- Posted By: Dark Emperor
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After missing most of Oranssi Pazuzu’s legendary 2017 Roadburn set thanks to the venue being packed to the brim, we only managed to hear a few songs from all the way to the back of the venue. Making sure this experience will not repeat itself, we were quite pumped to have this Finnish outfit play our hometown of Atlanta at a very cozy venue.
Making our way to the 529 Bar in East Atlanta Village, we managed to sneak in a couple songs from the band’s ‘latest’ opus “Värähtelijä” setting the mood for what was about to unfold. Being a small venue, we made sure to arrive early and be sure to secure a spot up front for taking some shots and also to make sure we would receive the full sonic blast from the band. The local opening band was Dead Register, and their weird Doomy Post-Punk/Goth musings. With a dark and yet heavy sound, we couldn’t really get fully hooked on their music during their short set. However, we will certainly be catching them again in future shows, to make up our minds about them.
Full photo gallery here.
Hailing from Brooklyn, NY cinematic Doom project Insect Ark was up next and we were ready for a pummeling onslaught of heaviness. Being quite experimental, the band commanded attention with a massive sound and very unique stage setup. The band’s mastermind, Dana Schechter, alternates between playing her bass guitar the ‘normal way’ and playing a lap steel guitar plugged into a hefty amount of pedals to create truly unique sonic worlds. Their set went in a flash as their music is quite enthralling and trance inducing.
Finally, the time arrived for Oranssi Pazuzu to take the stage and we could not be more excited. Laying down a myriad of pedals in the stage floor, the band almost covered all their space available with gear. The crowd started gathering closer to the stage as the lights when out and the riffing onslaught commenced.
The band’s live show is certainly 100 times better than their already impressive albums. With all the gear at hand, they managed to unleash a sonic abuse unlike anything we have heard before. As if the massive sound was not enough, the band’s stage contortionism adds a more dramatic edge to their already hypnotic music. Thanks to the minimal lighting, the band creates a very thick layer of mystery and complete disarray, as the music takes over your senses and you feel like floating in their aural creations.
Full photo gallery here.
Overall, this was one hell of a show that we are quite glad to have enjoyed in such a small and intimate venue. The band’s covered a very unique musical spectrum and the crowd rewarded them with enthusiasm. We would like to thank the people at the 529 bar and Earsplit PR for making this live coverage happen.
