Pombagira are not a band for those with any form of attention deficit disorder as fans of theirs will surely attest. Always creative and always entertaining, it could still sometimes be a bit of a slog getting through a full album, and their last album ‘Iconoclast Dream’ was a case in point. In terms of musicianship and composition it was a triumph as ever, but comprising of one song and clocking in at nearly three quarters of an hour, it tested the endurance of even the most ardent fan; myself included when I saw them perform it live. Since then they have announced a retirement from live performances; which is a shame as anyone who has seen them and realised what an impressive sound two people can generate will agree, yet rather than signal a death knell for the band they have decided to concentrate their efforts on developing their style and exploring new ideas and soundscapes, and it all begins with this, ‘Maleficia Lamiah’.
Firstly we get double the amount of tracks on this release over the last one making a grand total of 2, but there is no effort spared on them. Clearly the retreat from the live arena is showing through in the material as they experiment with sounds and styles not yet dabbled with, and that is where this one could well split fans. The major change is Pete’s vocals, switching from his usual low rumbling growls to a higher pitch clean style vocal. As much as this is going to make a few people take a step back, give it a chance because it doesn’t take long to realise that this sounds far more suited to the music than the growls. Retaining the overall deep rumbling doom tones, there is also a strong hint of the psychedelic here on the title track, especially after the five minute mark where the first movement of the song fades out and transitions from a brief moment of relaxation into a Hawkwind or Amon Duul II style trip of progressive psychadelica. Carolyn’s drumming here is first class as she moves things along with an insistent rhythm, whilst Pete’s minimalist guitar work provides the perfect counterpoint. By the point that the track comes full circle and we return to the original riff it sounds absolutely enormous, especially in context with the lighter passages that preceded it. It’s a seriously hypnotic piece and is over far sooner than you would imagine for a track of this length.
Second and final track ‘Grave Cardinal’ offers more of the same, using their trademark crushing weighty sound to provide an excellent foil for lighter more nuanced prog and psychadelica. The main riff and vocal exchange within is sublime, featuring a beautiful female backing vocal that is simple but haunting. I’ll make a small confession here in that I was listening to this on the train last week and became so drawn in and enveloped in the music that I completely missed my stop by a good ten minutes, although they were 10 minutes well spent!
I know a few people who are going to take some time to adjust to Pombagira’s slight shift in direction, but I can honestly say after listening to this for the past couple of weeks that I believe that this is their finest work to date. The depth of composition is labyrinthine and the whole experience is hypnotic and engaging and at no time feels like a burden or chore as they were occasionally guilty of in the past. To lose them from the live arena is a disappointment, but if it means more music of this quality in the future then it is a sacrifice worth making.
(8.5/10 Lee Kimber)
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