PIJN- ‘Loss’
There’s a chance that Pijn get passed over. The Manchester-based outfit specialise in ambient drones, fraught, repeating noise, and the slowest of slow-burning post-metal. And this, their first full-length is over an hour of musical catharsis made without approval or acceptance in mind. Perhaps you expect nothing less from a paean to grief in all of its forms written by a band whose name translates as pain in Dutch, but let’s just confirm that ‘Loss’ is not easy listening. However, from the stuttering riff at the start of ‘Denial’, to the eerie ending of ‘Squander’, the record is worth a ton of your time and effort. On first listen it might just be moments- the sombre piano and soft, rare vocals of ‘Detach’, the rising terror in the second half of ‘Distress’- and the influence of genreless powerhouses like Mogwai, Russian Circles, and Converge that stick. But repeat listens reveal carefully, cleverly orchestrated tracks, and a bold, deft diversity that promises much more to come. Pass over Pijn at your peril.
