ALBUM REVIEW: Amen – Igorrr
French musician/mad genius Gautier Serre, better known as IGORRR, has set the world alight with his crazy concoctions over the last couple of decades. Alongside his meticulously recruited band of instrumentalists he continues to bend and manipulate every conceivable genre to his will. Their fifth full-length effort Amen takes his incredible artistry to even more maniacal heights.
Daemoni opens with a pulsing electronic beat that ushers in crunchy riffing and potent drum work. An enticing mixture of operatic vocals, acoustic accompaniments and aggressive growls join the fold to create an expansive soundscape. Headbutt bursts into a jarring selection of piano sequences and ferocious blastbeats. Black metal inspired stylings take hold, conjuring an unpredictable yet invigorating pacing. The fact that machinery was used to effectively crush a piano for the concluding exclamation point is all the evidence you need that IGORRR are willing to do basically anything in the pursuit of their artistic vision. Limbo commences with an evocative choir ensemble that ascends into spine-tingling operatic excellence. The stark contrasts between light and dark elements make their presence felt with their dramatic orchestration.
Blastbeat Falafel offers an oriental twist, serving up a fascinating, explosive combination of genre clashes. Frenetic riffing, crushing drum sequences, and abrasive vocal blasts leave a considerable impact amongst the wealth of instrumental mastery on show. ADHD is equal parts unpredictable breakcore and a dial-up modem from the 1990’s experiencing a mental breakdown. A combination of flute and baroque excerpts reveal themselves as the track progresses. 2020 is an accurate representation of the general public collectively reminiscing on an awful year in recent history. A 12-second outburst of unhinged grindcore akin to NAPALM DEATH‘s iconic You Suffer.
Mustard Mucous follows suit, opting for a punishing barrage of intensity. Brutish screams, groove-ridden basslines, and colossal drum assaults fiendishly batter your senses. Infestis exudes a tribal, ritualistic mood. Stomping hooks join forces with guttural growls. Ancient Sun is considerably more colourful and vibrant than its largely aggressive predecessors. Sublime vocal work soars aloft the alluring arrangement.
Pure Disproportionate Black and White Nihilism opts for a more suspenseful, cinematic aura. Enraged, gritty vocals erupt from the depths combined with fierce shredding. Étude n°120 bestows a moment of peaceful clarity in the form of acoustic tones and graceful operatics before the sombre piano keys of Silence are introduced. Its delicate, theatrical nature effortlessly seeps into your bloodstream. As it advances, crazed breakcore beats infiltrate the composition.
2025 is IGORRR‘s world. We are just simply inhabiting it. It is a true blessing to exist in the same timeline as such a forward-thinking visionary, bringing forth musical arrangements never before witnessed or even dared to be attempted. Amen is as chaotic as it is cohesive. Every instalment has its part to play throughout the course of this exhilarating expedition. Just as you begin to suspect that IGORRR are bound to run out of tricks and surprises somewhere down the line, they continue to astound you with another piece of phenomenal artistry.
Rating: 9/10
Amen is out now via Metal Blade Records.
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