Chaos are certainly very respectful of their roots as they more or less celebrate a time when extreme metal bands didn’t need to worry about being pigeon-holed into a defined category & I have no doubt that they’ve listened to their fair share of Slaughter Lord, Blasphemy & Sarcofago releases over the years.
The production job is absolutely filthy which suits Order From Chaos’ needs really well because one can easily imagine that they may not be too big on showers themselves based on the unpolished cacophony blasting out of my headphones here. The seven-song, 35-minute tracklisting is very much a flat line in terms of quality though as the trio clearly know their sound & produce a very consistent stream of decent material that will more than satisfy anyone with a penchant for this sort of thing. Bass player Pete Helmkamp’s (Kerasphorus/Abhomine/Angelcorpse/Revenge) blackened vocals are the clear highlight as he sounds positively blasphemous a lot of the time, bringing to mind a more possessed sounding Jeff Walker (Carcass). Guitarist Chuck Keller & Mike Miller (both of Kansas City death/thrashers Ares Kingdom) do a respectable enough job at supporting him (particularly Keller with his psychotic guitar solos which I really dig) but most songs do tend to dip into more swampy terrains at one point or another with the song structures starting to break down altogether at times. That’s all part of the fun with a band like Order From Chaos though so you simply accept it & enjoy the ride.
As you can probably tell, I’m not finding “Stillbirth Machine” to be an essential release or anything. It is, however, a really fun listen that will likely offer a lot more appeal to a select group of metalheads that hold authenticity & underground credibility up as the pillars that any good death metal record is built on. It’s been a while since I’ve heard the other Order From Chaos albums but I'd probably suggest that “Stillbirth Machine” might be pushing for their best work & us old-schoolers kinda need these records in our lives to remind us of where we come from.
For fans of Ares Kingdom, Angelcorpse & Sadistik Exekution.