30 Nov 2020

Buzz Magazine reviews Pharaoh Overlord's '6'


They say:

When two genres collide, the result can often be catastrophic… but this is not the case with the sixth album from Finland’s Pharaoh Overlord [pictured], a duo of Jussi Lehtisalo and Tomi Leppanen (both also of fellow experimental Finns Circle) joined by American metal vocalist Aaron Turner. Its apt title conceals unlikely hybrids: this is Jean-Michel Jarre meets Slipknot, or Tangerine Dream meets In Flames, or Earthstar meets Lamb Of God with a touch of ATB.

Yet as much as 6 echoes the past, it sits firmly in the present. The music is hypnotic, the vocals are psychotic but somehow rather than jarring or startling the listener, they blend. Almost. Written at the start of the pandemic, 6 offers a lyrical response to separation and isolation but the sound is surprisingly uplifting. I couldn’t decipher most of the words but could easily listen to this multi-layered offering to the god of Krautrock on repeat for the beat alone.

Read the piece here: Buzz Mag

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