OPIUM WARLORDS – We Meditate Under the Pussy in the Sky

Reviewed by Ryan

I was pretty damn excited when I received the advance of the new OPIUM WARLORDS upcoming album, We Mediate Under the Pussy in the Sky.   OPIUM WARLORDS are as nonconformist in delivery as it gets, and give about as cerebral of a listening experience as there is to be had.  I wouldn’t even try and classify the music – it is that different.  I first listened to “Let It Pour, Let It Pour” from OPIUM WARLORDS debut album Live at Colonia Dignidad a few years back, and have been hooked ever since.

OPIUM WARLORDS is the creation of Finland’s Sami Albert Hynninen, the one-man mastermind of the project and contributor to all vocals and instruments.  I encourage you to head over to Lords of Metal and check out an interview they did with Sami in 2010 HERE.  This interview is a rare insight into the mind of Sami, his other projects and bands, and what is at the epicenter of OPIUM WARLORDS.  It gives me a lot of confidence that extreme music is alive and well, with some exceptionally talented and creative artists like Sami pushing out incredible albums like this one.  This is no understatement – this album is phenomenal in so many ways.  The diversity and character of each song is very evident, with elements from across the metal spectrum injected throughout the offering.

The sounds that emit from the guitars are polarizing, and go from 0-60 in a matter of seconds.  You get soft and elegant harmonies, brutally hard blasts, and a bass guitar that delivers drone fuzz with pleasing low-end tone.  Also worthy of mention is the vocal prowess of Sami, whose chaotic yet perfectly placed cuts really bring another dynamic to the album.  From blood curdling screams and cries to subdued humming and chants, his voice really functions more as another instrument than anything else.  That said, the vast majority of the album contains deeply haunting and thought-provoking instrumentals.  The OPIUM WARLORDS sound is without a doubt one of the more creative and visionary ones in the world of extreme today. 

Listening to We Meditate Under the Pussy in the Sky is truly eclectic and is the extreme’s equal to a classical piece conjured up by a master composer.  Organs blazing, guitars strumming, drums entering and exiting at will, tribal injects…it’s just powerful and bone-jarring stuff.

Continue checking the Svart Records website at the link below for information on ordering We Meditate Under the Pussy in the Sky.

LINKS
OPIUM WARLORDS on MySpace
Svart Records
Svart Records on Facebook

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