5RAND – Ordhalia

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7.5

• Bands:
  5RAND
• Duration: 00:36:18
• Available from: 11/28/2025
• Label:

• Art Gates Records

Streaming not yet available

Six years have passed since the last “Dark Mother”, but in this period of time 5Rand have certainly not been with the tools in their hands, on the contrary. In addition to continuing their live activity, the Roman band has worked hard on “Ordhalia”, their third album which gives us an increasingly mature band and a proposal that has never been so varied.

After the instrumental intro “Lullaby For The Apocalypse”, the journey into the human mind set up by the Capitoline quartet begins in style with “Bloodlife”, a song that cannot help but recall the masters of Swedish death melo (from Arch Enemy to In Flames) in their most modern version, both in terms of production and melodic hooks.
Equally interesting is the development of the title track, in which the frenzied tupa-tupa of Swedish origin is added to more atmospheric passages capable of reminding us of Lacuna Coil, showcasing the vocal duality of the singer Julia Eleonoir in the smooth transition from scream to clean. Giving her support behind the microphone in the following “The Nihlist” is an exceptional guest like Milo Silvestro from Fear Factory, so it is not surprising to find a more square riffing and a bit of electronics, while once again we underline the painstaking care in the vocal interweavings and the hook of the melodic inserts, a perfect counterbalance to the wall of sound erected by the three instrumentalists.
The cards on the table were revealed with the first hand of three songs, but the remaining six are no different: “Double Bind” raises the level of emotional intensity with almost symphonic metal passages, while “Turbid” and “Lethargy” compensate for the cosplaying effect of Ammott/Alissa with a great shot, before the closing entrusted to the equally valid “Silent Line”.

If they were under Napalm Records they would probably have the same level of visibility as Infected Rain, but – net of social media statistics – 5Rand confirm that they have nothing less than more media exposed bands.