Breathing new life into the lungs of extreme music (or music in general for that matter) and distorting sounds in ways that virtually no other human has ever even dared, French mastermind-musician Gautier Serre; or Igorrr, has once again instinctively ventured into uncharted musical territory as a means of self-expression on Spirituality And Distortion.
Igorrr’s audacious approach to combining baroque-era inspired compositions, extravagant operatic singing, electronic grime, blackened blasting, and downright explosive heaviness sustained a powerful impact on his prior release Savage Sinusoid, but has evolved even further on his most recent Metal Blade Records masterpiece.
Igorrr shares a sincere understanding that life is full of a variety of emotions, and there are no limits on how these emotions can be expressed, which is undoubtedly linked to the driving force behind the way he composes his music. That philosophy also shines through the variety of incredible instrumentalists and musicians who contribute to elevating and making his musical ideas come to life.
Fundamentally, there are a lot of metallic components that come together to form Igorrr’s sound, but there is a common traditional, Eastern music thread that weaves throughout Spirituality And Distortion. This is noticeable through the ancient-inspired, acoustic introduction of “Downgrade Desert” and on through “Camel Dancefloor,” “Himalaya Massive Ritual,” and “Overweight Poesy.”
However apparent this influence may be at times, it is never revealed ordinarily. Instead, as the title of the album suggests, it is often brilliantly juxtaposed with demolishing breakdowns, percussive-forward fragments, and chest-shattering noise frequencies.
Juxtaposing musical passages is a part of what makes Igorrr’s sound so perplexingly brilliant. “Nervous Waltz,” “Paranoid Bulldozer Italiano,” and “Barocco Satani” all share a similar experience in that they preserve a lot of the classical music elements of Igorrr, infusing violin and operatic singing with heavy metal riffs and blast beats.
On the other hand, Spirituality And Distortion exposes its death metal branches through the punishing and violent vocal chords of George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher on “Parpaing.” The absolute savagery of the track provides such a powerful contrast to a song like “Lost In Introspection,” which builds up a massive foreboding melody through the use of hypnotic piano and stirring symphonies.
Audible madness is what Igorrr specializes in, and the album tends to get most out-of-control on the sharp, 90 degree turn that is “Very Noise.” This song can only be described as a completely chaotic collision of palm-muted guitars and funkadelic breakcore. It is in-your-face and comes at you from every possible direction like a wave of sonic panic. “Musette Maximum” creates a similarly astonishing yet bizarre experiment that relies heavily on the accordion, double bass, and blast beats.
It would take hours upon hours, possibly even days, to break down every detail packaged within Spirituality And Distortion. It twists and turns through a vast terrain of unconventional, musical inspiration that could only be executed by Igorrr and his team. It is an unhinged journey that explores timeless, musical traditions from various cultures worldwide while simultaneously creating an erratic, heavy, and mind-blowing experience.