Ημερομηνία δημοσίευσης: 17 Σεπτεμβρίου 2019
So , it’s a debut album for the trio from French , the mighty Pelegrin. And what a debut ! The only word that comes to mind to describe “Al-Mahruqa” is ideal, as it is undoubtedly an amazing album. With their “intense” –as I like to call it- psychedelic rock music (they define themselves as heavy psychedelic stoner rock) and with great influences from Middle-Eastern traditional music, Pelegrin introduce themselves through a total of 5 songs in the best way possible. Let’s check “Al-Mahruqa” out a little now.
Firstly , the band seems to have borrowed the name “Al-Mahruqa” from a region in Syria where (unfortunately) there’s still a civil war raging, a fact that most probably inspired the band in their musical and lyrical compositions. The album has a total runtime of 40’ and as mentioned already, consists of 5 songs. “Majoun” is the first song which makes Pelegrin’s intentions pretty clear from the beginning. It almost feels like a statement “this won’t be another monotonous, boring and repetitive ‘psych’ album”. Nice riffs, beautiful melodies and a couple climaxes make a great total for a debut song in a debut album . It’s worth mentioning that “Majoun” is actually a mix of honey,nuts and dried fruits which is traditionally made in Morocco and it’s usually used as an edible with cannabis. Continuing our journey in “Al-Mahruqa”, there’s the equally powerful and trippy song “Farewell” . It’s one of the short songs in the album with a duration a little more than 6’. Despite it is only 6 minutes long , “Farewell” definitely manages to offer a trip to the listener through its mysterious and beautiful melodies. Next on , there’s the “The Coldest Night” , a song that I personally picked as my favourite from the album. Despite it is a 9 minute song, it does not bore the listener at any point. Excellent guitar melodies once again which help you travel in the middle-East, perfect groovy and punchy bassline which ties in great harmony with the powerful drums and vocals making up a mesmerizing result. “Dying Light” might be only 5’ and 22’’ long but it manages to stand out from the rest of the songs due to its significantly more powerful drum patterns and its melancholic atmosphere. Last but not least , we have “Al-Mahruqa”. Maybe the most Middle-Eastern song on the disc , traditional drum rhythms and the guitar riffs “dancing” along to the melodies . There are certain points in the album where the band shows a harder face , bending the limits of their music towards the post-metal direction . A sign of Pelegrin’s versatility.
One could say that “Al-Mahruqa” in its whole , is a journey for the listener. In the beginning there’s a “Majoun” (or possibly the consumption of a “Majoun”!) and the final destination is “Al-Mahruqa”. During the journey , the listener-traveler-companion of the band might be separated from someone and say “Farewell” , most probably experience “The Coldest Night” and before arrival, may face the “Dying Light”. However, despite all the difficulties, he/she will manage to reach the desired destination of “Al-Mahruqa” and that’s why the atmosphere of the final song of the album feels happier, almost in a celebratory way one could say, and the song has a feeling of redemption. I don’t know , this would be my interpretation on the album ! You should give it a listen and make up your own story .
To conclude , the debut album of the French Pelegrin is an amazing first sample of their capabilities and skill . “Al-Mahruqa” has exactly what an excellent psychedelic album should have : nice melodies , excellent compositions that don’t over-repeat themselves thus tiring the listener, trippy solos and vocals , beautifully inspired atmosphere. Well done Pelegrin.
“Al-Mahruqa” is out on the 13th of September and you can find it in the bands bandcamp.
Βαθμολογία: 80/100
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Vaggos Arkouda.
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