19/09/25
METAL BLADE RECORDS
Words by Daryl Daryl
Amen is an expertly composed series of musical adventures, where modern metal chug collides with an eclectic storm of styles: death and black metal, electronica, dance, math rock, jazz, baroque, and classical.
The promo material rightly makes a fuss about the dizzying range of instruments on display. On Amen – Igorrr’s unclassifiable fifth album – Gautier Serre pushes boundaries further than ever, harnessing a church choir, a Tibetan dung-chen horn, a rusty rock-cutting saw, a blacksmith’s anvil, and even a piano attacked with an excavator. Add to this operatic vocals, harps, theremins, and more, and you begin to understand the scope.
But here’s the real question: does it work?
The answer is yes – absolutely. While some compromises in production (familiar drum triggers, compressed guitar tones) keep things tethered to metal convention, the sheer invention in songcraft outweighs them. The flow of each track feels both surprising and inevitable, as if the twists and turns were preordained. That ability to shock and comfort at the same time is the mark of real compositional maturity.
The result is a rollercoaster: short blasts, sprawling odysseys, noise barrages, and dizzying stylistic leaps that can leave you exhilarated, giddy, and occasionally queasy. It’s as if Napalm Death and The Prodigy had a demented, multi-instrumentalist lovechild.
Highlights abound, with heavyweight guest appearances raising the stakes: Trey Spruance (Mr Bungle) joins the chaos on Blastbeat Falafel, Scott Ian (Anthrax, Mr Bungle) stomps through Mustard Mucous, and Mike Leon (Soulfly) makes his mark across multiple tracks, including Daemoni and Headbutt. Lily Refrain and Timba Harris add further texture, weaving in everything from operatic howls to violin firestorms.
If you’re looking for easy hooks or big singalong choruses, you won’t find them here – that’s not the point. Instead, Amen delivers intensity, invention, and an experience unlike anything else in metal today. Igorrr’s blend of surprise and coherence keeps you hooked, even when the ride gets disorientating.
This won’t be for everyone – nor should it be – but for the adventurous listener, Amen is a must. I’ll be going back to revisit Igorrr’s earlier records with fresh ears.
