Review: “Ordhalia” by 5RAND

Taking their name from a chance encounter with a shaman and a South African 5 Rand coin, as a band Italian Metal act 5Rand symbolizes unexpected paths and transformative experiences. Since their inception in 2015 their music has explored themes of identity, emotional detachment, philosophy and human resilience, all woven together with elements of Melodic Death and Groove Metal. That means you get riffs with a satisfying crunch as well as cinematic atmospheres as demonstrated by their two previous records in 2017’s “Sacred / Scared” and 2019’s “Dark Mother“. Their long awaited third album “Ordhalia” was produced by Marco Mastrobuono (Fleshgod Apocalypse, Hour Of Penance) and mastered by Jens Bogren (Kreator, Opeth, Sepultura) and marks their first with Game Zero bassist Acey Guns in their line up. He is of course joined by the original cast of vocalist Julia Elenoir, guitarist Pierluigi Carocci and drummer Andrea De Carolis…

Acting as palate cleanser for the mind “Lullaby for the Broken” is an introduction piece soaked in almost mournful melancholia with aching piano and drums setting a scene. Its very much a moment of calm before the storm as the urgent and aggressive “Bloodlife” portrays life when anxiety and anguish become constant companions. Elenoir’s vocals are not only savagely brutal but also have an emotive undertone as she roars lines like “I’ve been living a lie!” with venom spitting force. The guitar work from Carocci is razor sharp Death Metal with the exception of the solo which seems to draw inspiration from more Traditional Heavy Metal sonic abrasions. The album title track “Ordhalia” is where the first clean vocals appear, curiously to add a rich backing harmony rather during a bridge before resurfacing for a verse in the final third. They’re in a similar vein to what you might expect from Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil, bordering onsoni operatic with a real warmth despite the melancholic lyrical narrative and the polar opposite of her harsh uncleans as she roars “I hope you die in fire!“. Add to that bursts of blast beats from drummer Andrea De Carolis and you have a powerful statement piece. 

A tale of psychological horror “The Nihilist” features a guest vocal appearance from Milo Silvestro of Fear Factory and has some old school Dino Cazares style riffs punctuated by groove laden moments, all of which makes it a real stand out. You just can’t help bang your head, especially during the moments when Silvestro sounds like Burton C. Bell as his clean parts underpin Elenoir’s throat splitting uncleans which are a lethal dose of Italian hatred during the first verse of “Double Bind“. There are obvious comparisons to Infected Rain with the clean vocal parts and their sonic accompaniments on this one, the brooding atmosphere building as the mid tempo rhythms take hold. Layering has been put to good use so you get the impression of two vocalists when there is one with screams underpinning soaring cleans, the harsh whispered moments sending a chill down the spine. A little Pantera influence may catch you by surprise with some of the riffs of “Turbid“, the track another to impress as the band increase the tempo while maintaining the intensity of their approach. Mosh parts and whammy bar action adds fuel to the fire as does a passage where blast beats are used to escape clean vocals. If you thought that “Ritual of Silence” would be a purely thoughtful, melodic and perhaps introspective cut, guess again because while there are a couple of passages where the clean vocals soar majestically it’s still anvil heavy. Another melodic almost Traditional Heavy Metal orientated solo is also a nice touch as sonically the band capture a wonderful rise and fall between dark brooding atmospheric moments and punchy raw aggression.

The school of 90’s Death Metal is attended with the whirlwinds of percussive battery and riffs in “Lethargy“, the band cleverly bridging that to the sounds of early 2000’s with some Gothic overtones, all the while managing to ensure that the song doesn’t sound dated for even a nano second. Those Gothic moments are spellbinding, the synths and programming adding another dimension while the weighty guitars floor the spaces they leave behind. There is a similar formula at play with “Resurge in Death” except that the guitars are bouncier and accompanied by galloping drums, the decision clearly made to create something of a sing-a-long anthem with mosh parts that covers all bases, which it does extremely well. This time the solo is much more vibrant and virtuoso, owing a debt to the Gothenburg scene before the swagger of the final moments bring down the curtains on another well worked track. For a grand finale, 5Rand bring back some Fear Factory inspired riffs during “Silent Line” without letting go of those majestic melodic moments, pulling the extremes in their sound together with some tight stitching and slick transitions. All in all “Ordhalia” has the power to captivate as well as crush and will have you diving into their discography if you haven’t already [8/10]

Track Listing

1. Lullaby for the Broken
2. Bloodlife
3. Ordhalia
4. The Nihilist (ft. Milo Silvestro of Fear Factory)
5. Double Bind
6. Turbid
7. Ritual of Silence
8. Lethargy
9. Resurge in Death
10. Silent Line

“Ordhalia” by 5Rand is out 28th November 2025 via Art Gates Records