Review Summary: A 54 minute long affront to music... that is somehow wonderful.
It is fair to say that most bands are easy to categorise. Throughout the 20th century countless music genres and movements have come and gone, each with distinct traits that the musicians involved were proud to exhibit. It's not uncommon for musicians within these genres to dip their toes in other styles of music to give their output a bit more spice, but overall bands tend to like their comfort zones. Pryapisme are not one of those bands.
Where does one even begin when describing a band with a sound as ridiculous and eclectic as Pryapisme's?
Hyperblast Super Collider's opening track tumbles head-first through black metal, jazz, gabber, Nintendo-esque electronica and god knows what else. On first listen it really does seem like the band actively wants to appeal to as few people as possible, by bombarding the uninitiated with as many contradictory musical elements as they can. It sounds like a maelstrom of absurdity.
But as the dust settles, resilient listeners may discover that the music is oddly cohesive, despite its schizophrenic Mr. Bungle-esque genre blending. The intensity carefully ebbs and flows in every track, every jarring transition somehow makes sense in the context of the song's momentum. The absurdist tone is maintained throughout the entire album and never lets up. Not even on the closing track, an ambitious re-interpretation of Mussorgsky's
Night on Bald Mountain that is both hilarious and magnificent. It shouldn't work but somehow
it just does.
The eccentric songwriting is backed up by fantastic instrumentation. Despite the very electronic sound of the beats, Pryapisme use live drums and the implementation of the drumkit is splendid. Jazzy mid-tempo grooves, blastbeats and even Venetian Snares-style breaks all make appearances. The guitar work ranges from mathcore dissonance to funky jazz chords and the bass is equally as varied (and prominent in the mix).
However, what shines the most is the keyboard work and programming. They are omnipresent and absolutely necessary to Pryapisme's sound, turning the already complex compositions into sprawling labyrinths. The band never shy away from goofy synth sounds and bizarre samples, nor do they shy away from beautiful classically-inspired passages and epic orchestrations (the best examples being in the 8-and-a-half-minute colossus, "La Notion De Chiralite De Spin").
All of these elements may indicate that
Hyperblast Super Collider is an absolute masterpiece... however it does fall short. Apart from the highly recognisable closing track there doesn't seem to be a very coherent overall structure to many of the songs. It will take many listens to digest these tracks and until then it's likely that the whole experience will seem like a blur. Even sections that sound absolutely phenomenal on first listen will be forgotten soon afterwards, due to the album's constant unrelenting energy.
Hyperblast Super Collider might not be a masterpiece but it's certainly a bold musical statement. Pryapisme have an abundance of creativity and ideas; presented in such an intense and extravagant way that they deserve to be commended.
Hyperblast Super Collider may play hard-to-get and insult your sensibilities at every opportunity, but once the initial barrier is crossed there is so, so much to love.
