25 Nov 2020

The Prog Mind reviews Pharaoh Overlord


They say:

There have been surprisingly few notable electronic releases this year.  I’ve really liked only a handful, so I was eager to jump into the new Pharaoh Overlord album when I saw the promo arrive.  The new album is called “6” and releases on November 27th through Rocket Recordings.

Pharaoh Overlord comes to us from Finland.  The band is officially made up of Tomi Leppänen and Jussi Lehtisalo right now, but longtime friend Aaron Turner provides vocals on this album.  In fact, according to the bio in their promo kit, Aaron was originally only meant to be on a couple tracks, but he loved the sound so much that he wrote lyrics for the entire album and is featured on every track.

The band, for the last couple albums, has been carving their own niche in electronic music.  With a rock vibe and catchy rhythms, the band is more in the vein of Kraftwerk than, say, Tangerine Dream.  Their songs feel like songs, not atmospheric soundscapes.  Yet, the band has their own sound.  That sound is one of bold electronic loops, effervescent melodies floating in a thick soup of fervor, and layers upon layers of grand ideas.  Many times, those ideas are wild contrasts, pitting fleeting beauty up against raw textures.  This is achieved primarily through Aaron’s “corrosive” harsh vox that help define the album as a whole.  In the midst of reeling and grooving rhythms, his bark manages to make my neck hairs stand on end...

Read the rest of the 8.5/10 review here: The Prog Mind 

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