ALBUM REVIEW: Igorrr – Spirituality and Distortion – Metal Blade


Igorrr is the brainchild of the French musical genius, Gautier Serre and he made it to destroy the limitations of music. Originally a solo project, Serre dug into a variety of contrasting genres to proclaim palatable pieces of art that shouldn’t work, but do. In 2017, he broke barriers when the project gained more members and they released Savage Sinusoid (Metal Blade Records). Now, this bizarre band is back with the full-length album, Spirituality and Distortion (Metal Blade Records) where Serre and the other players are embellishing on the already oddball invention that is Igorrr.

A mysterious, sultry Middle Eastern vibe opens the album up on the track, ‘Downgrade Desert’ which then blooms into this sort of heavy chug and slug goodness. With delicate and precise synths hitting where they need to, the real cherry on the sundae is Laure Le Prunenec kicking in with provocative vocals. The earnestness, industrial edge, and dirty dessert feel on this number, which is also sensed on tracks like ‘Camel Dancefloor’ and ‘Himalaya Massive Ritual’, is an unique way to start things off, but intentionally sets the tone of oddness throughout the whole record.

For the second song, the gears shift and the sweetness of strings grace you on ‘Nervous Waltz’. The Baroque experience here and on ‘Hallow Tree’ present a fantastic genre meshing process. The guitar work and heavy low-end mixed with the orchestral elements is eerie, strong, and moving. By track six we hit, ‘Parpaing’. Guest vocalist George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher from Cannibal Corpse unleashes an abrasive and potent performance. This homage to Death Metal is delivered with a raw, old school feel, but with an electronic twist. Keeping true to the band’s method of fusing various influences.

‘Musette Maximum’ is a short number that involves an accordion and blast beats. The fantastic waltz of weird continues to spin and get weirder. ‘Lost in Introspection’ and ‘Paranoid Bulldozer Italiano’ carry a drama and intensity that borders on frenzy. The urgency felt each instrument, which includes some everyday items like vacuums and tin cans, create an explosion of unique sound. The hint of sensitivity and the touch of fury are all blended to create a thick pool of diverse elegance. ‘Kung-Fu Chèvre’ wraps things up with a haunting a cappella opening that transitions into a folky electronic circus. The sway and strong emotion of this piece and every piece, keeps the listener on their toes. From Bach to Meshuggah, the colorful impressions poured into this album is something truly exceptional. A more deliberate, cohesive madness than the band’s previous works, but still just as enjoyably eccentric.

7 / 10

RAGIN ROSIE