Perihelion
Örvény

Perihelion for our little pale blue dot in the blackness of space was about four weeks ago now, and Perihelion also happens to be the name of the Hungarian band I review today. It is their new album Örvény I am looking at today, the title means maelstrom by the way. An album that happens to be the band’s third and they have also managed to put together two EPs since the debut album was released about a month after aphelion in 2014. And this third album looks quite exciting and with song titles in a language that looks like some evil dark fascist language to the outsider it becomes even more appealing from the outside. And that is before even hearing the album.

Post metal is what they are playing, dreamy metallic and powerful music that is kind of like being in a dreamlike adventure on the way down into the darkness of some powerful whirlpool. But in a positive way, perhaps like being on the way down the black hole when the outside observer watches you being crushed very quickly while you yourself live out the full extent of your life and die from old age way before being crushed by the gravity of the singularity. It is exciting atmospheres from songs that blend together in a dreamlike state – the vocals are in Hungarian which works really well here as you don’t really need to understand what they say as it is more about how it is being said.

Pure and honest is how the label describes the band’s musical approach and the use of their native tongue, a good description. And they keep it short enough for you to want to play it again rather than feeling that it is too long. They do things right with this album; I don’t think it has any weaknesses but is a strong and powerful story. And they build it all like one story and are not looking for a quick fix with hit songs and that sort of thing, all the songs add to the complete picture of this album – a very positive picture. I like this album as it has very much to offer, the atmosphere and the songs are really great and when I sit and listen to it I can’t help wondering why so few post metal bands are of this calibre.

Perhaps perfect is a too strong a word for this album but excellent is very descriptive of what we are getting. If you are a post metal fan and don’t buy this one you have to be a bit mentally challenged. I can strongly recommend that you get yourself a copy of this album as it is so very exciting and appealing, one of those albums that I don’t really feel like leaving now that I have written my judgements about it. I guess it could be a good tradition to take out for perihelion in the future, and I am sure there is a perihelion somewhere in the universe every day so you can play it whenever you want.

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