Equations For The Useless - Tracklisting
It Was Time
Pazuzu
Equations For The Useless
If
Downward Spirals
The Protocol
Members
Richard Silvaggio - Bass & Vocals
Andrea Ricci - Guitar
Matteo Signanini - Guitar
Pietro Virgilio - Drums
Review
Equations For The Useless is the new album from Italian Psych/Space/Stoner Riffsters Oreyeon (pronounced Orion) and sees the band continue their relationship with Heavy Psych Sounds. The album has a different sound from their last album Ode To Oblivion with Oreyeon playing a seedier and almost grungier style of music whilst their Desert Rock based Space/Psych Rock influences remain fully intact.
Opening song It Was Time is a FUZZIER style of Space/Psych/Stoner Rock with Oreyeon allowing themselves to feel right at home with their new slightly distorted and proggy sound. The vocals feel they're recorded in an empty or abandoned recording studio with them sounding like they were sung from a distance. However, the vocals are superb allowing Oreyeon to have that drifting feeling of "SPACE" being heard on this album. With the aggressive and fast paced grooves moving between the fine lines of Spaced Out Doom and Psych Stoner Metal and a ton of distorted FUZZ along the way.
Second song Pazuzu is named after the Demon from the Mesopotamian religion and King Of The Evil Wind Demons. Or he's that lovely family friendly Demon from Horror Classic The Exorcist. This allows Oreyeon to move from the depths of Space into a more horror themed reality. The song is obviously quite DOOM METAL with the Occult based lyrics contained on the album. However, the song still offers a few moments of Spaced Out Stoner Metal with an Occult/Doom Metal afterthought. Cool vocals add a more DEMONIC flair to this track .
Third song Equations For The Useless sees Oreyeon return to the depths of Space with a song that perhaps has a more "realistic" vision compared to the previous song. The song could have easily been included on their last two albums. The song opens with a Post-Rock score with flashes of Psych Rock and Ambient sounds. Oreyeon do take their time with perhaps a solitary extended bass guitar that does outstay its welcome with the song fully exploding into heavy life around the two minute and thirty mark. That minor complaint aside, this is still my favourite track of the album. With the vocals having a more progressive flait to them with superb melodic arrangements as well. The instrumental work is the style of music that made me a fan of this band in the first place when they were originally known as ORION. Doom based Psych Stoner Metal allows Oreyeon the opportunity to play some of the best riffs of their career to date.
The remaining three songs on the album If, Downward Spirals and The Protocol carry on the gloomy trajectory of the first three songs whilst allowing Oreyeon the opportunity to bring new Psychedelic elements into play on this track especially on Downward Spirals and The Protocol.
Perhaps the most "METAL" sounding album that Oreyeon has released to date. As the band play heavier strands of Hard Rock and Metal on this album whilst remaining true to their Psych Stoner Metal and Spaced Out roots.
Equations For The Useless is brilliantly produced yet again. Heavy Psych Sounds are releasing this album and I expected nothing less from that great label. This album has a more dynamic and powerful sound compared to Oreyeon's previous albums.
This allows Equations For The Useless to be Oreyeon's best album to date and one I expect to allow the band to gain a bigger following within the Doom/Stoner Metal underground.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo.
Equations For The Useless will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds from June 17th 2022.
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