Ufomammut – Oro: Opus Alter

1. Oroborus
2. Luxon
3. Sulphurdew
4. Sublime
5. Deityrant
“Italian psychedelic sludge purveyors present “Opus Alter”, the second half of their new album “Oro”. The first half is the album, “Opus Primum”. As with all previous albums, the concepts behind “Oro” are expansive and multi-faceted, mutating the Italian palindrome which translates to “gold” with the Latin translation of “I prey”. “Oro” is the alchemical process to transform the human fears into pure essence; into Gold. Although “Oro’s” two chapters are released months apart from each other, they must be considered as a single track in which the musical themes and the sounds show up and hide, mutating and evolving, progressively and increasingly stratifying culminating in the crushing final movement. “Oro” is like an alchemic laboratory in which substances are flowing, dividing and blending themselves in ten increments from the alembics and stills, culminating into the creation of Gold.”
“”Opus Alter” proudly takes up the torch from its forebear, “Opus Primum” to form the second half of “Oro”, an exploration of “knowledge and power” the band insists should be approached as one whole experience. And altogether, it works; the two halves complement each other effortlessly, combining to create one enormous, uncompromising but satisfying listening prospect. Where “Primum” often worked towards textured heaviness, crushing your ears into willing submission by way of slow accumulation of layers, “Alter” is somewhat less formal, decked out in the sort of unashamedly bludgeoning, sledgehammer statement riffs to make Mastodon cry. Not to say “Primum” wasn’t already heavy as fuck, but if that first half was the wild eyed stranger who coaxed you into the alley for a toke of his funny-looking cigarette, “Alter” is the point at which you realise you’re smoking a neutron star.”
“Despite its directness, this is still music that is entirely nuanced, always delivering new subtleties on repeated listens and always startling in its ability to plumb new depths of numbing heaviness. To put it bluntly there’s a lot going on here at any given moment, and it’s been engineered to digest over a long time.”
All That Is Heavy, Nick Hagan
LP album
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