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Ortega - Sacred States review



Reviewer:
9.0

39 users:
7.92
Band: Ortega
Album: Sacred States
Release date: October 2016


01. Strong Eye
02. Maelstrom
03. Descending Ladders
04. Crows
05. Void

So after many, many moons Ortega, the band, not the salsa, are finally back with a new full-length. It feels so long I keep mistaking the title of their last proper album, 1634 with the year of release. Ok, it's only been six years, but the band keeps teasing us with eps, singles and splits, oh my.

Is Sacred States worth the wait?

Unequivocally yes.

Ortega are back, doing what they do best. Grinding up a little doom here, post there with a whole lotta sludge and craft songs that gradually build up in tension and intensity, blow up all Krakatoa-like, then re-coalesce. It's an organic feel built on a lot of repetition of a riff or concept, and just slowly adding to it over time.

For example, "Strong Eye" begins with a mid-pace chugga-chugga riff that after a couple minutes in builds up to the point the members are just pummeling their instruments. The EXPLOSION! Isn't just dropping the hammer down and doubling the pace, it's more slow motion riot.

Sacred States might only have five tracks, but they pack in nearly an hour's worth of tunes. The tripped-out "Descending Ladders", at a mere five minutes and change, functions like a nice pivot track separating the first couple and last couple tunes. Three of five clock in around 10 minutes each and the sprawling "Crows", which at almost 19 minutes is worth the band's bandcamp asking price in and of itself.

So how much did the milodon and myself enjoy this album?



Thiiiiisssss muuucccchhh.

Just hoping they don't take six years for their next full-length!


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 9
Originality: 8
Production: 9





Written on 11.10.2016 by BitterCOld has been officially reviewing albums for MetalStorm since 2009.


Comments

Comments: 13   Visited by: 292 users
11.10.2016 - 10:47
Paz
Nuclear Cowboy
Haha, I love the picture
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11.10.2016 - 11:29
Rating: 9
cobrapel
Concept One
i agree
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11.10.2016 - 12:07
Rating: 9
musclassia

I've been waitingg for a full-length from them for a while. 1634 was really good, and then the EPs since have been getting increasingly great - big fan of The Serpent Stirs and Crows (which I see is now on here). Got plenty of other albums I need to check out at the moment but will hopefully find time to catch up on this soon - if the rest of the album is as good as Crows this should be one of the better albums from 2016
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11.10.2016 - 12:31
Abattoir

The picture tells 1000 words

It's been a long time indeed, but as long as they keep their music on the 1634' level I will be satisfied.
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11.10.2016 - 14:13
Susan
Smeghead
I'm still dying from "the band, not the salsa" but the other jokes and the pic were pretty great, too

AND amidst all the funny you managed to convey a strong desire to hear this. I'm ready for some excellent build-ups!
----
"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"
--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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11.10.2016 - 14:37
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Susan on 11.10.2016 at 14:13

I'm still dying from "the band, not the salsa"


Craig's used that as opening of his review of '1634', so a nice reference to the debut that is.
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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11.10.2016 - 15:27
Rating: 9
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 11.10.2016 at 14:37

Written by Susan on 11.10.2016 at 14:13

I'm still dying from "the band, not the salsa"


Craig's used that as opening of his review of '1634', so a nice reference to the debut that is.


and the band posted a link of the review to their facebook page, not only pointing out a favorable opinion of the album but i also noting i provided a recipe for salsa.


Ortega
July 5, 2011 ·
Metal Storm wrote a cool review of 1634: score 9.0! Holy Shit!
http://www.metalstorm.net/pub/review.php?review_id=9337

Comments
Ortega
Ortega Also there's a good basic recipe for salsa in it
July 5, 2011 at 2:48pm · Like



i wanted to go back to that, because that was after the first package of doom Marcel sent me. lots of good stuff in there, including FAAL's ep and others, but 1634 is what really stood out to me.

even the pic is a slight callback. somehow i ended up with it. i only brought two bags of clothes to South America, so not a lot of COld weather stuff... so i've got a lot of mileage out of it. including striking this silly pose at the Cave of the Milodon somewhere in south Chile. was cleaning out some pics on my phone for space while listening to the album, thought it a great graphical representation of my appreciation of Sacred States.
----
get the fuck off my lawn.

Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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12.10.2016 - 00:45
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Someone mentioned to me that Mories and Ethan McCarthy contributed bits to this album. Anyone know on what track(s)?
----
I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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12.10.2016 - 07:31
Rating: 8
ScreamingSteelUS
Editor-in-Chief
This is one of my favorite reviews of the year. I want to meet a milodon.
----
"Earth is small and I hate it" - Lum Invader

I'm the Agent of Steel.
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12.10.2016 - 15:48
Rating: 9
cobrapel
Concept One
Written by Auntie Sahar on 12.10.2016 at 00:45

Someone mentioned to me that Mories and Ethan McCarthy contributed bits to this album. Anyone know on what track(s)?

Mories has contributed in "Void", but don't know the other one.
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12.10.2016 - 22:18
3rdWorld
China was a neat
Nice fun BC review after some time. Not aware of their works, will try to rectify it soon enough. Good work.
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13.10.2016 - 15:30
Rating: 9
InnerSelf
proofread free
This is some Process of Guilt - Erosion level magnificence! You can feel the way they expanded on the debut's sound and added more depth. If it stands the test of time, this might become one of the genre's finest albums!
----
He who is not bold enough
to be stared at from across the abyss
is not bold enough
to stare into it himself.
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15.10.2016 - 07:43
Rating: 9
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Written by InnerSelf on 13.10.2016 at 15:30

This is some Process of Guilt - Erosion level magnificence!


Might be a really good comparison point. Might prefer POG's Erosion a smidge more... but pretty spot on.
----
get the fuck off my lawn.

Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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