Finnish Psychedelic Black Metal Band Makes Bay Area Debut

By Dave Pehling

BERKELEY (CBS SF) -- Acclaimed experimental black metal band Oranssi Pazuzu plays its first ever show in the Bay Area this Friday night when it headlines the Cornerstone in Berkeley.

Founded in the city of Tampere in southern Finland, the quintet -- whose moniker is made up of the Finnish word for "orange" and the name of the mythological Babylonian demon referred to in The Exorcist -- rose from the ashes of theatrical surrealist rock band Kuolleet Intiaanit that featured guitarist/singer Juho "Jun-His" Vanhanen, bassist Ontto and drummer Korjak when that group split up in 2007.

Oranssi Pazuzu quickly established its aim of pushing black metal into new, uncharted territory. The band (filled out by second guitarist Moit and keyboard player Evil) would record its debut album Muukalainen Puhuu at Korjak's family cabin, mixing elements of early '90s Norwegian black metal groups like Burzum, Emperor and Darkthrone with atmospheric British psychedelia (particularly Pink Floyd and Soft Machine), dub krautrock and surf music for a heady combination.

A split with the band Candy Cane for Verdura Records followed in 2010 with Oranssi Pazuzu releasing it's sophomore effort Kosmonument on Spinefarm Records the next year that continued with the band's cosmic bent, despite including more straightforward black metal moments. The quintet plunged further into ambient prog/space rock and swirling synths that echoed the sounds of Hawkwind on its third album Valoniel for U.S. metal imprint 20 Buck Spin, particularly on the more extended tracks "Uraanisula" and "Ympyrä On Viiva Tomussa."

It would be the band's most recent full-length album that garnered Oranssi Pazuzu its greatest praise yet. Värähtelijä from 2016 earned rave reviews from such unlikely sources as Pitchfork and Spin. The band would also make its first Stateside appearance, playing at the 2017 edition of the Maryland Deathfest. The group issued another EP -- Kevät/Värimyrsky -- that same year in addition to more recent reissues of its earlier catalog on Svart Records/20 Buck Spin and a live recording of the band's 2017 set at the Roadburn Festival.

While delays in receiving the members' visas forced the outfit to cancel a schedule appearance this past summer, Oranssi Pazuzu was able to return to the U.S. earlier in October to embark on its first extensive tour of the States. The quintet headlines the Cornerstone in Berkeley this Friday, sharing the stage with touring partners Insect Ark. The Brooklyn-based project led by multi-instrumentalist Dana Schechter (Gift Horse, Michael Gira's Angel of Light, Bee and Flower) is a self-described "instrumental experimental cinematic doom band" that spotlights Schechter's gifts with bass and lap steel guitar on songs that draw influence from the horror soundtracks of Goblin and John Carpenter. Oakland experimental black metal band Ails (which features two members of the late lamented San Francisco act Ludicra) opens the show.

Oranssi Pazuzu with Insect Ark
Friday, Oct. 25, 7:30 p.m. $15-$17
The Cornerstone