Arvio

New Ordo material is always expected eagerly,like the rising of the moon. As 4 Love 4 Lust 4 Life and Roses, having been postponed for years, gets yet again delayed we are suddenly presented with a whole new album instead. The band´s part as one of the top names in the folk/industrial scene is not an easy one; expectations are higher with every new record and most of all the band´s musical "recipe" seems to be hard to break.

Cocktails Carnage Crucifixion and Pornography succeeds in this much better than it´s predecessors, the Make Love, and War -twin albums. This albums contains both hits that rank among the band´s finest material, and bad failures. The album has a warm, somewhat southern feel to it, which brings to mind Novy Svet from Austria. Whether Ordo has been influenced by Novy Svet is not relevant in my opinion, because the result still sounds like Ordo and this cocktail really works. The down side is that the new album has not been finished in a manner that would coherently follow the new style, but remains very uneven in places.

The album is opened by a Soviet choir intro, followed by Sheep for a Lifetime, Lion for a Day, which is a very typical Ordo song; an acoustic guitar base and Tomas´ speech. It is, however, one from the definite better end, and it´s added string melody makes it stand out from earlier productions. Remember Depravity and the Orgies of Rome is a darkly decadent track more strongly into the new style, and works well. Tango for the Concession of the Suspender Princess is maybe the most radical step into a new style and the distinct spirit of CCCP; the accordion-based tango backgrounds work excellently, and although the track is not a direct hit, it is catchy, and helps set the mood for the rest of the album.

After the tango things unfortunately go downhill: In the Midst of Flaming Ruins / Desire of the Few is the biggest failure on the record and one of the worst songs Ordo have ever made; an attempt to make "songlike" vocals sounds forced and fumbling, and not even a good string melody can save the track. It Was the Day of Lucifer Rising also fails to Convince me, as well as the strongly militaristic For the Good of Humankind, which might have been a very good composition with more powerfully spoken vocals (and maybe on some other album, because here it breaks the thus far coherent atmosphere).

The failings end here. In High Heels on Broken Glass in one of the finest Ordo-pieces I have ever heard, easily rising the level of pearls like The Perplexity of Hubris or Thou Cannot Love them All. The stylishly cruel-sounding Serpent Kisses and Serpent Smiles / Inside the Order of Roses and Equilibrium is almost as good (and a track where the much used porn samples work really well). It is followed by one more hit; Mary Dances in the Shadows / The Holiest of Harlots, whose hummed parts are an excellent example of how more melodic singing can successfully be incorporated into Ordo´s music. The closing (before a repetition of the Soviet-anthem, that is) In Slaughter Natives-like Regression and the Return to Paradise Extinct is not a bad song either, but does not fit into the style of the album.

This album brings a long sought freshness into the Ordo sound, and a very rich and fine sound world. Unfortunately the whole remains too fragmented to be lifted into a classic on the level of Conquest, Love and Self-Perseverance, but in my opinion CCCP:s very brilliant stronger moments outshine it's failures.

John Björkman

Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio - Cocktails Carnage Crucifixion and Pornography

