You'd think after the frenzied opener "The Oracle of Nassau" that Pyrrhon's latest release The Mother of Virtues is going to be an exercise in maniacal grind. Well, by track two, "White Flag", this Brooklyn band then dives into sludgy, doom laden death metal, complete with plenty of experimental noises that border on free-jazz. It's that kind of album; nothing is as it seems, and though the band label themselves as a death metal act, there's nothing typical about this release whatsoever. "Sleeper Agent" sees monstrous growls combating huge bass grooves and herky-jerky guitar riffs that wouldn't sound out of place on a King Crimson record, while "Balkanized" has enough dissonant guitar mayhem to please any fan of Gorguts. The lengthy, brooding "Eternity in a Breath" is pure psychedelic prog, and the band shows their brutal hardcore side with the punishing "Invisible Injury". Just to make things interesting, Pyrrhon even dips into their bag of tricks even further with the black metal influenced "The Parasite in Winter", a raging slab of mayhem and one of the most chaotic songs on the album. And, why not end the album with the epic sludge title track? Sure, it's that kind of album.
In retrospect, there's almost too much going on here, the plethora of styles sure to drive some listeners crazy, but you have to give these guys kudos for delivering a pretty unconventional extreme metal album with The Mother of Virtues. It may not be an easy listen at times, but fascinating it certainly is.
Track Listing
1 The Oracle of Nassau
2. White Flag
3. Sleeper Agent
4. Balkanized
5. Eternity in a Breath
6. Implant Fever
7. Invisible Injury
8. The Parasite in Winter
9. The Mother of Virtues
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