Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin kynsi
Release date: 17/4/2020
Label: Nuclear Blast
By: J.C.L.
When I first stumbled upon Oranssi Pazuzu back in 2016 with their album Värähtelijä, I might have started off dismissing the album, without really going deeper than a few minutes. And for at least a solid year I didn't come back to it, it's lanky-haired cover-art teasing me in my recommendations throughout that time. Finally I caved in, sat down one night and gave it a listen from start to finish..
69 minutes later I emerged a changed man, complete with a new unworldly experience, almost lacking the human words for which to describe what I've listened to. One thing was for sure; I was hooked. It's therefore fair to say that I'm a late arrival to the world of these Finns, but has since been a firm devoted convert to their music, even giving their collaborative work Waste of Space Orchestra a good listen. Now it's 2020, and I have listened to their newest full-length offering, Mestarin kynsi... "The masters fingernails"
The album starts off with opening track "Ilmestys", which appropriately translates as "Revelation", opens much the same way as the opening track on the previous album, with a guitar playing two notes. Unlike "Saturaatio", this tracks stays with this pattern almost throughout the rest of the song, joined by multiple layers of effects and electronics, before finally crescendoing into the final 2 minutes of the song where drums and bass finally joins and releases the spell of the hypnotic beats. Not quite the continuous developing and ever expanding "Saturaatio", but still fine for setting the mood for this album.
As the album moves along, we get some of the great soundscaping that we've come to know the band for, and also some of the newer elements like a more Rock-oriented sound. The third track, Uusi Teknokratia, which was also released as single, is an introspect into what Oranssi Pazuzu really wants to do and tell with this album. I feel like this is the central track, the glue, holding this album together. There is a break 4 minutes into the song, after which the song almost has a complete change of heart, and decides to approach symphonic black metal-territory in the vein of bands like Vesania. I can't really complain about this, and it feels like a natural development by this point. Following track "Oikeamielisten sali" continues this same path of starting as a rock song, and developing into something different by the end.
Oranssi Pazuzu
The instruments are indeed very well balanced and mixed. Everything is clearly audible and not too over-represented. One thing that is more clear here than on previous releases is more focus on electronic elements, which has been given a more central spot in the soundscape. I suppose the fact that the band has been signed on by Nuclear Blast has also helped in terms of production quality, which is polished to a fine finish.
I cannot help comparing this album to it's predecessor. While Värähtelijä felt more complete and whole from start to finish, Mestarin kynsi seems more disheveled and unfocused. Hypnotic and groovy tracks like "Ilmestys" and "Kuulen ääniä maan alta" work extremely well on their own, but seems wrongly thrown in here along with the rest of the more straight rock-focused tracks. Thankfully they serve as some good breaks from the form, especially the latter is a pumping track that could easily have been the soundtrack to a night of heavy Mescaline-binging. Good for the band to provide this break before the final track "Taivaan portti". There is a fine border between hypnotizing and engaging repetitiveness and bland, boring repetitiveness, and "Taivaan portti" is firmly the latter, easily the most boring and forgettable track on this album. I tried skipping through this track and felt like I got back to the same place I started, with little to no development between these points.
Overall, I may have expected a more coherent effort. Then again, coming from one of the most acclaimed metal releases of 2016, and having to make a successor is a hard job, and Oranssi Pazuzu has done the best they could with as little compromise as possible. Mestarin kynsi is not their finest work, but a solid addition to their discography.
I give this album
Out of 6
Favorite tracks: Ilmestys, Uusi teknokratia, Kuulen ääniä maan alta
Tracklist:
1: Ilmestys
2: Tyhjyyden sakramentti
3: Uusi teknokratia
4: Oikeamielisten sali
5: Kuulen ääniä maan alta
6: Taivaan portti
Oranssi Pazuzu links:
Homepage:
https://oranssipazuzu.site/
Bandcamp:
https://oranssipazuzu.bandcamp.com/
Facebook:
Kommentarer
Send en kommentar