Oranssi Pazuzu - Kosmonument - guest review
Oranssi Pazuzu - Kosmonument - guest review
Tracklist
01. Sienipilvi [feat. Marko Neuman]02. Komeetta
03. Uusi Olento Nousee [feat. Marko Neuman]
04. Luhistuva Aikahäkki
05. Maavaltimo
06. Siirtorata 100 10100
07. Andromeda
08. Loputon Tuntematon
09. Kaaos Hallitsee
10. ∞
Guest review by
Auntie Sahar January 24, 2012
Perhaps the most enjoyable feature of this album is how beautifully and seamlessly everything manages to come together. Like with a good curry recipe, on Kosmonument, Oranssi Pazuzu demonstrate a mature knowledge of how to best combine the ingredients of their formula into a truly unique result. For example, on "Maavaltimo," the band begins with a heavy guitar riff, which the typical black metal shrieks soon come in over. This is soon augmented by the use of keyboards, and continues until about three minutes in, when after a brief pause, we hear a groovy, almost funk-oriented rhythm between the guitar and bass, over which an eerie, spine-tingling keyboard rhythm is played. The same can be said of "Komeetta," where, before the chorus where the title of the track is shrieked, the guitar and bass enter into a similar "funkish" groove, where (is it possible?) the bass is actually very audible! This can be seen as something of an innovation, since there aren't many black metal bands (to the best of my knowledge) whose bassists aren't simply smothered in the mix.
Then there are the instrumentals ("Luhistuva Aikahäkki," "Siirtorata 100 10100," and "∞"). As much as Kosmonument is an album that should be taken in its entirety, I must say that these are, in a way, the tracks that stand out the most. The atmosphere they create is one of mystery, almost to a point of being a bit scary, but scary in a sense of unknown, a sense of something existing beyond our knowledge, that we both fear and revere. Like wandering through a dark cave, you feel a bit uncomfortable, and yet you want to know more, to press on, simply because you can't help the fact that the music has piqued an inherent curiosity within you.
Kosmonument is an absolutely stunning release, and is easily one of the most boldly experimental albums of 2011. But the experimentation Oranssi Pazuzu dabble with here is a success. This isn't like some thrash band whose been playing fast-paced aggressive music for years deciding to move towards a more mainstream sound. Nor is it like a sugar-coated pop metal band deciding to man up and play some faster, more ball-crushing metal either. This is a band that is daring enough to try something new and original, and whose composers are mature enough to know how to effectively put all the elements together to make it happen. During the Cold War, Winston Churchill said that the USSR was "a riddle, inside a mystery, wrapped in an enigma." The same can be said of Kosmonument. Attempting to analyze it is a matter best left for after you listen to it. This album is a unique jewel, but one that will only bestow its beauty upon those willing to see it. So if you're armed with an open mind, and an eagerness to hear some truly out-of-the-box material, then I highly recommend you give the surreal majesty of Kosmonument a listen.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 10 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written by Auntie Sahar | January 24, 2012
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Rating:
8.6
8.6
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Rating:
8.6 |
Oranssi Pazuzu's debut work - Muukalainen Puhuu - appeared like a vibrating constellation of paranormal activities in the northern sky. All of a sudden a cosmic assault of psychedelic and obscure black metal soundscapes started flickering and dispersing their otherworldly essence all over the place. It's nothing new anymore that the demons have invaded space and conquered it. That's what Oranssi Pazuzu's first attempt was; what their second album - Kosmonument - pushes for has to be the establishment and colonization of the previous effort's legacy. Read more ›› |
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Posts: 5989 Written by [user id=159927] on 06.01.2017 at 00:30 Yes, fair point, I can understand them getting that label though. Some of their guitar work is indeed quite Floyd-y actually, I'd say, especially on Vertebrae. And thanks for the feedback man, I've been a bit surprised this one hasn't gotten any for a while myself 
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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Account deleted Written by Auntie Sahar on 06.01.2017 at 00:41 I could see it on Vertebrae actually. When I think Enslaved I think Isa because it is my favorite from them, but I don't hear a lot of Pink Floyd on that one. Then again I haven't heard anything by Enslaved in a long time
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