Review by JD on October 30, 2008.

The term Epicurean literally means 'person devoted to luxurious living and outwardly full pleasures'. An odd naming for a band who's sound barrels out on you like a run away semi truck and forces you to never ignore... yet in listening to the band called Epicurean , the moniker really does fit well with the music. It is a full pleasure to listen to them on so many levels.

Musically, it is a great mixture of Death Metal matching up with the complexity of Prog Metal as well. Ever razor sharp note that flies out seemed to bring us closer to what the band wants, using amazing orchestration that only adds to the heavy brutality of every beat that they fire out of the earphones... showing that smart music can have melodies that are catchy as all hell.

Check out the so amazing lyrics on 'The Burden of Eternity'. Each word is haunting and beautiful all at the same time, drawing in the listener to the story that lies within. It is almost like the band took the great lyric writing that is in Doom Metal, added in the amazing musicianship of Prog metal.. And ending up as if they have fashioned a genus all of their own.

Whether you see the band as Progressive Metal, Death Metal, Nu-Metal or something else all together, you cant help but to take notice of the bands boundless originality that oozes out. Epicurean really does bridge the gaps between many factions of metal and ends up standing loud and proud on the metal landscape. Metal Blade has gotten another great band to be unleashed.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 9
Originality: 8
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by Adam M on February 18, 2016.

Oranssi Pazuzu performs a warped take on black metal. It has post elements and otherwise. The sound is somewhat atonal and makes for a unique listen.

The music here is droning and repetitive, but puts up a psychedelic haze over everything. The songs approach noise, but there is always enough melody at work to alleviate this impression. These distorted rhythms are affecting and hold your interest for long periods of time. It’s hard to categorize this music because there isn’t much else that is like it at the moment. There are a variety of moods that are created by the music. The most prominent one is a contemplative type that makes you think about yourself in a fine fashion. This is interesting, but at the same time there is a small lack of excitement here. It comes across to me that the music is just a little too sparse and could be bolstered by a fuller sound. The mood is dark, but not evil sounding. The overall effect is a subtle one that gets under the skin. Adding to the drawn out nature of the recording is a long running time. For some people this will be an all-around interesting experience, but I believe it might drag a bit for others. There is simply not a huge enough sound to become attached to. The music tends to fade into the background a bit overall. Given the right listener, however, there is a lot to like on this album. Opening track Saturaatio is certainly a highlight and creates a nice dystopic mood. It sets the tone for the rest of the release nicely.

The bottom line is that some may consider this a noise endeavor, but the atmosphere reaches further into the realms of black metal. Varahtelija also is an album that has an impact from the black metal atmospheres it creates. Fans of ambient type stuff will find something to enjoy here for sure.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10