Pythagoras, the new Pyramids album nine years in the making, is set for release in 2025 via avant-tastemakers The Flenser. Yet another daring study in genre synthesis, the band continues to push boundaries in both sound and aesthetic, blending jagged fragments of black metal and shoegaze as they have done since their influential 2008 Hydra Head Records debut, only this time adding the unconventional layers of reggaeton and neoperreo to both voice and rhythm.
Named after the ancient Greek philosopher, Pythagoras represents the band’s ongoing commitment to innovation, and the perpetual juxtaposition of the delicate and the devastating, embracing complex musical structures and rhythms that both challenge and captivate the listener. At the heart of the album lies an intricate balance between aggressive blast beats and the syncopated pulse of reggaeton’s signature dembow rhythm—a concept born from founder Rich Loren Balling’s own immersion in both extreme music and pop genres.
To bring the album’s vision to life, Pyramids enlisted vocalist Emy Smith, whose neoperreo-influenced vocals add a haunting, ethereal layer to the dense soundscape. The album’s cover art, created by Miami-based nail artist Kro Vargas (aka Krocaine), further captures the ominous yet captivating essence of the music, hinting at the fusion of genres and cultures that defines Pythagoras.
Pythagoras is not just a sonic evolution—it is an exploration of the cycles of musical extremes. Balling believes that genres, like metal, evolve towards greater intensity until they reach a point of such sonic density and noise that they return to something beautifully melodic and transcendent. This concept is reflected in the album’s dense, layered compositions and its ability to both overwhelm and soothe the listener. The album’s rhythm is a complex mathematical interplay, where the familiar blast beat and pounding dembow rhythm intersect, creating a sound that is both chaotic and hypnotic.
With Pythagoras, Pyramids are once again poised to redefine the future of extreme music. As one of the most forward-thinking forces in contemporary music, the band will forge a path that transcends genre and time. Pythagoras is not just an album; it is a statement—a daring, innovative work that challenges convention and leads the listener through the unknown into new realms of sonic possibility.
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