“The Order of Chaos” Track List:

1. Get in the Pit
2. Invictus
3. Forever In Hell
4. Hate What You’ve Become
5. Sullen Darkness
6. Neverending
7. Cast In Stone
8. Left In Ruins

Guitarist John Simon Fallon and bassist Sterling Burrows first met up and started jamming together in 2003.

“It’s a very complex story,” Fallon said, when asked how the rest of the Edmonton-based quintet rounded out The Order of Chaos, adding that one of the first gigs they ever played together was with drummer Tim Prevost’s progressive death metal band Quietus.

“Tim arrived at the venue with a bandage around his head, bleeding and using a crutch to walk around and had this strange aura about him. He went on stage and still managed to rip up a powerful set. It was pretty obvious at that moment that Tim would be an asset to any band, and our original drummer had already made it obvious that we should look for a new drummer.”

Fallon and Burrows asked Prevost to join the band, and “after one jam he said he was in.”

But things weren’t working out so well with their original singer, either.

Enter Amanda Kiernan.

“It just so happened that Tim was dating Amanda’s sister at the time. After several months, we fired our original singer. While in the auditioning process, Tim suggested that we audition Amanda, as she was interested in pursuing a spot with the band. We heard her sing “Tornado of Souls” by Megadeth and, despite being barely on the verge of being 18 at the time, we decided that she was the one to front our band,” Fallon recalled.

Now enter John Saturley.

“We had known John from seeing him at various local shows and performing with his band Skepsis. It was quite apparent that he was full of talent.”

Since The Order of Chaos was in the market for a second guitarist, “I asked him personally if he would be interested in joining. There was no audition. I knew he would be the right fit.”

And it’s been the right fit ever since. The band is going strong with shows across the province and their first full-length album fired up for release on June 5.

The self-titled debut is eight tracks of energetic thrashy rock, recorded at Beta Sound Studios in Edmonton by local engineer Kevin Hoskin, and mixed by the one and only Bill Kennedy – the man behind the mixes of Marilyn Manson, Danzig and Monster Magnet.

Why did you choose to go with such a big name when it came to mixing the album?

We first met Bill backstage after our performance at Boonstock ’08. When he introduced himself, I knew who he was right away. We ended up partying with him all day and drunkenly discussing the possibility of recording with him. Obviously, this came to be reality a few months later. He actually co-produced and mixed the album. Tom Baker in Los Angeles [of Precision Mastering] mastered it. But I can’t say enough about Bill. It was an absolute honour to work and drink with him. We chose him for the co-production and mixing because of his credentials. Bands such as Megadeth, Testament, Morbid Angel, and Nine Inch Nails sought his expertise, and having that kind of an asset in our own city and the opportunity to work with him was something we could not overlook.

What – if any – were some of the challenges of working with someone of that calibre, or did you just send him the tracks and have him send them back?

Well, walking past the Megadeth and NIN platinum records on our way into the studio was pretty intimidating at first. But oddly enough, the atmosphere of the studio was so comfortable; it felt no different than any other jam session at our own rehearsal space. Bill and Kevin are very interested in not only producing bands, but also teaching bands how to best improve their music. You can’t get anything by them. If you are playing terrible or are out of tune or ahead of the beat, they will hear it. But other than that fact that they are so down to earth and genuinely kind made it very easy.

Why did you choose to record at the Edmonton-based Beta Sound Studios, aside from it being close to home?

Beta Sound has the unique ability to feel like a jam space while providing an excellent recording environment at the same time. Because of this, it is a very comfortable place to play at the peak of your abilities.

What was it about Kevin Hoskin’s engineering skills that inspired you to bring him on board?

Our friend Evan Murray actually referred us to him. After having a few meetings with Kevin, I felt re-assured that he was the right guy for the job on a personal level. He is a very nice, easy going guy who, at the same time, is not afraid to tell you if you suck. After hearing sound samples of some of the various projects he had worked on – including his own band Portal – it was very obvious that he possessed a high amount of skill in music engineering. As a musician himself, he also possessed insightful advice that helped us solve some issues with respect to certain aspects of the song arrangements. It was these traits that ultimately led us to select him as the engineer for this project.

How did you track the instruments?

We recorded the drums first, then the guitars second. This was the way Kevin and Bill did it. And it makes sense. It’s easier to tune the bass to the existing guitar tracks, and it is easier for the bass to play to the edited drum tracks with the guitar framework in place as a guide.

What kinds of hurdles or challenges did you encounter during the recording process and how did you work through them?

There were slight flaws in guitar arrangements that were limited to dissonant notes here and there so we would have to re-work certain parts on the spot. It was also a challenge to not rush the beat, for myself in particular. The whole recording process is like being under a microscope. Unlike live sound, there is nowhere to hide in the recording studio. There were challenges for everyone, but overall the process went more smoothly than expected.

How long did the entire process take, from pre-production to the final mixing and mastering?

It took us approximately eight months from start to finish, but there was a fair bit of downtime while Kevin was touring with Portal.

A number of bands around the province are starting to take special consideration when it comes to album art. Does yours including anything funky we should know about?

The cover art is a picture John’s dad took of Amanda that has been altered slightly. It was originally a gift for Amanda but as soon as we saw it we all agreed that would be the album cover. [Ed. Note: check out Paul Saturely's work at www.inkriver.com]

Are you planning on taking the album on the road, or do you just have the CD release in Edmonton planned for now?

We are working on a few tentative dates for releases in other locations. Those dates will be available on our website at www.orderofchaos.ca or www.myspace.com/theorderofchaoscanada upon confirmation.

How important do you think it is to go on tour after releasing an album, even if just within the province?

It is very important to tour and play as many shows in as many different demographics as possible. People want to be able to put a face to the music but, more importantly, it is next to impossible to attract new fans without displaying your music in different areas.

Where will the album be available for purchase?

The album will be available at shows, on our website and MySpace, and at various local music stores, like Octopus Ink [in Edmonton].