by Niklas Göransson

The Dawn Bringer emerges from the Plateau of Invincibility, heralding Order from Chaos’ preordained swansong. With An Ending in Fire, they brought self-imposed closure to their chapter in death metal history.

 

CHUCK KELLER: After “Stillbirth Machine”, the mood within ORDER FROM CHAOS was awesome. All of us were hungry and hell-bent on proving that we could do even better. Band morale felt great, with everyone involved firing on all cylinders. I look back on it as an amazing time, and we captured that atmosphere in “Plateau of Invincibility”.

In June 1993, ORDER FROM CHAOS recorded a mini-LP called “Plateau of Invincibility” at Reichstag Studio, located in the basement of NEPENTHE drummer Chris Overton’s house. In addition to the title track, it consists of two VENOM covers and SODOM’s “Nuctemeron”.

Rather than the twenty-four-channel setup at The Sound Factory – where ORDER FROM CHAOS recorded their debut album, “Stillbirth Machine” – the band now had to make do with only eight. Mike Miller’s drums and Pete Helmkamp’s bass parts were tracked simultaneously, in single takes.

For the first time, the production was handled almost entirely without outside assistance – the lone exception being BATHORY’s Quorthon, who taught Chuck how to bounce multiple audio tracks into one.

CHUCK: Quorthon explained to me, ‘Yeah, this is how I recorded at Heaven Shore Studio back in the 1980s’, and I was like, ‘Wait a minute, that makes sense.’ So, I started figuring out how to bounce down tracks. We thought, ‘If BATHORY used the method, it should work for us too.’

 

The title “Plateau of Invincibility” perfectly captures that triumphant vibe I associate with ORDER FROM CHAOS; ‘elitism’ in the sense of disciplined self-improvement. This is a core tenet of the band’s philosophy, explored in-depth throughout their “Conqueror of Fear” song cycle.

CHUCK: “Conqueror of Fear” is about personal turmoil, an inner struggle that you can project outward. The song “Stillbirth Machine” declares that there’s an issue, and “Plateau of Invincibility” is the conclusion. So, there’s the realisation, the formulation, the struggle, and then an ascension to the plateau of invincibility. Just like in everybody’s life, there are multiple phases of realisation. Sometimes hard-fought – other times, you figure it out quickly.

Were these matters discussed within the band?

CHUCK: Sure. I mean, everybody feels the way we did; there’s nothing unusual about trying to find your place in the world. It was a way for Pete to exorcise… I don’t wanna call them ‘demons’, but certainly to work out certain things that he – as the rest of us – had been contemplating. And I mean, there’s no better lyric writer in the world than that guy.

 

“Dawn Bringer”, recorded in December 1993, is a splendid example of the ORDER FROM CHAOS tradition of returning to and evolving their early material.

The song “Tenebrae” originated as “Apocalyptic Visions” on the second demo, “Inhumanities”. “Crimes Against the State” from “Crushed Infamy” became “Labyrinthine Whispers”. “Megalomania”, initially found on the “Will to Power” EP, was reworked into “Ophiuchus Rex”.

CHUCK: “Dawn Bringer” gets promoted as an album but is essentially a glorified EP. It’s one of those things you just kind of spit out – like VOIVOD’s “Rrröööaaarrr”, which was originally just a demo that Noise Records then offered to release. We saw “Dawn Bringer” as a way to build further on what we’d done with “Plateau of Invincibility”.

The opener, “Labyrinthine Whispers”, merges death metal, spoken-word passages, and some bizarre intro-type sounds. It’s a pretty demented idea that works surprisingly well, especially considering the primitive recording setup.

CHUCK: I don’t recall who suggested it, but everyone contributed. We recorded some background noises, such as me detuning a guitar and making fire sounds. Mike brought several ideas – he’s a big RUSH freak, and they’ve done similar stuff, such as pulling in bits of old songs and fading ‘em in and out.

 

The “Dawn Bringer” cover artwork depicts the constantly evolving visual representation of “Conqueror of Fear”. First appearing on “Inhumanities” as a crude iteration of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Vitruvian Man, it expanded to also include details such as the head of Horus, symbolising enlightenment and overcoming fear.

