We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

A Band Of Orcs - Prepare For The Domination

from Sociopathic Mixtape, Vol. 5 by Various Artists

/

about

⋘"Prepare For The Domination" is the slab of chaotic brutality which begins A BAND OF ORCS' second full length album, "Adding Heads To The Pile", released on Halloween 2012 via IME (Itchy Metal Entertainment). This track sets the tone for what it ultimately one of the best death/thrash albums of last year, as surprising as it may sound coming from a band that, at first glimpse (and particularly to the "uninitiated", e.g. non-metal lovers), could easily be written off as nothing more than a cheap GWAR ripoff.

Unlike Lordi, the same cannot be said about A BAND OF ORCS. Whether an individual personally buys into the gimmick of science fiction, horror/slasher films, and fantasy/role playing games (as well as books such as the most obvious that comes to mind - LOTR), along with outlandish costumes centered around a fictional world created by the band as a backstory to who and what they "are", where they originated from, and why they're "here" - again, not unlike GWAR being space aliens from Antarctica - well, frankly, it doesn't matter.

What is of relevance is the music, wouldn't you agree? Unless serious lyrical content is a decisive factor in whether you can enjoy a particular act or not (in which case you probably won't much go for the imagery set by this band's lyrics), A BAND OF ORCS will be deemed as the real deal when it comes to their savage brand of aural madness. Based primarily in death metal while likewise incorporating a heavy dose of old school thrash - among other genres thrown into the mix on occasion; these would include NWOBHM, black metal, crust, and gore(grind) - it's absolutely undeniable these guys can rival any band on the planet who plays a similar style of extremity.

The costumes, visuals, backstory, and other factors creating a lasting legacy for the group are all secondary to the performance. A Band Of Orcs established themselves within the underground extreme metal community upon the release of their debut record back in 2007, but if you never got around to giving the band a chance or if you've never heard of them before, take the opportunity to listen to "Prepare For The Domination" and if you're a fan of death metal and/or thrash, be prepared to add a new 'favorite' to your list.

To check out more of the band's music, follow the Bandcamp link below where both of their albums are streaming in full at no cost (however, in order to download either release you must pay, which is different than the vast majority of bands featured on the mixtape series ---- of course, doesn't mean it's not worth it; in fact, we strongly suggest purchasing digital or physical copies of both "WarChiefs Of The Apocalypse" & "Adding Heads To The Pile", you won't be disappointed!).⋙

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ BAND BIOGRAPHY & INFORMATION ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

A Band of Orcs hails from the blasted doomscape of Hirntodia.

The warchiefs of the Gore-Stained Axe Tribe came to the misty realm of Santa Cruz, California on the Winter Solstice in 2006 when a group of young nerds playing Dungeons & Dragons inadvertently activated a monster summoning spell by rolling dice on an ensorcelled “Random Encounter Table.” Unfortunately they encountered A BAND OF ORCS, who reacted with all the inappropriate violence you might expect from such savage creatures. When the Orcs heard the demonic sounds of SLAYER's "Raining Blood" emanating from upstairs, they became enchanted by this eerie paean and forced the amateur guitarist they ambushed there to show them how they could generate such unholy hymns. They spared Jed’s life and he showed them the ways and means needed to master this magic called metal, teaching the Orcs how to wield guitar, bass, and drum.

A BAND OF ORCS found metal an excellent sorcery for recruiting hordes to the cause of the Gore-Stained Axe Tribe. Now, the Orcs plot to use these instruments and incantations of destruction for whipping battalions of maelstrom-creating headbangers into a mosh pit frenzy to awaken their unholy god, Great Gzoroth, Dragon of Fire and Chaos, hastening the glorious and prophesied Domination.

In true orc fashion, A BAND OF ORCS scavenges battle-tested remnants from the morbid fields of death, thrash, black and heavy metal to forge a brutal orc metal assault on miserable human ear-drums. Following up on their debut EP “WarChiefs of the Apocalypse” (produced by Scott Lee Sargeant, M.O.D., Laaz Rocket, and Epidemic; engineered by Juan Urteaga), the Orcs’ latest offering, “Adding Heads to the Pile,” (Itchy Music and Entertainment; produced and engineered by Juan Urteaga, Machine Head “Unto the Locust,” Testament “Dark Roots of Earth,” Hatriot “Heroes of Origin”), is a concept album set in the Orc home realm of Hirntodia. It tells tales of how a cowardly and duplicitous human king hires the Gore-Stained Axe Tribe as a mercenary force to war against marauding Giants and their minions.

Gregory Burkart of Fearnet.com says,

“Adding Heads to the Pile demonstrates how the Orcs have a solid grip on their blackened death/thrash fundamentals, but they've also found a way to put their signature on the genre with their lyrical world-building, which helps bring the essence of their outlandish live personas to your earphones. The whole monstrous bundle is wrapped up with supreme artwork, including paintings by fantasy illustrators Chuck Lukacs (Magic: The Gathering) and Lorraine Schleter, which should have fans salivating for a proper vinyl edition.”

