black metal / avant garde / psych
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The last music I heard on Monday was the psychedelic black metal of Oranssi Pazuzu. The first music I listened to on Tuesday was Pergalé, an odd musical phenomenon from Lithuania. In a way, that playing order felt quite natural since both bands seem to have a lot in common. Initially, both bands can be seen as black metal bands but both turn the genre into something refreshing, renewing and original.
Pergalé consists of a variety of members from Lithuanian bands. So perhaps that's why so many influences have been thrown into this album. In six tracks, this act blends black metal with gothic rock, jazz, psychedelic (or psychotic) rock and experimental avant-garde music. Hell, the album opens with a psychobilly track, 'A Boy's Night Out', which gradually turns into "blackabilly". When you hear it, you'll know what I mean.
'Estonian Lesbians' is a gritty gothic rock song, obviously a bit blackened at times. It reminds me of acts like the Vision Bleak, Moonspell or perhaps Trail Of Tears. This might be one of my favorites on this album. Or how about 'Durnius'? Imagine The Virgin Prunes experimenting with depressive black metal and jazz and you might get somewhere close to what this song sounds like. It sounds awesome by the way.
But it gets even weirder. 'Viskis II' could have been an Anathema song. with Lithuanian (I think) narrative lyrics over atmospheric and calm rock music. On 'Les Yeux Rouge' things go heavy again, back into the gothic rock of Moonspell, much to my delight actually. It also has a brilliant twist, but you'll have to find that out for yourself. I'm going to end this review by mentioning the awesome closing track, the blackened gothrocker 'Gabriel The Norwegian', the grand finale so to speak.
And by recommending this great album to anyone who likes his metal to be original, melodic and harsh. This album is definitely refreshing, shining new lights on the otherwise headstrong black metal scene. I'm not sure if a tour will follow, but I certainly hope so and I hope they will play in a venue near my place soon.
Serge
Pergalé consists of a variety of members from Lithuanian bands. So perhaps that's why so many influences have been thrown into this album. In six tracks, this act blends black metal with gothic rock, jazz, psychedelic (or psychotic) rock and experimental avant-garde music. Hell, the album opens with a psychobilly track, 'A Boy's Night Out', which gradually turns into "blackabilly". When you hear it, you'll know what I mean.
'Estonian Lesbians' is a gritty gothic rock song, obviously a bit blackened at times. It reminds me of acts like the Vision Bleak, Moonspell or perhaps Trail Of Tears. This might be one of my favorites on this album. Or how about 'Durnius'? Imagine The Virgin Prunes experimenting with depressive black metal and jazz and you might get somewhere close to what this song sounds like. It sounds awesome by the way.
But it gets even weirder. 'Viskis II' could have been an Anathema song. with Lithuanian (I think) narrative lyrics over atmospheric and calm rock music. On 'Les Yeux Rouge' things go heavy again, back into the gothic rock of Moonspell, much to my delight actually. It also has a brilliant twist, but you'll have to find that out for yourself. I'm going to end this review by mentioning the awesome closing track, the blackened gothrocker 'Gabriel The Norwegian', the grand finale so to speak.
And by recommending this great album to anyone who likes his metal to be original, melodic and harsh. This album is definitely refreshing, shining new lights on the otherwise headstrong black metal scene. I'm not sure if a tour will follow, but I certainly hope so and I hope they will play in a venue near my place soon.
Serge
