Sludge trio Pyrithe let their post-metal influences shine on their first proper studio recording, Monuments to Impermanence. Throughout the album, the band oscillates from quiet to loud and restrained to heavy. This is made particularly clear on the album’s penultimate track, “Ekphrastik I.”
Starting with angular, progressive sludge riffs, Pyrithe gain momentum and intensity until the band is moving at a blast beat-driven pace. Without warning, the track fades into feedback and clean guitar notes. Monuments to Impermanence features various guests including members of Pyrrhon and Noltem, but Pyrithe do it solo on “Ekphrastik I.”
“‘Ekphrastik I’ is one of the five tracks written and performed entirely by the core Pyrithian trio and demonstrates our more melodic and upbeat tendencies, which may come as a surprise to people who have only heard the first single,” the band says. “The songwriting approach here is pretty typical, starting with a basic riff and expanding on it through jamming and improvisation. We say ‘yes, and…’ a lot in the practice space, which can take us to some conventionally unexpected places. Nothing is off limits as long as it sounds like us.”
Listen to the new single below. Monuments to Impermanence is out April 29 on Gilead Media.