Bands: O.D.R.A/Parh
Title: O.D.R.A/Parh
Genre: Sludge Metal
Time: 35.12 min
Release Date: 30th March 2019
Rating: 72
You know, generally I don't like so much the
slow metal but, as always, there are some exceptions also in this case. This case is about
sludge metal, a doom metal variation that I like more because it's influenced a lot by
hardcore punk, so it's more aggressive and violent if compared with the classic doom metal. Obviously, there are sludge metal bands that are more aggressive and hardcore punk-oriented than others, as greatly exemplified just by this split between two
Polish sludgy acts that I'm going to review today. Released by
Mythrone Promotion along with
Defense Records (both are usually used to produce more violent stuff), this split see as main characters the prolific
O.D.R.A and the younger
Parh, and each of them plays the same genre in two very different ways. So let's discover their own ways now!
The split opens with
O.D.R.A, that, since 2008, released even 5 full-lenght albums, included the most recent "
Herod", self-edited in August 2019. Anyway, in the split they have 4 tracks, in which there is a
sludge metal exclusively based on mid/slow tempos and mainly characterized by the tortured screams of the singer, some groovy parts with
rockish tunes, and guitar solos from time to time, in a style reminding me of
Down. Incredibly, my favorite song of them is their last one, the unpronunceable "
Trzonolinowiec" (yes, it seem that they sings in their mothertongue), and I said "incredibly" because it's the slower one of their side. In addition, there is need to say that their tracks are
all connected thanks to some guitar feedback, locating at the end as well at the beginning of the songs, so the side of O.D.R.A is, in practice,
a continuous flow of haunting and damned, sludgy sounds.
Instead,
Parh is a younger band playing since 2014 and releasing so far only two EPs and two splits. They loves to dub themselves as "
Sludge Death Metal Punk", and effectively this definition isn't far from the truth. Despite this, their side starts in a really bizarre way through a very short intro called "
Flics", where you can hear a buzzing fly! After that, there is the very first real song, "
Damnation", and, starting with it, you'll discover step by step that Parh aren't only
heavier and creepier than O.D.R.A but also
more violent and faster, in a vein similar to bands such as
EyeHateGod or
Soilent Green. In fact, they show from time to time clear
death metal influences, especially in the vocal department thanks to the singer
Rafał Strzemieczny, that's really expressive and versatile since he ranges from death metal growls to hysterical screams, managing even to create very good vocal lines (like in "
Epileptic Creations"). But I think that the nicer thing comes from the
hardcore punkish influences of Parh, that makes
more intense their sound, as shown by "
We Are" and, above all, by "
Violent Time" (nomen omen), whose title is a
whole program because it is a furious 35-second circa slaughter containing also blast-beats in its final, grinding moments. As last thing about them, I must say that, contrarily to O.D.R.A, Parh don't seem to be fans of the guitar solos, even though the only one, present in "
Control", is surprisingly technical, if not even virtuosistic.
Said also about a 8-page booklet with no lyrics sheet and where there are mostly curious images and even not so conventional band pics (see above), both the bands are
good without any doubts but I think that you have understood
I largely prefer Parh (
rating: 73) than
O.D.R.A (
rating: 70). This because Parh, that are used to play in
hardcore punk gigs as well with bands of pure impact as the mighty
R.O.D., present a more violent, intense and also various style if compared with O.D.R.A (that, in the meantime, have a new bassplayer in the person of
Świta), that, instead, sounds more traditional and predictable. I told you that I prefer the slow metal when
it's strongly mixed with the intensity of hardcore punk!
Tracklist:
O.D.R.A:
1 - Ghetto WUWA
2 - Seria 1305
3 - AgendaSystem
4 - Trzonolinowiec
Parh:
5 - Flies (intro)
6 - Damnation
7 - We Are
8 - Epileptic Creations
9 - Bobby L.
10 - Violent Time
11 - Control
O.D.R.A's line-up:
Tomasz Osiński - vocals
Andrzej Walochnik - guitars
Jȩdrzej Wroński - bass
Kamil Ziólkowski - drums
Parh's line-up:
Rafał Strzemieczny - vocals
Robert Passon - guitars
Krzysztof Bednarski - guitars
Mariusz Śmigielski - bass
Piotr Śmigielski - drums
O.D.R.A: https://www.facebook.com/odraband/
Parh: https://www.facebook.com/parhband/
Mythrone Promotion: https://www.facebook.com/mythroneprom
Defense Records: https://www.facebook.com/defensemerch
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