CHUCK: Pete started working on that symbol in ‘88, and it underwent various phases as he ornamented it with aspects of the lyrics. “Dawn Bringer” has the final version, which incorporates the head of Horus and the four-tiered earth, as referenced in “Tenebrae / The Sign Draconis”.

Horus ablaze against a setting of Fear
Kingly halo (four-tiered earth) at his feet
Sapient Eye illuminates the fleeting staircase
Ascent of deliverance – Invincibility

 

CHUCK: I contributed the runes – being way into Wagner, the Norse symbology reminded me of the Valkyries when they ride down to do their bullshit. It was just a way of encapsulating everything O.F.C. stood for.

 

In support of “Plateau of Invincibility”, ORDER FROM CHAOS organised a March 1994 tour of the East Coast.

Once it became clear that the new mini-LP would be heavily delayed, the band printed an EP, “Jericho Trumpet”, and released it on their own label, Gestapo Records. The seven-inch contained a live recording of “Webs of Perdition” and a VOIVOD cover: “War and Pain”.

CHUCK: I don’t know how common that approach was, but we took a page from VENOM and their “Assault” series. That’s why the back of that EP is a view from the stage towards the audience. We stole that idea from… “Canadian Assault”, I believe.

Come March, ORDER FROM CHAOS rented a moving truck, fitted it with couch cushions and other conveniences from the Roadhouse, and headed east.

CHUCK: We brought Doug and Alex with us, plus a friend of ours from Omaha called Susie. And then two chicks; I think Mike was dating one of them… or perhaps both? I don’t recall. Now, when we speak of couch cushions, one thing we’re not mentioning is years’ worth of ingrained cat piss. With a bunch of guys and girls acting stupid, those cushions eventually got wet – which made the entire vehicle reek of urine.

Travelling in the back of one of those trucks sounds like a death trap.

CHUCK: Indeed. I remember driving to the show in Manassas, and we had to go through the Washington DC beltway during rush hour. Mike kept slamming the brakes, so everything – all the gear and all of us – would go flying to the front. It was like… yeah, the kind of thing I don’t ever want my kids doing.

 

In August 1994, ORDER FROM CHAOS performed at Deathstock Festival in New York City. In an interview with US fanzine Children of Caine the following year, Pete referred to this as the best-ever O.F.C. gig.

CHUCK: Yeah, easily. Until that point, Fort Wayne had probably hosted the most violent show we’d ever played, but Deathstock was on another level. However, what I remember the most vividly is the intended headliners, BOLT THROWER, breaking up three days before, so we were all massively disappointed.

That August, Dutch label Shivadarshana Records released “Plateau of Invincibility” on both CD and vinyl, with an EP limitation of 1,500 copies. The decision to use the antiquated ten-inch format was influenced by a desire to do something original and expand the packaging quality.

The same month, during a sweltering heatwave, ORDER FROM CHAOS tracked “Live: Into Distant Fears” – an EP with live recordings of the songs “Stillbirth Machine” and “Plateau of Invincibility”.

CHUCK: That is one of my favourite O.F.C. recordings because it’s just armageddon on tape. Everything was done in Chris’s basement using the same eight-track recorder as usual. We just set up microphones, did some sound tests, and went for it – played the songs a couple of times and then picked our favourite version. Two of the other tracks ended up as bonus content on “Dawn Bringer”.

 

ORDER FROM CHAOS initially intended for “Dawn Bringer” to be a twelve-inch mini-LP. However, their label insisted on additional material, incorporating the unreleased “Pain Lengthens Time” EP – recorded simultaneously to “Live: Into Distant Fears” – and “War and Pain” from “Jericho Trumpet” while reducing the format to CD-only.

Shivadarshana Records released “Dawn Bringer” – marketed as the second O.F.C. album – in early 1995. With two full-lengths to their name, the band began working on “An Ending in Fire”.

CHUCK: Pete and I were talking, and he asked, ‘Hey, what’s your plan?’ I responded, ‘The same as always: we’ll do this third and final album and then call it quits.’ He said, ‘Okay, sounds good to me.’ But when we mentioned it to Mike, he got really mad.

Didn’t he remember the initial conversation?

CHUCK: No, and if you’d forgotten about such a discussion from seven years earlier, I can see how it might seem as if we’d just decided it. Even though that wasn’t the case, Mike was upset and barely spoke to me for about a month. And I don’t hold it against him one bit because this was during a time when O.F.C. did all right.

