ALBUM REVIEW: Raya – Pothamus

POTHAMUS are a Belgian trio, playing “tribalesque” sludge and post-rock. They were formed in 2015, and have released a series of promising demos ahead of Raya – their debut full-length release – which will be released in collaboration with Consouling Agency; joining an eclectic roster, whose alumni includes the much-admired BRUTUS. Their celestial sound is reminiscent of SWANS, AMENRA and BOSSK, with an emphasis on trance-inducing rhythms and soaring, reverb-drenched melodies. Single Advaita arrived in May, which was the last song written before their “conceptual renaissance” in 2017, when they began to prepare material for the album. Raya has been a long time in the making, and will introduce their distinctly pensive style to the world.

Levitating drones guide you into opening-piece Orath, which builds hypnotically towards the sustained heaviness of Viso. POTHAMUS have a long-form style which demands patience, but is all too easy to get carried away by. Vocals and guitars are defined by reverb and delay, and create a bright, shimmering top end which sits comfortably on the grooves of the bass and drums. The full force of the bass is reserved for those heavier moments, where it dominates with gritty and overdriven weight. Whenever POTHAMUS threaten to descend into sheer cacophony, they remain in their meticulously crafted groove – it’s easy to imagine that a little excess, here and there, would have gone a long way. Heravis I and II conceal the transition from side A to B with a looser, jammed –out style, which forefronts their impressive drumming nicely.

If Raya has a shortcoming, it’s in the production. POTHAMUS play with a very ‘live’ sound, which is perfectly pleasant in its own right but notoriously difficult to capture: there are crescendos and plateaus which don’t hit as forcefully as they could, and some effects peek above in the mix far too conspicuously. These complaints are easy to ignore when you’re carried away by the momentum of their music, though.

There’s a lingering intensity throughout title track Raya, which swells and abates, but never disappears. The drama created within the trajectory of the title track is masterful, and makes the penultimate piece the highlight it ought to be. This is a heavy sound, no doubt, but it isn’t a hostile atmosphere. POTHAMUS create a meditative and exploratory space for their listener; capturing your attention without seizing it. The tranquil Varos draws the experience to a close, leaving the album on a potent and gleaming final note.

This is a meticulously crafted opening statement from POTHAMUS, bringing sludge and post-rock influences into dialogue. Fans of SWANS and AMENRA will find plenty to enjoy here. What this album lacks in variety it has in refinement, as the trio conjure expansive and radiant soundscapes with a pleasantly “live” feel. It sounds good, but it is easy to imagine that it could have sounded fantastic. This is an impressive debut, which will have us waiting eagerly to see what POTHAMUS do next.

Rating: 7/10

Raya is out now via Consouling Agency.

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