Pharaoh Overlord is the so-called "stonerrock" side project of legendary Finnish post-rockers Circle. With theirthree albums thus far - #1, #2 and a live album called Battle of the Axehammer- Janne, Tomi and Jussi have indulged their penchant for progressivepsych-rock that had previously only been hinted at in their work asCircle. Where those previous albums were notable for their hypnoticguitar riffs and the frequently caustic wall of feedback and reverb ala Acid Mothers Temple, this new full-length is marked by its relativetameness (except for "Autobahn," which I'll get to later). Instead ofblistering electric solos, the album emphasizes the trancelike rhythmsection, creating a series of propulsive motorik jams that enforce theprimacy of rhythm, structure and the infinite beat. Tomi Leppanen'smesmerizing drumming is highlighted on this album, the inheritor of atribalistic simplicity first honed in on by Jaki Liebezeit. Tomi'sincredibly drums form a complex counterpoint relationship to Jussi'svirtuosic bass and Janne's subtle, dynamic guitar melodies. In manyways, this album is the closest that Pharaoh Overlord have gotten tothe sound of their other project Circle, creating a post-rockamalgamation that traces its evolution back to Neu! and Kraan ratherthan Tortoise or GY!BE. Rather than partake in a lot of showboatingstylistic shifts or wanky guitar solos, Pharaoh Overlord insteadconcentrate on a group sound, building an unstoppable forward momentumwith the canny (and Can-y) use of extreme repetition. "Test Flight" and"Blackout" are both outstandingly trippy and trancey, but both exerciserestraint to such a degree that when a fuzzy, third-eye guitar solobursts forth into the mix, it creates an adrenaline rush of sound.Quiet restraint and focus are pretty much the watchwords of #3,until the 13-minute polyrhythmic excursion of "Laivaus 17" gives way to"Autobahn," which switches gears and brings the album to a grindinghalt, a ten-minute wallow in the sort of metallic grind, subharmonicbass frequencies and crawling doom made infamous lately by Sunn O))),Boris and their various copyists. It's an odd stopgap in an album thatis otherwise bright and energetic, full of precision, dynamism andsparkling production. Where Pharaoh Overlord shine is on tracks like"Octagon," when the seemingly effortless creation of rotating,interlocking concentric circles of rhythm and melody resembles TerryRiley or Steve Reich's rhythmic explorations, with a newfound sense ofstoned bliss and psychedelic awe.samples:
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