[MUSIC REVIEW] Värähtelijä (2016) by Oranssi Pazuzu

"Värähtelijä" is the band's fourth album and their second on the Finnish label Svart Records. The music of Oranssi Pazuzu has evolved from leaning more towards a cacophony of sounds and heavy black metal to its current mix of equal parts psych / krautrock with these genres into a relatively austere witches brew (or maybe I should call it spirit cooking). The lyrics are sung in the mother tongue with guttural and raspy vocals.

The predecessor ”Valonielu” was a most enjoyable trip where both weight and unexpected impulses coexisted in the fertile ground of dark emotions and feverish visions. This is fortunately very much still the case with "Värähtelijä". The album carry us on through the micro or macro cosmos that the band effectively creates using loops and distorted riffs that sometimes builds up and suddenly ends in transitions to new sound universes.

The foundation is often simple with a beat and a riff as a starting point that is duplicated over and over again until it achieves a pattern which then changes color through the melodies and other sounds. Something that resembles watching a kaleidoscope. The bass is prominent both in the rhythm and the melodic work. Sometimes it provides a drone-like sound which reinforces the shamanistic touch. The drumming is distinct and clearly used as a kind of center line of the compositions. The guitars dig out riffs and color with minor's and dissonances through various effects and are together with the vocals the instrument that gives the clearest references to black metal.

Overall, one can say that one of the most prominent powers of Oranssi Pazuzu is the use of a captivating pulse that the different instruments wander in and out of. This is very much how the german Kraut bands (such as Can and Neu!) of the 70's operated. In this way, each track on the album is dynamic and exciting, which is also captured in the best possible way by the completely flawless production. The album sounds amazing and is a joy to listen since the mixing allows everything that happens to be heard proportionally balanced. If you want a good introduction to psychedelic black metal, why not start here? When I make an evaluation of the metal year 2016 in late December, I wouldn't be surprised if this album ends up at the very top.

— SteemSwede

Oranssi Pazuzu  - Lahja (Official Music Video)