Review: Onségen Ensemble – Fear

Style: Post-Rock (clean vocals)
Review by: Callum
Country: Finland
Release date: November 20, 2020

It turns out that I only had half an idea of what to expect from the Onségen Ensemble since post-rock bands are a dime a dozen these days. The fact that this Finnish group rotates members every year or so, or ‘generation’ as they refer to it, seemed like a novel way to keep a band’s sound from stagnating while also drawing on talent from the wider music scene in Northern Finland. They diverge from traditional concepts of post-rock almost immediately in Fear, however, as the music flows between meditative, tribal chanting grooves and riffs that could have come straight from the Adam Jones/Justin Chancellor playbook. The ensemble is far from reaching zeuhl levels of weird, but the record is certainly a psychedelic journey that successfully paints some deeply cinematic landscapes.

With ten credited band members on Fear it is a wonder the record is as coherent and focused as it is. It is unclear what each member contributed but there are plenty of layers of instrumentation from the usual suspects plus trumpets, flutes and a didgeridoo, which all add to the tribal or spiritual feel when in concert with dark chanting and choral vocals. “Non-Returner” and “Stellar” are full of great guitar riffs that the other instruments add colour to, and the bass is a consistent driving force that spurs the tracks onwards.

The other interesting flavour that shines through in this iteration of the ensemble is the Ennio Morricone-style spaghetti western soundtrack, and it works phenomenally well. Take the jangly, reverb-laden guitar intro to “Earthless” for example. The guitar is joined by a flutist, and then that classic Morricone trumpet sets in as well as grandiose tubular bells and the signature jaw harp. The human voice is also notably used for its instrumental abilities rather than serving a melodic purpose. While these western movie soundtrack elements build, the guitar flits between providing traditional fender twangs and more modern sounding post-rock riffs that maintain the darkness featured heavily throughout the album. The incorporation of such seemingly incongruous elements is a testament to the composition abilities of these ten artists.

There are a couple of tracks that shake up the trance-inducing psychedelia with unsettling fever-dream sequences. The doomy bass riff in “The Lament of Man” that gets progressively heavier and faster as the song pulses on captures the attention should one lose focus. The constant building up and layering of more instruments after every resolution of the main riff in “Sparrow’s Song” is effective. “Satyagrahi”, the semi-spoken word album closer, is a personal favourite and features the most complete and satisfying finish to any of the tracks. My largest critique of the album comes down to my desire for what I want or expect the music to do versus what the music is intended to do. From their website, Fear is a “mystical trip with excursions into wonderfully cinematic and flamboyant landscapes.” It’s a spiralling, spiritual record that encourages introspection, whereas when I hear how well the western soundtrack elements fit with the post- sounds of the ensemble, I crave the payoffs from “The Ecstasy of Gold” or “The Trio” that were likely not intended to feature on Fear.

Recommended tracks: Non-Returner, Stellar, Satyagrahi
Recommended for fans of: Nordic Giants, Tool, Ennio Morricone Soundtracks
Final verdict: 7.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Label: Svart Records – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook