Pariah deal in old school stoner rock and, since forming in 2011, have been honing their strengths out on the road, touring Europe in a minivan and cutting their teeth alongside a number of similarly minded individuals. A band who, like SonicAbuse, wholeheartedly believe in and embrace the concept of the album, Pariah recorded ‘Mirage’ live in the studio, adding minimal overdubs for a raw, in your face sound that recalls the might of Kyuss, Slo Burn and Karma to burn with its bass heavy psychedelic tones washed out in the heat of the blazing sun. Packaged in a sweet digipack that showcases the artwork of singer / guitarist Ruedi Eugster, ‘Mirage’ is one of those awesome, DIY releases that will delight anyone with the diligence to track a copy down.
The band open with a title track that slithers across the baking sand of the desert with a dry-as-a-bone riff and nicotine stained vocals giving way to a chorus that recalls QOTSA at their rocking best. With a pummelling mid-section that speaks of a well-hidden love for Tool at the band’s core, ‘Mirage’ is a blistering opener that ably demonstrates the skill innovation that powers the band whilst it is hard to believe the album is cut live so intricate is the guitar work that laces together the track. Next up is the glutinous riff of ‘sun’, a track that sits somewhere between latter-day Soundgarden and Karma to burn, the band displaying a careful attention to dynamic as they draw the listener through the peaks and troughs of the music before bowing out in a blaze of Sabbath-riffing and hard rock vocals. Deadly stoner with a progressive edge, ‘owlhunter’ digs into the same rich ground from which Mastadon sourced the Hunter, with psychedelic guitar lines running roughshod over the pounding bass of Christian Eugster and huge riffs lurking, like mammoths, in the darkness. The band pick up the pace with the chromium riffing of ‘among us’, a blasting rock song that sees the band tearing up the road with their vital riffing and, at the heart of it all, Alessandro Cappilli’s immense rhythmic barrage threatens to undermine the very foundations of your home. The first half of the album concludes with ‘hunger’, a slow-burning piece of music that builds, via a series of increasingly agitated riffs, to a towering conclusion.
The second half of the album opens with a furious tattoo from Alessandro before guitarists Ruedi and Stefano (Cappilli) launch into the swirling riffs of ‘the pledge’. It’s stoner rock but with post rock melodies and a progressive edge that sees the music twist and turn in surprising directions, surprising the listener with moments of sheer, doom-laden weight one minute and then tearing off at the speed of light the next. With the previous track ending in a wash of ambient noise, ‘second path’ allows the listener a moment to draw breath as the band slip effortlessly into the sort of dark, post-rock song you’d expect from Harvestman. It’s beautiful and yet gnarled, like an oak that has seen too many storms, and the result is all the more interesting for its myriad imperfections. Having lulled the listener into a false sense of security, Pariah go on the attack with the blistering ‘gringo’ which sounds like the band tracked ten thousand flaming guitars. No less impressive is the surging riff of ‘tide’ which draws on Neurosis with its withered vocal and shimmering lead guitar work before the album comes to its shattering conclusion with the epic, nine-minute ‘ten thousand pale white trees’, a track that develops organically from a whisper to a scream, before dispersing in the mid-afternoon light like so much smoke.
Having not come across Pariah before I had no idea what to expect bar what the press release stated and, for once, the one-sheet undersold the record. The band clearly have a wide range of influences form the dry stoner rock of Kyuss to the progressive might of Tool and they use these influences sparingly, always placing their own emphasis on concepts and leaving enough space for their own sound to filter through. The emphasis on developing ‘Mirage’ as an album is also a great strength and there’s a powerful ebb and flow that runs through the record leaving the listener happy just to drift with the current and let the music take them where it will. This is the sort of music we love at SonicAbuse and everything from the artwork to the powerful, clear mixing job shows the same attention to detail. Forget any major label release you may have had your eye on this week and hunt down ‘Mirage’, you won’t regret it. 9
Find out more about Pariah here.
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