Drawling, doomed-out sludge is the essence of Pombagira, a band who have been surprisingly prolific in their short career. Maleficia Lamiah is their fifth full-length in as many years and its two tracks wander through depths of rumbling mass and slow, melodic tastes of light.
Pombagira are steeped in occultic vibes and their music is as hypnotising as it is disturbing. The title track often whirls away from any semblance of how it began, taking on a new dimension with trippy sections of sound that are a world away from the monumental rhythms of the start.
Once you let the waves of strangeness wash over you, Maleficia Lamiah feels like new life – a rebirth, if you will. Layers are constantly stripped back to almost nothing but Robert Wyatt-esque vocals courtesy of guitarist Pete, while Carolyn drums with desperate passion and tenacity, all writhing with a filthy knowledge of something just out of reach of mere mortals. We don’t deserve to know, but Pombagira sure know how to tease.
