Detailed Reviews [Onioroshi - 2025 - "Shrine"]

Prolusion. Italian band Onioroshi can trace their history back to 2014, when all three members of the band were a part of another band called Kimono Lights. When that band folded, Onioroshi formed soon after and subsequently released their debut album "Beyond These Mountains" back in 2018. Now at the start of 2025 they have returned with their second studio production. This sophomore effort is called "Shrine", and has been released by the French label Bitume.

Analysis. It is a more down to Earth variety of progressive rock we get in this case, at least as far as the band itself goes. This album strikes me as an honest one, possibly with improvised features, and an album where I'd suspect that the number of studio adjustments have been kept at a minimum level. This is also very much a high-flying creation, at least in terms of style and orientation. Those who are fond of elegant and flowing guitar solo runs will find a lot to enjoy on the three epic length creations that we get on this production. Sometimes more atmospheric laden, sometimes more flowing and elegant, on other occasions more expressive and biting. And always with a bit of an otherworldly feel to them. Psychedelic rock with occasional space rock details is perhaps the main impression I get. With a driving bass guitar and a steady drummer that both cater for pace, momentum and drive each in their own way, for a compelling flight into a variety of psychedelic progressive rock that has a surprisingly down to Earth feel to it. Despite the aforementioned space rock tendencies appearing now and then. We also get darker, dirtier passages here with a borderline krautrock meets noise rock feel to them, and some of the bass lines adds a little bit of a post-punk feel to some of the songs too. And opening song 'Pyramid' does feature some passages with a higher pace and intensity of the kind that did add a little bit of a metal feel to the proceedings. There is a little bit of a lo-fi to rough and ready nature to this album, of the kind that reminds me ever so slightly of some of the classic krautrock albums from the early 70s that I listened quite a bit to back in the day. This is more in terms of mood and atmosphere than the technical recording quality of course, but that being said this isn't a high fidelity experience either. It is an honest sounding recording, one of those albums where one gets the impression that the amount of studio polish applied has been restricted to the minimum of what is needed. In order to record and release the music in as realistic a form as possible and desirable. The only slight drawback of this, for some listeners, is that the vocals may have been dropped a bit too low in the mix at times.

Conclusion. This is an honest sounding trip through psychedelic and space rock realms with a bit of a krautrock undercurrent in the mood and atmosphere department, accompanied by a little bit of noise rock and some occasional more intense sonic flairs in between elongated trips through elegant, flowing and borderline floating landscapes of otherworldly properties. Those who are fond of listening to bands with an improvised feel that explore the role of the lead guitar in a psychedelic and cosmic manner in compositions that stretch way beyond the ten minute mark can note down this as an album of interest straight way.

Progmessor: February 2025
The Rating Room