SÓLSTAFIR
VENUE
O2 ACADEMY ISLINGTON, LONDON
DATE
24/11/2024
SUPPORT
ORANSSI PAZUZU
On first listen, Oranssi Pazuzu sound like someone’s taught the world’s angriest wasps how to play a synthesiser. The Finnish quintet are fiercely amelodic, their stacks of noise and extreme metal screams off-putting by design. However, across their hour slot at Islington Academy this evening, the discipline behind the discordance becomes clear. They cite Jimi Hendrix and krautrock among their influences, the latter immediately evident in Bioalkemisti and its jangling keyboards. Then, the rumbling bass and effects-distorted guitars betray a love of space rock. As the set continues and the cosmic maelstrom deepens, drummer Jarkko ‘Korjak’ Salo reveals himself to be an impressive talent. Where he lays down a groovy, mid-tempo beat during Muuntautuja, he breaks into an intimidating stampede on Valotus. With no choruses and not a single lyric in English, the set confuses a good many, but the proggy chops of the men dishing out the delirium is unquestioned.