Gautier Serre best known by stage name Igorrr is back with yet another offering of madness. In case you’ve missed out all this while, Igorrr’s music has been this insane fusion of the genres ranging from Baroque influences to Drum and Bass to all kinds of complex and heavy stuff that probably cannot be labeled. I remember the excitement that came with reviewing Igorrr’s previous album ‘Savage Sinusoid’. I was blown away by the musical potential and possibilities that was made real in the album. Everything about it was top notch. So there would be no reason for me to not be excited for Igorrr’s latest offering ‘Spirituality and Distortion’. There is so much happening on the album it is unbelievable. First off, how does one place the sound into perspective? The album is pretty much a party in every sense of the term. Quite rightly, the albums sound like a heavy album, but fun like a carnival. Would it be weird to call the album’s sound as ‘carnival metal’? Maybe not since we are already deep diving into Igorrr’s world.

The album opens up filled with versatility. The slew of instrumental work from oriental sounds converging into a heavy steady metal segment then diversifies into so many things. “Downgrade Desert” is a fantastic opening, places an emotional vibe in the front-line of the overall sound and composition of the music. “Nervous Waltz” is another fantastic track. The song already cements the album as a compositional masterpiece just two tracks in and pretty much lays a foundation for the album to consolidate itself as a compositional masterpiece.   “Hollow Tree” takes one back to a small air of familiarity from the previous record. But this is pretty much an evolution from where many of the sounds of the previous album left us. “Parpaing”, “Musette Maximum”, “Himalayan Massive Ritual” and “Lost in Introspection” are some of the finest works not just from the album but also from Igorrr’s discography so far. The music sets a new standard in what it means to have a very concise musical direction and a nuanced understanding of how different sounds can be beautifully blended into one seamless song. “Paranoid Bulldozer” is full of the typical glitch work and articulations of Igorrr’s music. Its oddly a summation of the Igorrr’s metal arrangements and electronic crossovers. “Barocco Satani” is an exceptionally peaceful and atmospheric sounding track but not really in the conventional sense. Conventionality has no meaning in Igorrr’s universe. It’s really all about the context within this musical universe. The tranquil quickly transitions into moments of gripping tension towards the end extraordinarily well. “Kung-Fu Chèvre” ends the album. This song too stands out in the record with its beautiful vocal arrangements that are so fluid with each other. The instrumental sections gradually layer each other and beautifully work together with the singing even though the sounds of the instrumental sections and the singing wouldn’t normally sound like a well-meaning couple together. In this case, its a match made in heaven.

‘Spirituality and Distortion” is another mind-bending album by Igorrr and the superb band. Every album gets better and this record is really at the epoch of fusion music. Igorrr’s use of rhythmic possibilities coupled with a nuanced sense of tonality makes possible musical combinations that might sound like a mess otherwise. The mix and production quality is next to none. The sheer madness that went into the music by itself makes the production of this album an insane project, to begin with. The quality of the album’s mix is a lesson for audio engineers and musicians alike. I guess this is what stepping up one’s game really sounds like. If the musical world wasn’t already tasteful enough, ‘Spirituality and Distortion’ makes this world a million times more delicious. From the bass to the drums to the electronics to the vocals to the guitars and keys to the ethnic instruments, everything comes together exceptionally well- a true mark of a genius composition that is cross-temporal and well, anachronistic at times. This is an album that simply cannot be missed.