Bruce Moore of puregrainaudio.com remarks,

“Right from the get-go these guys make it clear that they're not a gimmick band; this is top-notch, face-melting brutality chock full of killer riffs, wicked shredding and totally insane drumming...I can’t say enough good things about this record; I truly dig the whole package...from the intense cover artwork and music to the whole underlying theme…These guys are the real deal!"

The San Francisco Weekly ranked it among the Top 10 Bay Area Metal albums of 2012 with the likes of Testament’s “Dark Roots of Earth,” High on Fire’s “De Vermis Mysteriis,” and Neurosis’ “Honor Found in Decay,” prompting reviewer Dave Pehling to comment:

“Sporting frighteningly detailed costumes that would make the average Comic-Con attendee soil their superhero tights with fear and/or envy, Santa Cruz outfit A Band of Orcs could probably get away with skimping a bit on the musical end of the equation. Instead, the Dungeons & Dragons-inspired quintet unleashed a positively barbaric debut packed with melodic death-metal anthems that easily stand on their own merit.”

Emerging victorious at the Bay Area edition of the Headbang for the Highway Battle for Mayhem in the summer of 2012, A BAND OF ORCS earned the right to attack the Mayhem Festival at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountainview with the likes of Slayer, Slipknot, Motorhead and Anthrax, then went on to assault the final date of the Summer Slaughter Tour in Anaheim, featuring such metal anti-luminaries as Cannibal Corpse, Goatwhore, Exhumed and Job for a Cowboy. The Orcs have also shared the battle stage with many worthy metal tribes: 3 Inches of Blood, Toxic Holocaust, Deicide, Holy Grail, Jungle Rot, Warbringer, Hatchet, Sothis, Witchaven, Exmortus and Master among many others.

Great Gzoroth has sent the warchiefs many omens of immanent Domination, such as when metal god and legendary Iron Maiden front-swordsman Bruce Dickinson played the track “Bring Out Your Dead” on his BBC radio show; or when Hollywood wizard Courtney Gains (Children of the Corn, My Cousin Earl) produced their epic battle video for “Into the Maelstrom” (Director, Jess Bryden); or when Fuse TV chose the “Into the Maelstrom” video to help launch their On-Demand service in November of 2008; or when they formed a partnership with Itchy Music and Entertainment. This list of omens goes on.

And now, the stars have aligned once more, the cracks of doom have fissured wider, and a plague-wind blows doom upon this world from the North-East to bring A BAND OF ORCS into a powerful alliance with the legate of EX DEO and KATAKLYSM, Maurizio Iacono. The Orcs have joined the ranks of the Hard Impact Music management team and the Rock the Nation Talent Agency. This is an alliance formed in the Nine Hells to bring forth Domination and take A BAND OF ORCS to the next stage in the invasion plans!

So, come on—Get your Tusks up, add your head to the pile, and prepare for Domination.

Hail Gzoroth!!!


INDIVIDUAL MEMBER PROFILES:

1) Gogog Bloodthroat - Vocals; Your New Orc Overlord

Gogog Bloodthroat, a name synonymous with vocal savagery, is your new leader and chief war vocalist for the band. A slaughterer of over 1000 worthy and unworthy foes, he fought his greatest battle against his own father Morbhud Blood-Axe, murdering him to wrest the sacred axe from his grasp and become Chieftain of the tribe, a tale told in the song “I, Gogog.” At one of many epic battles in which Gogog fought, he took an arrow to the neck from an elvish archer. This wound inevitably gifted him with the voice that will shoot him to trans-dimensional death metal apotheosis.


2) Gronk! - Tribal Shaman & Bass Player

Gronk!, whose name translates to 'the-rumbling-sound-of-earth-quake-that-preceeds-the-volcano-eruption' in your miserable human language, serves as the band's shamanic ancestor spirit medium and bass player. Gronk! plays only with genuine, hand-crafted, dwarf-gut strings, because he believes anything else unsuitable to his brutal calling. The shaman uses his spiritual powers to level-up the band before battles and shows. He was once asked by the Grimp to re-animate Hulg (see below), but the spell went horribly wrong and the zombie orc exploded. When not propitiating ancestor spirits, summoning things from Beyond (be it purposely or accidentally), or preaching the Domination, Gronk! likes to drop things from high places and watch them splat against the ground. In battle he wields a headsmans axe, a magic staff, and tricksy spirit spells.


3) Oog Skullbasher - War Drums & General Smashing

Oog Skullbasher likes to smash, so he plays war drums. Or hits unicorns over the head with boulders. Back in Hirntodia many regard Oog as, perhaps, the best unicorn poacher in the realm, for nothing makes better drum heads than freshly cured unicorn hide. He has organized and led many expeditions into the wilds to procure these most prized skins. On one such anti-heroic hunt, a unicorn reared up and kicked out one of Oog’s tusks, rendering him a unitusk orc. That one now lies stretched across bass drums eternally suffering the double bass and blast beat beatings Oog administers as the back bone of the band’s metal onslaught.


