No Vikings, No Space, Still a Really Cool Concept Album: PARUSÍA's Y SU NOCHE NO TENDRA FINAn intriguing concept album based on the true story of a late 19th century Andalusian anarchist group called La Mano Negra (“the black hand”) which rose in opposition to the despotic Spanish government, Y Su Noche No Tendrá Fin (“And the Night Will Not End”), a 2014 album by Jerez, Spain-based quartet Parusía, focuses specifically on the execution of seven day laborers who were blamed for crimes supposedly committed by La Mano Negra in 1884. The existence of the anarchist gang has never been firmly established, and the executions have for the most part been viewed as part of a government plan to quell labor revolts taking place in the countryside at the time. Since these actual events happened in the band’s own home town, there’s a more personal and affecting tone to Y Su Noche... than one would expect from the typical, more fantasy-based concept album. The work certainly capture the sense of tragedy one would expect given the situation, and though it trades largely in sounds that I would equate with the world of hardcore punk or metal, there’s a definite post-rock feel to some of the music heard here.The album begins with a rousing introduction track called “Cajas Destemplás” (“out of tune snare drums”) which presents text from a speech by Andalusian nationalist figure Blas Infante spoken over quiet drum swipes and distant guitar drone. Grinding, gnawing guitars and occasional drum accents signal the start of “Brumas de Desesperanza” (“Mists of Despair”), which slowly builds from its minimalistic opening into a straight-up stoner metal jam by the two minute mark. With crashing cymbal and thick guitar tone, the piece effectively establishes a downbeat atmosphere which is only further accentuated by a lonely slower section which pops up around the halfway point of the nearly ten-minute song. Built around resonant bass and a jangling, mournful guitar, this secondary motif seems to suggest a remote, wind-blown town, but things change up again in the song’s furious coda, one which introduces intense, throaty, screamed vocals, aggressive strumming patterns, and frenzied drumming. Ultimately, this second track throws a bit of everything into the mix, and lets a listener know that all bets are off with regard to what this album will offer up.The folky intro to third track “Víctimas De Una Sinrazón” (“victims of outrage”), which features a twangy Flamenco melody and handclap rhythm, ends abruptly once deliberately chugged guitar and bass lead into the song’s more desperate second section. Full of pummeling drums and a thunderous buzz of guitar chords, this segment is followed by a relatively restrained but doomy middle section and a final thrashing chorus that takes the song to its conclusion. Though it may have the album’s most tortured and agonizing passage during its midsection, “Secretos en la Oscuridad” (“secrecies in darkness”) kicks off with a more tinny-sounding, trumpeting guitar riff and lengthy snare roll which segues into a galloping, uptempo verse that may be as obviously punk rock as the album gets.Despite some vocal passages, “La Misma Muerte Que Hoy Nos Separa, Nos Reunirá Algún Día” (“the same death that today separates us, will join us again someday”) is similar in terms of its sound and construction to a piece one might expect from the likes of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, working through various dynamic and tempo changes on its way to an almost transcendent ending. The post-rock vibe continues on “Vuestro Silencio Os Hace Complices” (“your silence makes you accomplices”). Starting out peacefully, the band then powers through a devastating section of churning thrash metal before letting loose with somehow-calming but shrieky guitar solo finale. The album’s title track closes things out with a combination of silence and a flowing, low-pitched and gloomy melody. The sound of cackling birds solidifies the haunting vibe of the track, ending the record on a unsettling note.Performed entirely in Spanish, the fact that some listeners won’t understand the lyrics may lessen the album’s appeal. That said, I found Y Su Noche No Tendrá Fin to be quite a memorable album despite the fact that I couldn’t understand a word that was said on it (worth noting: lyric translations and a brief explanation of the events that inspired the album are included in the accompanying booklet). Working from this source material, it would have been easy for a group like Parusía to make a bunch of really angry songs and call it a day, but they’ve taken the notion of this concept album much further than that. In the end, Y Su Noche... is very evocative, precisely capturing the underlying tragedy of the 1884 executions. It’s certainly interesting to examine the events that inspired this album in the context of a modern society in which government still seems to have it out for the working class, and I’d enthusiastically recommend this musically-accomplished, artistically-satisfying work to any and all interested parties.Andy Armageddon BANDJACK.

Originating from Spain, Parusia is what you could call one of the neo crust bands. That is that the core of their music has that raw punk vibe, but it has been enhanced by the addition of elements from sludge, stoner and a bit of a blackened outlook in parts. In addition to all that, Parusia is also very keen on building ambiances for their songs, something that becomes apparent from the intro to the album, “Cajas Destemplas,” with the spoken parts in Spanish giving a quite mystical air to the part alongside the tribal drums. It actually makes for quite a distinct opening for an album, and from that point on Parusia takes you on a rollercoaster ride through their musical endeavors.What comes next with “Brumas de Desesperanza” is what I can only describe as a sludge/stoner anthem. For the duration of this song, Parusia get down to business, giving it a sickening groove as the guitars lead the way. With the distortion high and the feeling fitting perfectly, they build up the track through its repetitive riffing. For most of the duration of the song, the band will continue to beat you down relentlessly with their stonerized vision, before they suddenly break into a clean psychedelic part. Halfway through the song, Parusia take on their more trippy and welcoming self to change the pace. The minimal drums and the sweet guitar parts work great for the song. The band makes use of that approach on quite a few occasions in Y Su Noche No Tendra Fin. For instance, the start of “Victimas De Una Sinrazon” reveals a return to the roots, featuring a Spanish guitar, as does the clean part in “La Misma Muerte Que Hoy Nos Separa, Nos Reunira Algun Dia.”But that is also when the core of Parusia comes into view. Straight off the clean part in “Brumas de Desesperanza,” the band unleashes a blackened crust wave of hate. The screaming vocals alongside the blasting drums reveal the extent to which Parusia will travel. “Victimas De Una Sinrazon” soon follows with the punk feeling at large once more, giving more drive to the song. In other cases, Parusia might go towards a rocky type of sound, as they do in the start of “Secretos En La Oscuridad,” soon turning towards the sound of the great crust bands with the drums leading the charge. On the other hand, “Vuestro Silencio Os Hace Complices” finds them somewhere between a black metal sound and a crust attitude, with the dissonant quality of the guitars and the drumming patterns stealing the show.But when there is need for a proper sledgehammer to land, Parusia go towards a sludge-infused direction. The slow torturous riffs of “Victimas De Una Sinrazon” give more depth and impact to the song with their powerful lines, as the lead guitars work wonders without the need to be too flashy. Especially parts such in “La Misma Muerte Que Hoy Nos Separa, Nos Reunira Algun Dia” reveal just how heavy Parusia’s sound can get, and all that while the desperate vocals wreak havoc and the guitars approach a huge sound.What really is key in Y Su Noche No Tendra Fin is how Parusia is able to switch between their different modes. They can throw stoner riffs at you, making a sudden change to psychedelic parts and then to full-blown crust outbreaks. They are able to lay acoustic ambient parts and then take them down without any warning before they go on a blackened assault. And no matter how dark or bitter their music gets, they will still offer some sickening leads that will finish the job. Definitely a band to look out for.Spyros CVLT NATION.