MUUNTAUTUJA

Following the trajectory of the Finnish psychedelic black metal band ORANSSI PAZUZU is like experiencing an Earth based band fall into a wormhole and accidentally tagging along for the ride. While starting out as a somewhat recognizable black metal band all the way back in 2009 with its debut "Muukalainen Puhuu," ORANSSI PAZUZU incrementally left the gravitational pull of our host planet and has taken a bonafide space journey into a world of its own making. This eclectic quintet has returned after a four year hiatus with its latest effort MUUNTAUTUJA which translates into something like "Transformative" or "Shapeshifter" which is exactly what this idiosyncratic and eccentric band has clearly become.

MUUNTAUTUJA marks another step beyond the once established parameters of black metal and takes the band into a bizarre web of neo-psychedelia that finds electronic influences taking a much larger role in crafting strange futuristic soundscapes that offer wild otherworldly spaced out effects. While the black metal hasn't been totally usurped by gurgling synthesizers, trip hop based beats and ominous industrial sounds, any traces of Scandinavian kvlt majesty have been set way down in the mix as to leave only distorted guitar distortion rumblings and the band's classic raspy vocal style as a beacon of light that points to its origins. Something like a modern day Ulver that never jettisoned the black metal furor, ORANSSI PAZUZU has reached the middle of its wormhole journey with one of its strangest albums yet.

One of the most inventive black metal bands to have emerged in the 21st century, ORANSSI PAZUZU set off like a voyage on the Star Trek Voyager and has crafted a truly unique sound that never remains stationary from album to album. While the earlier albums showcased a post-metal-like procession with cyclical riffs that slowly ratcheted up to crescendoing uproar, the band has always teased in psychedelic embellishments that have indubitably initiated a completely new genre called space metal. By the time the band got to "Mestarin Kynsi" it was apparent that these Finns were heading to the stars without looking back and boldly going where no black metal band has gone before. And the best thing of all is that these talented musicians actually created interesting song structures that made you want to tune in rather than send them off on their mission.

This band has always reveled in juxtaposing the most polarized opposite musical genres together and making strange bedfellows sound like a predestined fit. MUUNTAUTUJA only ups the ante as it takes you on a transcendental musical excursion into an alternate universe where Blut Aus Nord and Portishead commingle in darkened corners with Death Grips and Philip Glass with a touch of Massive Attack, Ministry and Mad Capsule Markets. From the very first oscillating tones of "Bioalkemisti" it's clear that MUUNTAUTUJA is a completely different beast than what came before and another incremental leap down the avant-garde rabbit hole with surreal musical motifs that shapeshift from one track to the next that sample from a cauldron where the disparate worlds of progressive rock, black metal, trip hop, 20th century classical and industrial rock have been simmering in an undisclosed locus in the midst of the vast Finnish forests.

Along with Dodheimsgard, Ulver, Ved Buens Ende and Ram-Zet, ORANSSI PAZUZU has become one of Scandinavia's most forward thinking bands and with the closing "Vierivä usva" totally drifting off into space and leaving the metal mojo behind one can't help but wonder if this band is going to pull an Ulver on us and completely jump into the world of avant-garde electronica. Wherever this inventive band leads many of us avant-metal nerds will surely follow as it is virtually guaranteed that this band will take you somewhere you never knew existed. While i personally found the previous album to be more of my liking, this one is definitely a wild ride into the world of cosmos metal that will leave you gasping for air as you drift beyond the limits our Earthly realms.

Black metal is one of relatively few styles of metal that seems to mesh well with psychedelia. (Or maybe only black metal acts are disproportionately willing to dabble in it.) It makes sense how one can make that leap, since classic psych often was categorized as such primarily on its instrumental tones, and black metal often focuses on having an atmosphere that ebbs and flows fluidly with searing tremolo picking and expansive walls of guitar. Just take a look at Sigh, Hail Spirit Noir, or these guys, Finnish five-piece Oranssi Pazuzu.

Their last release, 2020's Mestarin kynsi, was a really solid release that I enjoyed a lot. Its hazy, swirling atmosphere made it a prime candidate for repeated listens, as something new always emerges from the sonic slurry. Muuntautuja sees Oranssi Pazuzu push some new boundaries, incorporating synthesizers and electronic elements to a significant degree.

Plinking synthesizers open up "Bioalkemisti", which almost feels like icy new wave and black metal had some kind of crazy love child. The rhythm is taut and straightforward, and a big synth line is the focus here, at least during the verses. The vocals are practically gurgled, and they lend the whole affair a nearly ritualistic feel.

The title track comes next, and looping synths bring some industrial flavors to the table. The vocals are processed and synthesized, and the band does an amazing job of keeping things unsettling and making the listener feel on-edge. In contrast, "Voitelu" is a raucous, pounding cut. It utilizes the preceding songs' heavy synth tones, but this clearly has much more metal DNA. Piano does a wonderful job at cutting through the thick and mucky distortion with a sharp and glimmering sound. By this song's conclusion, it's a nearly-overwhelming wall of distortion and noise that swallows up everything else.

"Hautatuuli" almost sounds like a trip-hop cut in its opening moments. A laid-back drumbeat and lightly-detuned guitars make for a low-key, if slightly anxiety-inducing, atmosphere. Things grow more oppressive across this song's runtime as more synths swell up. This piece, like many others on the album, is focused on finding a core groove and then building off of that foundation.

Following the sub-one-minute interlude "●" (I honestly don't know why it's a separate song and not just part of the intro of what follows), "Valotus" is a lurching, sludgy maelstrom. The rhythms are swirling and disorienting, and the harsher, industrial-style synths integrate into Oranssi Pazuzu's sound perfectly. Embellishments of piano help to break things up, alleviating any potential fatigue from the nonstop auditory onslaught. This song's climax, though, is the noisiest, most cacophonous passage yet on the album.

"Ikikäärme" gives us something of a reprieve, with delicate piano and a froggy, throbbing synthesizer in its opening. The drumming again lends this something of a trip-hop feel. This song's uneasy mood makes it sound like the soundtrack to a tense, artsy film. As this piece progresses, though, more metal sneaks its way in until it finally erupts into a crashing tsunami of distorted bass, screeched vocals, and thumping percussion.

Muuntautuja closes on "Vierivä usva". The focus here is once more on atmosphere, with distorted bass echoing and fluid synthesizer tones sliding around. It's a fitting conclusion.

Oranssi Pazuzu have knocked it out of the park again on their new album. In addition to their usual base (insofar as they even have a "usual") of psychedelic black metal, they blended in elements of industrial and trip-hop. It makes for an intoxicating blend of blistering aggression and subdued anxiety. If you're looking for something moody, exciting, and unique, this is an excellent choice.

Review originally published here: theeliteextremophile.com/2024/11/11/album-review-oranssi-pazuzu-muuntautuja/