Ordon uutta materiaalia odotetaan aina kuten kuuta nousevaa. Jo vuosia lykkääntyneen 4 Love 4 Lust 4 Life and Roses:in lykkääntyessä yhä enemmän olemmekin yllättäen saaneet kokonaan uuden albumin. Yhtyeen osa yhtenä industrial/folk-scenen kärkinimistä ei ole helppo; odotukset ovat korkeammalla jokaista uutta levyä kohden ja ennen kaikkea yhtyeen musiikillista kaavaa tuntuu olla vaikea rikkoa.	Artisti: Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio Formaatti: CD Levy-yhtiö: Cold Meat Industry Julkaisuvuosi: 2003 Kokonaiskesto: 51:41 Kappaleita: 13
Cocktails Carnage Crucifixion and Pornography (lyhyesti CCCP) onnistuu siinä huomattavasti paremmin kuin edeltäjänsä, *Make Love, and War* -levykaksikko. Tämä albumi sisältää sekä yhtyeen parhaimmistoon meneviä kappaleita että pahoja floppeja. Hienointa levyllä on todella onnistunut muunnos Ordon tyylistä; melodisempi, tunteellisempi ja omintakeinen. Siinä on lämmintä, hieman eteläistä tunnelmaa joka tuo mieleen itävaltalaisen Novy Svetin. Josko Ordo on ottanut vaikutteita Novy Svetiltä vai ei, ei mielestäni ole olennaista sillä lopputulos kuulostaa silti Ordolta ja homma toimii. Kääntöpuoli on, että uutta levyä ei ole osattu toteuttaa niin että se johdonmukaisesti noudattaisi uutta tyyliä, vaan jää paikoittain hajanaiseksi. Levyn aloittaa "Suuri ja mahtava neuvostoliitto"-kuorointro, jota seuraava Sheep for a Lifetime, Lion for a Day on hyvin tyypillinen Ordo-kappale; akustinen kitarapohja ja Tomaksen puhetta. Se on kuitenkin ehdottomasti parhaan pään sellainen ja lisänä oleva jousimelodia erottaa sen selkeästi varhaisemmista tuotoksista. Seuraava *Remember Depravity and the Orgies of Rome* on enemmän uuden tyylinen synkän dekadentti kappale joka toimii ihan hyvin. *Tango for the Concession of the Suspender Princess* on ehkä radikaalein askel uuteen tyyliin ja CCCP:n ominaishenkeen; hanurilla soitetut tangotaustat toimivat kuitenkin erinomaisesti ja vaikka kappale ei olekaan varsinainen hitti se jää soimaan päässä ja asettaa hienosti tunnelmaa muulle levylle. Tangon jälkeen alkaa valitettavasti alamäki: *In the Midst of Flaming Ruins / Desire of the Few* on mielestäni levyn pahin floppi ja samantien huonompia kappaleita mitä Ordo on ikinä tehnyt; yritys tehdä enemmän "laulumaisia" vokaaleja onnistuu kuulostamaan vain hapuilevalta ja tökeröltä eikä edes hieno jousimelodia pelasta kappaletta. It Was the Day of Lucifer Rising ei myöskään vakuuta. Vankan militaristinen For the Good of Humankind voisi olla erinomainen kappale ryhdikkäämmiin lausutuilla vokaaleilla (ja mieluummin jollain toisella levyllä sillä se onnistuu rikkomaan levyn tähän saakka yhtenäisen tunnelman pahasti). Flopit loppuvat onneksi siihen. *In High Heels on Broken Glass* on hienoimpia Ordo-kappaleita mitä olen koskaan kuullut, helposti *The Perplexity of Hubris / I Glorify Myself: in tai Thou Cannot Love them All when the Trupmet Sounds:in tasoinen helmi. Lähes yhtä upea on tyylikkään julman kuuloinen, pianolla säestetty Serpent Kisses and Serpent Smiles / Inside the Order of Roses and Equilibrium* (jossa levyllä paljon käytetyt pornosamplet toimivat parhaiten). Sitä seuraa vielä yksi hitti; *Mary Dances in the Shadows / the Holiest of Harlots, jonka hyräilty osio on hyvä osoitus siitä miten laulua voi toimivasti liittää Ordon musiikkiin. Levyn päättävä (ennen "Suuri ja mahtava Neuvostoliitto"-outroa, siis) In Slaughter Natives-mainen Regression and the Return to Paradise Extinct* ei myöskään ole huono kappale, mutta ei vain sovi levyn tyyliin. Uusi albumi tuo kauan kaivattua tuoreutta Ordon soundiin ja omaa todella rikkaan ja hienon äänimaailman. Kokonaisuus jää valitettavasti liian hajanaiseksi jotta tästä voisi nostaa *Conquest, Love and Self-Perseverance:n tasoisen klassikon mutta omasta mielestäni levyn upeimmat hetket peittoavat sen epäonnistumiset. John Björkman*

Takaisin - Kokoelmat - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - R - S - T - U - V - W - Demot

New Ordo material is always expected eagerly,like the rising of the moon. As 4 Love 4 Lust 4 Life and Roses, having been postponed for years, gets yet again delayed we are suddenly presented with a whole new album instead. The band´s part as one of the top names in the folk/industrial scene is not an easy one; expectations are higher with every new record and most of all the band´s musical "recipe" seems to be hard to break. Cocktails Carnage Crucifixion and Pornography succeeds in this much better than it´s predecessors, the Make Love, and War -twin albums. This albums contains both hits that rank among the band´s finest material, and bad failures. The album has a warm, somewhat southern feel to it, which brings to mind Novy Svet from Austria. Whether Ordo has been influenced by Novy Svet is not relevant in my opinion, because the result still sounds like Ordo and this cocktail really works. The down side is that the new album has not been finished in a manner that would coherently follow the new style, but remains very uneven in places. The album is opened by a Soviet choir intro, followed by Sheep for a Lifetime, Lion for a Day, which is a very typical Ordo song; an acoustic guitar base and Tomas´ speech. It is, however, one from the definite better end, and it´s added string melody makes it stand out from earlier productions. Remember Depravity and the Orgies of Rome is a darkly decadent track more strongly into the new style, and works well. Tango for the Concession of the Suspender Princess is maybe the most radical step into a new style and the distinct spirit of CCCP; the accordion-based tango backgrounds work excellently, and although the track is not a direct hit, it is catchy, and helps set the mood for the rest of the album. After the tango things unfortunately go downhill: In the Midst of Flaming Ruins / Desire of the Few is the biggest failure on the record and one of the worst songs Ordo have ever made; an attempt to make "songlike" vocals sounds forced and fumbling, and not even a good string melody can save the track. It Was the Day of Lucifer Rising also fails to Convince me, as well as the strongly militaristic For the Good of Humankind, which might have been a very good composition with more powerfully spoken vocals (and maybe on some other album, because here it breaks the thus far coherent atmosphere). The failings end here. In High Heels on Broken Glass in one of the finest Ordo-pieces I have ever heard, easily rising the level of pearls like The Perplexity of Hubris or Thou Cannot Love them All. The stylishly cruel-sounding Serpent Kisses and Serpent Smiles / Inside the Order of Roses and Equilibrium is almost as good (and a track where the much used porn samples work really well). It is followed by one more hit; Mary Dances in the Shadows / The Holiest of Harlots, whose hummed parts are an excellent example of how more melodic singing can successfully be incorporated into Ordo´s music. The closing (before a repetition of the Soviet-anthem, that is) In Slaughter Natives-like Regression and the Return to Paradise Extinct is not a bad song either, but does not fit into the style of the album. This album brings a long sought freshness into the Ordo sound, and a very rich and fine sound world. Unfortunately the whole remains too fragmented to be lifted into a classic on the level of Conquest, Love and Self-Perseverance, but in my opinion CCCP:s very brilliant stronger moments outshine it's failures. John Björkman