The recording sessions for “An Ending in Fire” began in early 1995. Once again, the drums and bass were tracked in single takes, followed by extensive experimentation in search of the perfect guitar tone.

“An Ending in Fire” comprises three extended tracks, two of which are divided into multiple movements. The nearly twelve-minute Wagnerian epic “There Lies Your Lord, Father of Victories” stands as a singular piece. The three-part suite “Somnium Helios” features an updated version of “Nucleosynthesis”, seamlessly connected to the title track through an interlude titled “De Stella Nova”.

Finally, the complete “Conqueror of Fear” collection includes “Dawn Bringer Invictus”, “Tenebrae”, “The Sign Draconis”, and “Plateau of Invincibility”. The cycle concludes with the instrumental “Angry Red Planet”, which incorporates a leitmotif inspired by renowned English composer Gustav Holst.

CHUCK: Leading up to “Twilight of the Gods”, Quorthon told me, ‘I’m gonna use some of Gustav Holst’s work in a BATHORY song. My blood froze because I was working on “Angry Red Planet”, which ends with the cadence from “Mars, Bringer of War”. I thought, ‘Shit! He’s gonna get there before I do.’ I confronted him, ‘You’re not using “Mars…”, are you?’ He said, ‘No, it’s something else. You’re gonna have to wait until the album comes out.’

 

“An Ending in Fire” was designed to be the ultimate ORDER FROM CHAOS statement, encapsulating all their philosophical and musical ideas. Chuck has described the writing and recording process as ‘extremely exhausting’. What I find intriguing is how he managed to keep grinding for months on end, knowing that the band would dissolve upon completion.

CHUCK: I’m just one of those guys who when I say I’m gonna do something, I do it. Music is really, really important to me. And I felt ORDER FROM CHAOS deserved to be finished properly, fully, and to the best of our abilities. So, there were never any doubts because this is what everything had been building up to.

The last public ORDER FROM CHAOS show took place in February 1995. Two months later, they held a final open rehearsal at the Roadhouse. The ultimate Friday Night Witching Hour was attended by their closest friends, some of whom travelled from out of town.

CHUCK: The mood was festive, all about celebrating insanity. For our guests, it felt like just another Witching Hour. Despite being presented as the final rehearsal, no one but me truly believed the end was near. We hadn’t even finished mixing “An Ending in Fire” yet – I spent an eternity perfecting the guitar tone, driving everyone nuts – which probably gave some people hope. I don’t think anyone fully realised until I started hauling out my gear later that night.

 

The recording, production, mixdown, and mastering of “An Ending in Fire” culminated in a mid-June completion, followed by the unceremonious disbandment of ORDER FROM CHAOS.

Worth noting is that Shivadarshana Records had ceased operations. Considering Chuck’s lifelong interest in military strategy, I’m somewhat baffled that he didn’t think to hold off on the death notice until after they found a label to release the album.

CHUCK: No, it had to be done. At that point, relations between the members were quite strained, which made it easier for me to say, ‘Okay, I’m moving on.’ But I felt like everyone was on civil enough ground to agree on an eventual label collaboration.

Did you think you’d work with either of them again?

CHUCK:  Oh, for sure. Actually, the initial plan was, ‘Let’s break up for a year, and then regroup and continue onto something else.’ But it didn’t quite pan out that way because… I mean, we were just kids, so whatever.

In a 2012 interview with Dead Void Dream, Alex Blume stated that the dissolution of O.F.C. led to a split among their group of friends. He was kicked out of NEPENTHE, which broke up shortly after.

CHUCK: A shame, but I knew the time had come. And not because of some farsighted ability or vision; it was just like, ‘This has to be over.’ It wasn’t healthy for any of us.

 

In June 1995, the same month ORDER FROM CHAOS officially ended, former IMPIETY guitarist Gene Palubicki relocated to Kansas City. Planning a band collaboration with Pete Helmkamp, Gene moved into the Roadhouse.

CHUCK: Our paths didn’t really cross. I did go back to collect some gear I’d left behind, buried in a corner. Because, I mean, that house was a disaster anyway <laughs>. I went over, and everyone acted perfectly civil. By then, all of us felt confident in what we were doing.