If one of you ever had the pleasure of watching Luis Buñuel terrific movie called “Las Hurdes, Tierra Sin Pan” (Las Hurdes, Land Without Bread), you may have a slight idea of what this record may sound like, you can even add those Ennio Morricone soundtracks for the films of Sergio Leone, and the idea might be complete.

Orthodox is a band form Mother Spain, and the laziest way to describe them is the “Spanish version of Sunn O)))”, but hey kids, let’s use those neurons, and try to get into one of the most exciting and unique records of last year.

Coming from a band who issued before two powerful, drone/doom records (Gran Poder and Amanecer En Puerta OScura), Orthodox direction was set from their second recording, Amanecer…, where it was obvious that this Spanish trio was coming on their own, as more and more acoustic instruments were present, tormented flamenco vocals surfaced and free jazz-like flashes appeared, as I like to say, for a moment Orthodox became the world’s slowest free jazz band.

Sentencia is their third opus, a chance to leave the doom tag and the Sunn O))) comparisons behind, as electric instruments rarely appear here, some electric guitars and church organ maybe, but very little, just to augment the moodiness and to not let you forget where they are coming from.

Imagine if a demented jam between Sonny Sharrock, Charles Mingus, Sunny Murray, Cecil Taylor and Camaron De La Isla took place and it went one for 3 or 4 days, these is the sound our exhausted free jazzmen would get after those extensive improvisational session, put them in the middle of the desert, under the fierce sun and you will understand what this is all about.

Stabs of piano, superb acoustic bass work, and a spacious pain filled drumming, is what you get, and if you ever heard of Spanish flamenco legend Camaron de la Isla, these is the way Camaron de la Isla corpse may sing if he was resurrected in a weird voodoo ritual.

Orthodox is obviously fighting here with all their might, for a identity all of their own, if their monk robes distract you, forget about the visuals, the visuals are in their music, the hot burning desert, the hunger and the desperation, it’s all here, Marcha de la Sangre is a beautiful hymn-like dirge, with powerful Morricone-Spaghetti Western-trumpets, Ascención may be a reference to their Catholic roots or perhaps to Joh Coltrane record Ascension ( I prefer the later),as the free jazz influence is strongly felt here, and last, but not least is …y la Muerte No Tendra Dominio, wonderfully titled song, it starts with church organ, a repetitive-droning movement, very minimal, pushed forward by the sparse drums and some skronking electric guitar noise.

Orthodox handled to us these profound masterpiece last year, perhaps few listened, well if you were one of those few, congratulations, because you were witness of one of the best records made last year, and also you are witness of the thru Ascensión of one of the world´s leading avant-garde sound extremists.

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