4) Cretos Filthgrinder - Filthy Leads & Crushing Guitar

Cretos Filthgrinder embodies the art of epic battle music at its most brutal zenith. Skalds tell tales of his prowess with the orcish scimitar on the battlefied and in the gladitorial arena. Legend has it that with steady hand and grim grin the mighty Filthgrinder battled his way into the Gore-Stained Axe Tribe by decapitating three of the clan's burliest captains, thereby earning the Chieftain's praise and respect. Oddly, Great Gzoroth, the Dragon of Chaos, has seen fit to gift Filthgrinder with a strange fascination with and talent for the electric guitar. His hell-wrought gnosis of demonic modes and scales has resulted in several bone-crushing metal anthems. But his solos are his trademark.


5) Hulg ELFR.I.P.PER - Crunchy Undead Guitars

Hulg is dead. Or, rather, undead. Or rather he was dead and then undead and now is live again after death. Here's how it went down: Hulg ElfR.I.P.per was fatally electrocuted, when in a fit of rage resulting from an argument with Filthgrinder over the band's sound and direction, oh, okay, tuning—they were trying to settle whether they should play in standard B or C Flat—Hulg took his battleaxe to Filthgrinder's amplifier, instantly frying himself. The manager at the time, Gruesom Grimp, hired a series of cut-rate necromancers to animate Hulg's corpse before concerts, interviews, or recording sessions. Tired of paying hacks, Grimp asked shaman Gronk! to attempt an animation. The spell backfired and caused the old Hulg meat-suit to rot away at an accelerated rate to the point of final death. The Grimp’s last managerial act before handing the reins over to Legate Iacono and taking a position as official trans-dimensional spoke’s-imp for the band was to hire a high-level Necromancer to summon Hulg’s ghost from Beyond and stuff it into a fresh orc warrior skin. This seems to have worked and Hulg no longer reeks of a tribal mass grave. Best of all, he still plays crunchy guitars and eats brains.

[ * * * * * NOTE * * * * * ]

(for a more detailed look into everything this band is about, including countless images of each member, their live setup, and more, check out the link to their main 'dot com' site below....)


GENERAL MANAGER:
Maurizio Iacono (Hard Impact Music)
hardimpactmusic.com


PRESS INQUIRIES:
Devin Walsh (Team All About The Music)
devinwalshpr@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/teamallaboutthemusic
teamallaboutthemusic.bandcamp.com
www.myspace.com/teamallaboutthemusic‎
teamallaboutthemusic.tumblr.com
www.reverbnation.com/label/teamallaboutthemusic


BOOKING AGENT:
Stephan Mellul (Rock The Nation USA)
steph@rockthenationusa.com
rockthenationusa.com


BAND CONTACT INFO: if you hope to contact someone in the band directly, we suggest using private messaging on Facebook, Bandcamp, Google+, or ReverbNation; alternatively, you can fill out this contact form (though we make no guarantees as to whether you'll receive a response by sending in the eForm):

www.abandoforcs.com/contact/


LABEL CONTACT INFO/FORM:
itchymetal.com/submit/

lyrics

Gather the tribe, sharpen your blade, raise your fist
Gore-stained axe cry out for blood
Sever the trees, feed the flames, smelt the ore,
Forging weapons for brutal war

Whipping the slaves, flogging the grunts,
Get them in line, send them to die
No use for prayer, only for war
Your life's a lie

March through the waste, burn through the fields
Batter the walls, giants shall fall
Bringers of pain, merchants of death
Blood flows for

Gold!
Take what I want
Kill!
Greed is our god
Spite!
For all giants fall
Die!
Too late to kneel

Whipping the slaves, flogging the grunts,
Get them in line, send them to die
No use for prayer, only for war
Your life's a lie

March through the waste, burn through the fields
Batter the walls, giants shall fall
Bringers of pain, merchants of death
Blood changed for gold

Paid for the kill
Storming the walls
Conquer, destroy
The kingdom shall fall

No one is spared
The deal is off

We hate your kind
Stupid and blind
Death shall be your receipt
We repay cowards in kind

Whipping, flogging
Get them in line
Send them to die
Marching, killing
Never ask why
You're next to die

Marching, flogging
Get them in line
Send them to die
The dying, the screaming
With the blood spilled for gold
Glory bel fill our souls

Storming the walls
Kingdom shall fall

Still the war machine rolls on
And the wheel of pain keeps on turning

Still the war machine rolls on
And the wheel of pain just keeps turning

Death you can't deceive
Death will your soul reap

Whipping the slaves, flogging the grunts,
Get them in line, send them to die
No use for prayer, only for war
Your life's a lie

March through the waste, burn through the fields
Batter the walls, giants shall fall
Bringers of pain, merchants of death
Blood flows for

Gold!
Spoils of war
Kill!
And take more
War!
Harvest of blood

Domination has come

credits

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Sociopathic Sound Records Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A DIY project three years in the making, Sociopathic Sound Records has at last experienced its becoming. Emphatic & unrivaled is our collective passion for extreme music. Determined, we seek to change the archaic, exploitative business model(s) of old by shifting focus back to the artists; to bolster growth, abet success, and reinvigorate the entire metal community & all those involved on a whole. ... more

contact / help

Contact Sociopathic Sound Records

Streaming and
Download help

Report this track or account

If you like Prepare For The Domination, you may also like: