Review: Törzs ‘Menedék’
The angry teenage me never really had any time for instrumental music. The music that caught my attention was stories and expressions of exquisite frustration that raged against the dying of the light. There’s nothing particularly new or original in that, except it was the ‘90s and I went to school during the height of the rave era so all my peers were listening to happy hardcore which just further pissed me off and pushed me down a heavier, angrier route.
Thankfully, the passage of time has seen me mellow. These days I can appreciate the emotional connectivity that exists within a well-constructed passage of beautiful, expressive music, to the point where I am of the opinion that there’s more feeling in the guitar work of Yawning Man’s Gary Acre than in a thousand shouting identikit screamers.
Three-piece Törzs can boast the epithet of being, according to the press statement, Hungary’s ‘premier instrumental post-rock band’ and have released several albums, including the 2019 Golden Antenna Records issued Tükor, which is notable for being recorded live at Aggteleki Cseppkőbarlang, a UNESCO World Heritage protected cave system, 500 metres below the Aggteleki National Park. The natural reverb of the cave gave the album a unique sound, and the band can boast to beating recent bastions of cool King Buffalo, who recorded their Acheron album live at the Howe Caverns in New York State, to the punch on this unique idea.
However, following the global disruption and angsty flux of the last few years, the band returned to more traditional means for the follow up Menedék. Working alongside favoured producer György Ligeti, Törzs opted to rehearse and record in a tight, intimate space, mimicking the band’s intense live shows, which sees them face each other on stage. This process took its toll to the point that founding member and drummer Zsombor Lehoczky would leave the band and working in music altogether. Undeterred by these seismic events, the remaining members pressed on and have created an album of self-reflection and understated emotional gravitas.
The central themes of the album are focused around shelter, refuge and support, and somewhat confusingly the lead single, which serves as an introduction to the record, Otthon (meaning ‘At Home’ in Hungarian) is the final track of the album, but signs off with the definitive vision of what the band are trying to achieve. Showcasing some of the finest examples of their delicate ability to balance groove and soft tones with a powerful dynamism, there is a stillness and a warmth to some of the passages. Each track on Menedék builds like a story without a definitive narrative. This allows the listener to craft their own understanding of what they are experiencing, just surrendering to the pull of the soundtrack.
This approach permeates the record throughout its run time. For a writer, it is a call for a thumb through the thesaurus to conjure words like ‘glittering’ to describe the airy, sparkling guitar tone. Terms like ‘sublime’ and ‘glacial’ help invoke the slow movement as they carve out a musical landscape with their wistful indie like post-rock instrumental world building. This is not to say the band are devoid of moments where they tighten up, adding some crunch and a harder edge to the canvas, like on the second track Levegővétel. These are tempered, so the wrenching chords, the burn of the lead guitar, and the crashing drums propel the music with greater urgency.
their delicate ability to balance groove and soft tones with a powerful dynamism…
The epic length Egy Pillanatban a Végtelen opens the album with a tone setting intent as the light guitar trips over the fantastic resounding thump of the drums. The production on Menedék is superb and allows all the intricate nuances to shine through in a clear and crisp manner that retains a welcoming embrace. The cascading layers of sound envelop you, giving comfort. Even the extended passage of heavier pounding is punctuated by light, hi-hat driven quiet.
As Levegővétel ebbs and flows following the striking opening rhythm of the drums, the gentle, tender moments mix the deep, rich low end with the trilling upper register. This, in turn, contrasts with the mellow grooves, before the drifting hum of Átfordul starts slowly with quieter, tender introspection and builds in power, but always retains the sense of melody and euphoric peacefulness.
Földet Ér is another mellower track full of breathy arpeggios as the guitar lead walks you on a meditative journey through the hanging, extended notes and the punchier beats that break out into glorious, delicate soaring high points swelling and lifting you as Törzs carry you ever forward. Rounding out with the aforementioned Otthon, the album is self-contained as a complete story that feels like it moves through complete acts rather than just a collection of tracks thrown together.
This attention to detail makes the band consummate masters at what they do and why they have won the acclaim they have. This latest album feels like an existential conversation for the listener to have with themselves and shines with a beautiful and deft touch that is the result of years of honing their sound.
If you wanted a raging, cathartic battering, this album is going to leave you cold, but if you are a fan of powerful, moving instrumental music in the vein of Russian Circles, or fellow labelmates SOM with their ethereal, gaze-style detachment, then you’ll find Menedék a nourishing feast for your ears.
Label: Pelagic Records
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden
