Just when you thought that GWAR and Lordi were the 'be-all-end-all' when it comes to costumed shock-horror in heavy metal, along comes the outlandish A Band of Orcs. Clad in masks, costumes, and weaponry straight out of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth saga The Lord of the Rings, A Band of Orcs have done a great job getting themselves to look like, well, Orcs, the premier bad guys from the novels that I'm sure most have wittnessed in the Peter Jackson film trilogy. How they actually sing and play their instruments on stage is another thing, but as far as Adding Heads to the Pile, the band have put together an enjoyable, if not totally unoriginal collection of thrashy death metal tunes. Think Vader meets Slayer meets Behemoth and you have an idea of where these guys are coming from on this record. Many of the tunes are somewhat catchy, despite being plenty brutal at times, making for a memorable listen on tracks like "When the Hills Run Red" and "I'm the Keeper's Chamber", while "Stormbringer" has some cool pinch harmonics and plenty of bottom end thump.
As enjoyable as this is in spots, for the most part much of Adding Heads to the Pile just sounds a little too familiar. That won't necessarily be a bad thing for many, especially if you have no issue with solid, carbon copy death metal that's well played and recorded perfectly. Don't expect a reinvention of the wheel here, but there's certainly some fun to be had, and musically this is leagues better than either GWAR or Lordi. I can also imagine this band is a hoot to watch live with all those costumes and masks.
Track Listing
1. Prepare for Domination
2. When the Hills Run Red
3. In the Keeper's Chamber
4. Of Broken Chains and Shattered Skulls
5. Wyrd of the Winter Wolf
6. Hall of the Frozen Dead
7. Lair of the Ice Wyrm
8. Stormbringer
9. At the Mouth of Fire
10. Fall of the Fire Lord
11. Adding Heads to the Pile
12. A Deeper Evil
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