A ritual of delirium gathered from subterranean nodes set to catalyze a three-tier series of terminal summons this ninth full-length album from Sevilla, Spain-based avant-garde drone/doom metal ordo PYLAR manifests dread as dark power within four captivating constellatory acts. Proposed as a marriage of abstract spiritual/metaphysical search and extreme tonal gouge ‘Delyrio‘ celebrates the post-deliriant stature of the mind, a brimming state of fixated disorientation used to commune with unseen, unnamed forces. In slightly more concrete terms the group’s unique form of organische psychedelic drone/doom ventures deeper into extreme metal texture and tone within these ritualized otherworldly performances, an imposing step taken beyond the cosmic horror imbued trilogy that’d preceded it.

Inspired by their explorations of prehistoric religion and the occult Pylar have been active in various configuration since 2012, an act of musica speculativa from folks behind avant-doom troupe Orthodox and experimental rock formation Blooming Látigo among others. Intent as it translates to a ‘network of meaning’ for the listener, and performer for that matter, is a key part of their expression wherein the connection between the inspiration, performance and effect of their work is holistic in consideration. What this means in praxis is costumed performances and experimental works which’ve long shared similar purpose of invocation, often likening their work to ceremonial gatherings intending commune and call to ancient earthly forces.

Since I’d already poured over much of the band’s discography in review of their seventh album (‘Abysmos‘, 2022) that’ll serve as decent enough preamble here, though I’d generally recommend the three albums prior to this one as precedence. Following the mind-rending cosmic horror-fed trilogy that’d concluded with (‘L​í​myte‘, 2023) this new album is suggested as the first part of a final trilogy from the group which is, by my measure, an even darker beginning of the end. Seeking to embody the intensity of an irrational hallucinatory state in flux ‘Delyrio‘ uses the root effects of (extreme) metal vernacular as a point of generation for displaced, out-of-bodied pieces often guided by sprawling percussion, warped guitar tones, and diverse vocal expression. The effect is neither a psychedelic jam nor something like earlier atmosludgers Neurosis‘ use of ‘tribal’ percussion but also not so far from either in general tonal and performance-guided appeal. In the past I’ve compared some of Pylar‘s textural, outsider thinking and foreboding presence to everything from Oranssi Pazuzu to Chaos Echœs and I believe that better prompts the unearthly grit and ominous-yet-experimental temperature of their work.

We aren’t getting (many) rock beats, big doom metal riffs, or any sort of popular music angle here on ‘Delyrio‘ though we aren’t served pure noise either, instead a form of fire pit circling body music immersed in cavernous resound and given to entranced rhythmic movement. Feeling the tumble-and-slap of the beat and locking into the furore available is the biggest ask here for the participant, but Pylar have always been consistent in putting affecting, or at least adventurous movement to tape. The “metal” aspect of this work comes by way of ominous tones and the rawly growling dark-fuzz of their guitar tone given to performances which wander between despondent neo-psych drawl, screaming feedback/divebombing scourge and Dark Buddha Rising type ritualistic chop, as we find on opener “Apoteosis” and parts of “Enajenación”. The distortion slinging part of their gig is mostly set up front on Side A, lending growling direction and sinister tone to highly expressive vocal performances which act as the great spectacle of the release front to back.

Split in two equal halves and resembling two distinct planes ‘Delyrio‘ stands out for its engaging percussion, a strong tempo map feeding a fluid sense of movement to Pylar‘s fixations, often hanging on the verge of stream-of-consciousness expression at each pieces apex. Organic dark psychedelic sound design and all manner of out of this world synth, sample and such help the experience to gel into singularity as the ranting, often vocally driven nature of each piece transforms in unpredictive but never unrelated direction. Though some parts of this album offer a ‘jammed’ psychedelic edge of sorts, especially “Adoración”, the structure of the total adventure doesn’t necessarily read as pure improvisation and to my ear retains the intentioned coherence the band’ve fostered in most all of their works.

“Enajenación” is probably the best piece to extrapolate the surreal sensation of unplanned movements in the context of a composed, full-bodied act of depressurization. The first half of the piece enacts its despondent, crypt whispered jangling dread ritual in jagged wander but soon builds toward dense, at-times math metallic/noise rock pummel. Beyond “Apotheosis” this offers the major riff action of the full listen, reflecting Side A‘s impact via companion piece (closer “Enardecimiento”) which brings its own chasmic descent into noise collage off of that momentum. Both halves of the experience relate to/resemble one another most clearly through their rhythms, conjuring similarly dynamic effect though each presents a distinct tonal movement. I’d found this effectively immersive, transfixing as expected but also heavier, darker edged than ever.

The overall effect of ‘Delyrio‘ is abysmal-spiritual, an activation of the depths of surreal gnosis in service to the band’s depictions of the unknown, and resonance which flows unpredictably in surround. There is a certain open-air magickry incited within Pylar‘s work which entertains well beyond the usual introverted droning doom act, a real-yet-surreal sense of expansive space which they fill with these rapturous feats. Likewise the curation of the actual product, featuring exceptional artwork from longtime collaborator Gonzalo Santana, continues to define the enduring yet evolving signature of the troupe’s work. For my own taste it is one of the more evocative and immersive works from the group and an easy selection from their discography for fans of experimental drone, sludge and avant-garde doom to start with. A high recommendation.

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