Finnish band Oranssi Pazuzu have been one of the most impressive in recent memory. Their blend of psychedelia and Post-Black Metal has been a breath of fresh air and with this recently released to bandcamp I was under the impression this was their new album but alas, upon setting out to write this blog I find out its actually their debut which has got to be a sign of strength given that this In no way felt primitive, conceptual or like a band taking their first steps with their sound. "Muukalainen Puhuu" is a fully formed beast of darkness, poised to drag you into the abyss with its eerie, haunting atmosphere fit for the unending shadows lurking deep in the cosmos.
In its metallic element its distortion guitars glide forward with nefarious tremolo picked riffs, shaping up to pack a punch with lively aggressive rhythmic assaults which absorb themselves into the ongoing eeriness, never a frontal force but another elements in the melting pot. Bold pacing baselines shape the tempo as the drums theatrically rattle and cue the shifts in intensity with their loud, peaking cymbals that make quite the thunder. Between it all, lurking mysteriously, organs provide the texture to unsettle and the accommodating synths, distant and inhuman, accenting the darkness like voices of ghosts they whisper their cruelty while in the musics trance. The presence of twisted howling screams and groaning guttural taunts drag the human element in.
The album plays well, shifting intensities, shimmering acoustics lead the mellower moments with a prominent roll in the psychedelic tone. There is a good variety that holds the same distant, spooky and lonely vision of the cosmos. Perhaps intentionally the song "Dub Kuolleen Porton Muistolle" has a Dub baseline prowling throw the song from start to end, one of the albums best with its rich yet strangely relaxing atmosphere. The drumming is a little rough around the edges, perhaps to effect but the cymbals can bring a lot of clatter to the balance, not always to my taste. Its a stunning debut, one that could of passed as their next record, in finding that out though Ive learned they have released another four track EP this year I cant wait to get my hands on.
Favorite Tracks: Dub Kuolleen Porton Muistolle, Kerettilainen Vuohi
Rating: 8/10