Oranssi Pazuzu is a five piece band from Finland, consisting of Korjak on drums, Moit on guitars, Evil on keyboards and percussion, Ontto on bass, and Jun-His on vocals and guitars. The band name means orange Babylonian demon, the same one that gets a mention in The Exorcist. They have been active since 2007, and have released three previous full-length albums between 2009 and 2013. Värähtelijä is the follow-up to the well-received Valonielu, and is released on Svart Records.

This band is described as hypnotic progressive psychedelia, which in all honesty is pretty accurate. The blurb says that the songs "explode with radiant ultraviolet colour and plunge into the deep black darkness of innermost consciousness." This, of course, is a load of pretentious nonsense. But it is weird. Modern psychedelia is something you don’t hear too much of. We’re not talking about Pictures of Matchstick Men and The Gnome here, but rather the type of thing you might have heard if you were around in the mid- to late-sixties and frequenting the UFO Club for all-night acid affairs. In fact, I believe there is an attempt to emulate some aspects of early Pink Floyd here; certainly there are references.

Added to this freestyle psychedelia is Black Metal-style growled vocals, which is a strange combination to say the least. Now, I’m all for pushing the Rock and Metal boundaries; being bold and trying something new. However, they hover in the background and remain the same dull monotones throughout. They could be singing, "When will this song ever end?" which brings me to the first track. Does 'Saturaatio' mean Saturation? If so, it definitely achieves that. The tune repeats a simple riff ad infinitum, so by the end of twelve minutes (yes, twelve!) I was ready to shoot myself in the head to make it stop! The CD might only have seven tracks, but that equates to over 70 minutes of music. Too much? I would say so, yes.

I didn’t really hear much of interest to me until tracks five and six. 'Hynotisoitu Viharukous' has some real meat on the bones. It’s like a strange up tempo Metal song, and so the vocals fit a little more naturally, and there is a hook which, rather than being repeated, is returned to and so keeps the piece together pretty well. This is undoubtedly the standout song for me. 'Vasemman Kaden Hierarkia' begins with a couple of chords straight out of the opening of 'Arnold Layne', but then quickly settles into what seems to be an alternative take on 'Set the Controls For the Heart of the Sun'. In fairness, this is quite listenable. The final two songs revert to the meandering noise of the first.

This is an experience which will work in the right environment at claustrophobic little clubs, but as an album played purely for private pleasure, it is surely less than effective.

3

Ty Power