Progressive death metal still carries a certain baggage—either a promise of something transcendent or an excuse to disappear into excess. On Blind In Abyssal Realms, Ordh don’t bother arguing with either side. They simply use the label as intended: a license to push outward while keeping one foot planted firmly in the dirt. Today, we’re premiering the full album stream ahead of its April 17 release via Pulverised Records.
Before Ordh, there was Barishi. When that chapter came to a close, guitarist/vocalist Graham Brooks took the opportunity to reset—leaning fully into death metal, but on his own terms. The foundation is unmistakably rooted in the old ways—echoes of Entombed and Demilich linger in the guitar tone and low-end churn—but the structures are far less constrained, stretching across five tracks that refuse to rush toward anything resembling a conventional payoff.
At just over forty-three minutes, Blind In Abyssal Realms plays less like a collection of songs and more like a slow descent. “Apis Bull” still serves as the gateway—its cavernous weight and shifting momentum setting the tone—but what follows expands that palette in unexpected ways. Tracks like “Moon Of Urd” and “Phlegraean Fields” lean further into melody without sacrificing density, while the title track and twelve-minute closer “Hierothesion” feel almost architectural in their design, building and collapsing in cycles rather than moving in straight lines.
There are progressive hallmarks, sure—unusual time signatures, knotty transitions, the occasional flash of technicality—but they’re rarely the point. What lingers instead is the atmosphere. Ordh understand when to let the music breathe, when to hold tension in place, and when to drag the listener back under. It’s death metal that feels expansive rather than suffocating, cosmic rather than purely subterranean.
That balance extends to the performances. Jonathan Hébert (Come to Grief) doesn’t so much “deliver vocals” as summon them, his guttural presence acting as a constant gravitational force beneath Brooks’ spiraling guitar work. Behind them, Dylan Blake and Josh Smith keep the material grounded without ever reducing its sense of scale, locking into grooves that feel deliberate rather than merely technical.
The production follows suit. Tracked largely in-house—with drums recorded at Guilford Sound and mixing handled by Andrew Oswald (Mortiferum)—the album avoids sterility in favor of something more organic and tactile. There’s weight here, but also space; clarity without polish.
Even the name Ordh—an archaic English term for the tip of a spear—feels fitting. Blind In Abyssal Realms doesn’t overwhelm through sheer force. It moves with intent, piercing first, then widening the wound. By the time “Hierothesion” fades, the effect isn’t exhaustion—it’s immersion.
If “Apis Bull” was the invitation, this is the full descent. Listen to Blind In Abyssal Realms in its entirety below.
