The Finnish band Oranssi Pazuzu paints pictures with their music. The images that come to mind are drawn with madness. Their music is dynamic and beautiful, yet painful to the ears.
Since the late 1960s, rock bands have been competing to play at the highest volume, either seriously or as a joke. The crown jewel is probably the metal band Manowar, who have repeatedly tried to prove their claim to be ‘the world’s loudest band’.
Oranssi Pazuzu could well compete for the title, judging by my hearing after their concert at Püssy a Go Go in Stockholm on Saturday. However, the high volume does not seem to hold the same macho significance for the Finnish quintet as it has traditionally done throughout rock history. The volume is there and has its own value, but it mostly contributes to the soundscape.
Formed in 2007, Oranssi Pazuzu has just released its third album, “Valonielu” (Svart Records). Their music is described as psychedelic black metal. The Püssy a Go Go concert was like a journey into one of H. P. Lovecraft‘s short stories. I am also reminded of Hawkwind: Oranssi Pazuzu evokes the same sense of grinding space travel and science fiction adventure running amok.
Otherwise, the black metal genre, like so much other music, is stuck in explicit and implicit rules, musts and prohibitions. In my opinion, all of these kill the interesting aspects of music. However, Oranssi Pazuzu defies expectations, and is an example of the opposite. There is a great dynamic to the band’s music, which is particularly evident in their live performances. The intensity rises and falls, but the members are not necessarily in sync. When four of them tone down their playing, the fifth can play wildly and passionately.
Highly recommended!
Photos from Oranssi Pazuzu’s performance at Püssy a Go Go in Stockholm
All photos taken by Magnus Nilsson.