ORANSSI PAZUZU - VÄRÄHTELIJÄ
(February 26th, 2016, Svart Records, 20 Buck Spin)
I love the word "cosmic". It's one of those words. You can feel what it means just by the sound of it. It makes you think of distant stars, vast expanses and dark abysses. When we say that something is "cosmic" it really feels like it's from another world, beyond human understanding. Why am I saying this? Because this is the most appropriate word for Oranssi Pazuzu's music. Cosmic. Beyond human understanding, but still within ear's reach.
Oranssi Pazuzu is a band which clearly engaged in some kind of alien contact with another world from where they got the inspiration to play psychedelic black metal. It may seem like they are from Tampere, Finland, but to be honest, I think their motherland is in some faraway galaxy. They have been on Earth since 2007 and Värähtelija is their fourth long play album. These musicians absolutely found their own niche and are constantly trying to break the genre's, and their own, boundaries. Without any stagnation, ever, since their debut, they are improving their music more and more.
Värahtelijä is reaching far into other dimensions and spaces. With every note on this album they are trying to send you into outer space. And they're doing it with success. The new Oranssi Pazuzu album is a juggernaut of a spaceship which will take you on a mind-expanding cruise through galaxies, nebulas, abysses, wormholes and across mystical dimensions. Stunned by the view, you'll probably forget to buckle yourself up. This interstellar journey puts you in a trancelike reverie for an hour on which you might get sensations of absentness and helplessness. The Oranssi crew is specialized in these kind of trips and they won't try to bring you back anytime soon. Eventually you will return to Earth, but will have a strong desire to do it again...and again...and again...
Värähtelija means "oscillator" in Finnish. I think this is the best word to sum up this album. Regular, deep signals made by a perfect rhythm section upon which other instruments lay layers and layers of these cosmic harmonies. When you press play you can't simply just stop it because you're are just a passenger and these magnificent musicians are the pilots. So the best thing to do is just to give in and let them take you on the ride.
It is really hard do describe what Värähtelijä offers, so I'm sorry for a bit chaotic and disorganized review but it's kind of hard to write when you're traveling through galaxies in warp speed. If you ever wanted to be an astronaut, or you just want to visit the great void that surrounds us and don't have the money for your own private spaceship fortunately here is SS Värähtelijä and it welcomes you aboard!
- Tomek
