Oranssi Pazuzu: ‘Muuntautja’ Review
The album artwork for Muuntautja
Oranssi Pazuzu, man. The name might evoke in you, as it does me, images of The Lion King’s famous parrot, but they certainly don’t parrot any other band here. This is the Finnish stalwarts’ sixth album, and they never stop in their progression across the psychedelic black metal cosmos. I’m just straight up going to say it: this might be the most unhinged record I’ve heard in a long, long, time. And I therefore feel positively compelled to talk about it.
Let’s begin with the soundscapes. Title track Muuntautja fills you with a sense of cosmic anxiety, as though you’re getting sucked into a black hole. They settle on this vibe throughout the album, with the occasional break from intensity for something altogether different. Valotus begins with a few ominous synthesisers before exploding into a cryptic triptych of the best kind of odd time signature nonsense and shortly thereafter, breaking the boundaries of “music” altogether.
The vocals, while sparse, are visceral in their intensity and bleed through an extremely dense mix without ever feeling like they’re overpowering the sound – opener Bioalkemesti does a great job at utilising the gargly, grim-sounding harsh vocals. Riffs are sparingly central to the mix but when they hit, they really hit – Muuntautja launches into a great one after a substantial build complete with a catchy and constant drumbeat. Sometimes the guitar stops making noises that you would normally expect from a guitar – see again Valotus – and it somehow still works excellently.
An album like this, despite its 43 minute length, does feel cinematic in nature and scope. Someone from the band has clearly been watching Alien after exploring Dario Argento’s filmography – the supernatural horror evoked has left the boundaries of this mere planet. That “third act climax” all comes to a head on the epic Ikikäärme, a powerful statement which closes the album before its “end credits” track Vierivä usva – a quiet coda to an overall intense listen, and perhaps, if executives were to somehow catch this, a lead-in to a sequel, cinematic universe, or the highly-requested Oranssi Pazuzu toy line. We’re talking merchandise!
The push and pull of this record, the dynamic flow, the pacing, all immaculate. The production, very much designed to latch onto you. Oranssi Pazuzu know what they’re doing. Constructing a vibe as consuming as this one takes an awful lot of effort, as though the album is a few ideas taken to their logical conclusions instead of an “everything including the kitchen sink” approach many other bands take with their “out-there” music. There are no salsa breakdowns or random asides into the world of banjo, instead a firm and unshakable commitment to fixating on one evocation: dread.
Oranssi Pazuzu‘s latest opus demands your attention – and quite possibly your life. Make no mistake, this is not “easy listening” – if you’re looking for jumpy, melodic hooks or something to latch onto, this is not your album. Muuntautja is extremely off-kilter, very dense and filled with really creative, anxiety-inducing composition. If you can overlook the obtusity and the fact that there are occasionally synth patches that sound like me when I’m blowing my nose, and just listen, you will be rewarded for it. Muuntautja is ready for you. But are you ready for Muuntautja?
