Alienus Sum

Make no mistake - the low score is not due to the quality of music. Order from Chaos was one of the strongest black/death bands out there, and the three tracks here are perfect examples of that. And yet, as with the Will to Power EP, Alienus Sum is rendered completely redundant simply because Stillbirth Machine exists.

Alienus Sum was initially self-produced by the band as a promo for their debut LP. It's three tracks straight from Stillbirth Machine. Mind you, these three tracks are perfect examples of Order from Chaos's extreme metal tempest - but also, what's the point in listening to this in particular three decades after release? Not much. And since Alienus Sum was independently dubbed, the tracks are at cassette-fi levels of production that obfuscate the Stillbirth Machine squelch.

Other editions have two additional tracks. "Nuctemeron" is a Sodom cover that you can find on the Plateau of Invincibility EP (again - better recording, better fidelity). "Tenebrae / Draconis" is pretty much identical to the version on Dawn Bringer. Even among re-recordings, you can find a more interesting take on the An Ending in Fire LP, as that one's got some bass-heavy chunkiness in contrast to the obfuscating murk of Dawn Bringer.

So again, Alienus Sum is redundant, and only recommended for completionist collectors. The music is phenomenal, so get it in the context of their parent LPs.