ALBUM REVIEW: Ways Of Avicenna – Pelegrin
Translating from the Old French word for “pilgrim”, PELEGRIN are masters of creating dreamy musical odysseys with significant melodic and conceptual depth. Imbued with Middle Eastern influences, the band’s brand of progressive stoner and psychedelic rock captures your imagination with absolute ease. With each song being a constantly shifting piece of art, like the sand dunes in the Middle Eastern deserts, PELEGRIN never settle. Following on from their highly acclaimed debut album Al-Maruhqa, Ways Of Avicenna once again expands the band’s horizons, taking steps into the unknown as the album sends you on an epic quest with the French trio as your guides.
The story behind the album is fascinating and one with multiple layers. Set in the Spanish Reconquista period of the 15th century, where Christian Spanish states tried to reconquer lands conquered by the Muslim Caliphates until 1492, it follows a young student of a Koranic school who has been entrusted with a mystical text from Persian philosopher and physician Avicenna. His goal is to protect it from destructive Spanish hands. Alongside this, the band’s ethereal song craft brings in the search for wisdom, the effect of religious wars, the intolerance towards refugees the wars cause and the indelible contribution and impact that the Arab civilisations have had on the course of human history. Alongside the beautifully worked melodies, powerful riff movements and the mystical aura that surrounds the album, Ways Of Avicenna has an enchanting effect on you that resonates with profound depth.
The most captivating aspect that is consistent throughout the album is the Middle Eastern influence. PELEGRIN have an innate ability to use these influences to create mesmeric melodies that resonate with you on a spiritual level. From François Rome’s (vocals/guitar) captivating vocal melodies and otherworldly guitar leads, to the evolving bass grooves provided Jason Recoing that root these melodies and give the album its heaviness, to the masterful percussion and intricate rhythms of Antoine Ebel; everything is centred around creating the perfect music to tell the aforementioned story. With that in mind, your imagination takes you to the very heart of Al-Andalus, with vivid imagery of purple, starlit desert skies and a wealth of stimulants that set fire to your senses. With each song feeling like an elaborate piece of Persian art, you can imagine going on successive journeys to ancient cities home to an abundance of wisdom, knowledge and spirituality.
Musically, this is progressive stoner and psychedelic rock at its finest, exploring new musical territories and telling incredibly vivid stories through constantly evolving dynamics, harmonies and melodies. As a result, Ways Of Avicenna is an incredibly immersive album; as songs fade into one another, there is a tangible link between them, like the great movie soundtracks each song continues the story and the musical theme that transcends the album. You have to admire this level of musicianship and song craft as it captivates you from start to finish.
The album opens with the enchanting Madrassa, a wonderfully emotive starting point for the musical odyssey you’re about to experience. It also sets the scene perfectly for the album’s story, bringing in traditional sounding Arabian melodies. Moving into Thunderstorm, you get the first introduction to PELEGRIN’s intimate side. The melancholic acoustic guitar gives way to a guitar solo melody that is reminiscent of PINK FLOYD. As the song evolves, the energy ramps up and you get a sense of the ensuing storm that is brought about by the continuous war in the region where the story is set as Rome’s vocals once again carry significant emotional weight.
Reach For The Sun carries on some of the moods that the band explore on Thunderstorm, continuing the captivating melodies with shifting dynamics between big riffs and Arabian atmospheres. Disgrace is a beautifully crafted acoustic track which is simultaneously haunting and moving; as the flurry of beautiful notes ring out of the guitars body, you feel a real moment of rawness amidst an album full of complex emotions. Mystical Appeal is the most dreamlike song on the record, one that launches into swirling guitar melodies and pounding drums that take you on a rollercoaster of emotions. Forsaken Land closes the album beautifully, tying up all the threads into a neat knot. Dreamy atmospheres and anthemic chord parts give the album’s story a bittersweet ending as our central protagonist journeys through a war torn land, diligently protecting the mystical book in his possession.
There is a tangible magic to Ways Of Avicenna that can’t possibly be described with words; the album is an incredibly emotive musical and conceptual journey that has to be experienced without interruption. Wonderfully immersive and excellently crafted, PELEGRIN have produced a truly beautiful work of art here.
Rating: 10/10
Ways Of Avicenna is set for release on February 17th via self-release.
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