French band Pelegrin return with a new album four years after their debut “Al-Mahruqa.” Titled “Ways Of Avicenna,” it was released on February 17, 2023 and contains 6 long-form tracks. Ethereal guitar arpeggios open “Madrassa,” to which the vocals are added and slowly increase in intensity. The band’s Atmospheric and Psychedelic sounds are steeped in Stoner, giving the song a fresh, modern feel. Alternating between sung and instrumental parts with the guitar as the protagonist, it flows nicely and immerses us immeditely in the sounds of the record. The album’s longest track “Thunderstorm” features an intro with dilated guitar and vocal sounds, while the rhythm section moves slowly. A mixture of more Psychedelic passages and Heavy openings, with scratchy distorted guitar riffs, while the structure of the track is enriched with tempo changes and solid, elaborate drumming. The vocal parts are intense and full of pathos, and follow the crescendo evolution of the song, which offers interesting guitar work in both riffs and solo cues. “Reach for the Sun” is a track that incorporates melodies with Oriental traits to an Atmospheric Rock with melancholic features. A deep, load-bearing bass line creates together with solid drumming a rhythmical section that follows the alternation of softer and other Heavy parts. Melodic singing acts as a counterbalance to the instrumental sections where guitar distortions bring the sound into a more Heavy territory. in the final part the song ends in a crescendo with a good guitar solo insert. The shortest track in duration “Disgrace,” with 2:35 minutes, features chitrarra arpeggios and a warm, expressive vocal. A gentle passage, it shows the softer side of the band’s sound. Returning to the band’s classic sounds “Mystical Appeal” is a good mix of Psychedelia and Rock with Atmospheric traits with forays into Stoner. Fresh and modern, with its alternation of vocal and instrumental partsin which the guitar stands out and a killer bassline gives body to the song. Between lysergic and dilated passages and openings with scratchy distortions, it enhances the band’s compositional and performing technique, both on instruments and in vocals. The album ends with “Forsaken Land” characterized by a softer introductory part with melodic singing. The intensity increases as the minutes go by, evolving the sound with fine guitar work and long instrumental sections. The tempo changes allow mixing different genres and styles and switching from more Psychedelic moments to more Heavy and Stoner traits. A band that offers a sound that incorporates elements of Psychedelia and Stoner, alternating more dilated and lysergic passages with more Heavy ones. In line with the new evolutions of the genre, this record is smooth from start to finish with just the right amount of vocal and instrumental parts, in which the guitar stands out. Solid rhythm sections with solid drumming and deep, load-bearing bass lines, while the vocal parts are dynamic and expressive. A good listen for all lovers of modern sounds between Psychedelic Rock and Stoner.
Tracklist
01. Madrassa (05:04)
02. Thunderstorm (07:25)
03. Reach for the Sun (06:07)
04. Disgrace (02:35)
05. Mystical Appeal (07:23)
06. Forsaken Land (06:59)
Lineup
François Roze de Gracia / Guitars and Vocals
Jason Recoing / Bass Guitar and Backing Vocals
Antoine Ebel / Drums and Percussions
Alexandre Haquet / Synth (Madrassa)
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