Labels: Level Plane
Review by: Kunal Nandi
This is a totally fascinating, rocking record. Birushanah work within the framework of a traditional guitar / bass / drums blueprint, spin the song lengths to a dizzying extent (two tracks in forty minutes to give you some idea) and somehow intermingle a recognisably oriental bent to the melodies and progressions without sounding like complete and utter novelty prog bollocks. In fact, it’s amazing, once it gets going that is. Following an ominous intro with synth and bizarre vocal warblings, and another five minutes of atmospheric scene setting, the chords come crashing in, somewhere between doom, hardcore and a traditional Noh drama soundtrack. There’s a guy playing a trash drumkit alongside the normal one, and it adds a real tribal, traditional element to proceedings. The songs themselves have loads going on, with plenty of time and melodic shifts that smoothly segue from one to the next. A unique, special band.