There are evenings when, after dabbling in very, very legal adult substances, I like to lie in bed with headphones, stare into a strange outer space theme on YouTube, and listen to music that aims to transport me to another plane of existence. It’s a way to branch mentally and discover portions of my mind that often lie dormant, exposing long-forgotten memories and future desires.

In those situations, it’s only natural to turn toward Oranssi Pazuzu, the Finnish experimental black metal band that barely fits into the subgenre designation assigned to them. Every album, it feels like a new form of the band and the artists involved—vocalist/guitarist Juho “Jun-His” Vanhanen, guitarist Niko “Ikon” Lehdontie, bassist/vocalist Toni “Ontto” Hietamäki, keyboardist/percussionist/vocalist Ville “Evil” Leppilahti, drummer Jarkko “Korjak” Salo—bubbles to the surface, and it seems like they assembled their masterful sixth record “Muuntautuja” (translates to shapeshifter, which is a perfect title for these songs and this unit) from galactic materials mere mortals could not handle without life-altering effects. This collection of tracks veers deeper toward electronics, bathing you in digital chaos, threading in krautrock and black metal to make for one immersive adventure beyond.

“Bioalkemisti” dawns amid electronic pulses that threaten to flood, a haze spreading as  Vanhanen’s howls become intertwined with psychological impulses. The pace gets more aggressive as the keys blend, the shrieks tearing from crevices, a strange aura filling your senses and solidifying into ice. “Muuntautuja” opens with keys chewing away, alien vocal effects making strange waves, a psychedelic melting making it feel like brains are leaking from eyes. Howls open and stretch their jaws, teasing as the keys plink like ice pellets, the sounds stretching and warping, cold dreams taking over your consciousness. “Voitelu” is burly and like an extraterrestrial signal, pounding away while remaining thought provoking, a fiery gust striking and making the earth move. The playing builds a labyrinth, deep warbling plays tricks with your mind, and sounds clash in the open, creating a sonic panic that corrodes and disappears in ash.

“Hautatuuli” whirs as the drums pace, breezy keys make your hair shuffle, and whispers surround and push messaging through your mind. The playing gets meatier as howls begin to spit acid, and then darkness unfolds, consuming every last speck of light. “Valotus” opens in deep calm, sounds slithering as disorienting impulses create a spark of confusion. The storm gets heavier, the playing snaking and shimmering before sanity is shredded, mauling and adding to the bruising, warped voices causing mental gasps, swirling into piercing noise. “Ikikäärme” leaks into the room, moody strangeness causing psychological detachment, cosmic rays swimming in a sea of stars. The track unfurls into a surreal dream, mechanical waves lapping, howls crying out from a frozen reality and then turning into something late night and urban. Strange vocals tease sanity as everything slips behind thick clouds, slowly dissipating. “Vierivä usva” is the closing instrumental, dark synth creating patterns, an intergalactic calm spreading, making its way into the stars. Wormholes open and tunnel into bizarre worlds, fading into a distant horizon.

Oranssi Pazuzu long have existed and created on the outer rim of the universe, conjuring sounds that don’t seem of this galaxy and likely emanate from regions of the universe no human ever could hope to visit. “Muuntautuja” makes it feel like the band’s focus is becoming razor sharp, maturing into its true form, letting electronics and black metal flow freely into one another, forming a brand new element. This record is ideal for stargazing, for it feels like that’s what willed these songs into existence.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/oranssipazuzuband/

To buy the album, go here: https://oranssipazuzu.bandcamp.com/album/muuntautuja