Band:	Oranssi Pazuzu
Album:	Muuntautuja
Style:	Psychedelic black metal
Release date:	October 11, 2024
A review by:	musclassia

01. Bioalkemisti
02. Muuntautuja
03. Voitelu
04. Hautatuuli
05. Valotus
06. Ikikäärme
07. Vierivä Usva

It’s funny to look back at the news from 2019 that Oranssi Pazuzu had joined Nuclear Blast Records, and the concerns that signing to such a label may detrimentally affect the uniqueness of their sound. While the group’s Nuclear Blast releases thus far have represented a clear evolution in style from their earlier efforts, albums such as Mestarin Kynsi and now Muuntautuja are in no way accessibilized, simplified, or in any other way artistically compromised.

The Finns certainly aren’t the most approachable band out there, which is perhaps why their joining such a mainstream metal label raised a few eyebrows; my first attempt to engage with their esoteric, psychedelic take on black metal was a failure, as I initially found 2011’s Kosmonument to be alienating and unapproachable. With time, and increased exposure to unorthodox metal, I began to revise my initial impressions, but it was not until 2016’s Värähtelijä that I became gradually converted into a fan of the group (and associated acts such as Dark Buddha Rising, Atomikylä and Waste Of Space Orchestra). In recent years, black metal has increasingly taken a back seat in their writing, but their output remains just as odd and unpredictable.

Mestarin Kynsi still incorporated elements of black metal, but an increased prominence of space rock, psychedelic rock, and krautrock influences coincided with jammier songwriting and a more leading role for synthesizers, resulting in a trippy, oddball, and yet still intense sound. Muuntautuja continues to de-emphasize black metal, to a point where it’s difficult to refer to much of its contents as having any meaningful connection to the genre, but while it maintains the importance of synths and electronics from its predecessor, it diverges in several other ways. Firstly, with much shorter songs overall (only two run for more than 6 minutes), Muuntautuja feels less jammy and hypnotic.

Despite this, it arguably feels even more esoteric than Mestarin Kynsi; shorter songs certainly does not mean streamlining. Nor does it mean toning down the intensity; on the contrary, Muuntautuja is noisy, abrasive and suffocating at times in a way that the band have not sounded in a while. It’s also rather diverse; there are substantial differences in approach between tracks. That being said, the off-kilter rhythmicity of the disorienting drums and crazed guitars remains a key feature in their music, as are the rasping blackened vocals. Opening track “Bioalkemisti” kicks off with a sound rooted in krautrock, but the drums and guitars become increasingly hectic as the song progresses, and eventually ominous low-pitched chants and eerie cleans enter the fray alongside the distorted shrieks.

The title track is initially calmer and more measured, with a steady drum rhythm, whispered vocals and quirky repeated electronic motifs; however, while it takes a while to translate into distorted frenzy, there is a measure of unease to the gradually layered synth and guitar arrangements, hinting at an outburst of aggression that is jaunty and dizzying when it arrives. “Hautatuuli” follows a similar trajectory, albeit with a baseline sound that feels to some degree indebted to trip-hop, and which ultimately climaxes not with insane drum rhythms, but with dramatic, insidious synth blasts.

In contrast to those songs, “Voitelu” and “Valotus” move more swiftly into hectic and distorted soundscapes. The former has vocal effects and noise that, in combination with the underlying complex rhythm, almost feels like being spoken to by disturbing voices in your head, and the brutish guitar distortion in the latter stages is vicious and gnarly. “Valotus” is perhaps the most abrasive and malevolent track on the album, quickly turning into a whirlwind of madness; there’s some brief keyboard-laden respite near the end, before everything comes back in as a wall of noisy, industrial distortion. While the connections to black metal are now minimal, the output is just as sonically extreme in moments such as this.

One of the standout features of Mestarin Kynsi, for me, was some of the more melodic synth work, particularly thinking of a track like “Kuulen Ääniä Maan Alta”. There’s brief dalliances with similar vibes on both “Voitelu” and “Valotus”, but Oranssi Pazuzu never really go to the same lengths on this album, not even during “Ikikäärme”, the record’s 10-minute climax. There’s creepy piano during the opening minutes of the song that give a bit of a twisted jazz vibe in tandem with the drumwork, but the song is generally understated and focused on the overarching atmosphere, at least until the midway mark when they bring back the aggression one more time. A final way in which Muuntautuja differs from its predecessor is in how it ends; while the closing song of Mestarin Kynsi was a ballistic, relentless homage to the band’s black metal roots, “Vierivä Usva” is a mostly ambient piece that gives Muuntautuja a rather understated denouement.

Oranssi Pazuzu continue to be bold and bizarre in a way that is challenging but rewarding. I personally find that this album lacks a little bit of the charm of Mestarin Kynsi, and sacrifices a bit in the way of memorability in favour of twisted harshness, but while it won’t be my new favourite album by the group, Muuntautuja is a worthy new addition to a unique and intimidating discography.