As Imitation Of Faith, the new album by producer Belial Pelegrim opens, you’re treated to a bevy of sonic delights. The track “Scorpia” seems to have it all; from the click-clack rhythm to video game noises, liquid-y synths, and a microcosm of electronic buzzes and blips, it feels like you’ve stepped into some other realm. On record label Bricolage’s 50th release, Belial Pelegrim wants to grab your attention and keep it throughout his newest album. Pelegrim more than succeeds.
Belial Pelegrim self-describes his music as “electro-organic”, and I feel that is a solid description of his work. I’m reminded of electronic artists like Rival Consoles, OPN, Huerco S, and Entrancer(formerly Thug Entrancer) when I listen to Imitation Of Faith. There’s this very tactile feel to the electronic music of these artists. A grittiness to the beats and a warmth to the synths. A ghostly, but organic quality to the work. Belial Pelegrim captures those aesthetics perfectly.
Song-wise Imitation Of Faith veers from experimental EDM(“Scorpia”, “A Mirror Is Left Unattended”) to cinematic grandeur(“Splinter Cell”, “Guided”) to dark ambient(“Cyanide Tooth”, “Transport”) with a bit of playfulness in “Sin Eater” and an almost industrial fervor in “Alice”.
Pelegrim pulls all of these styles and vibes together in a very natural, forward-thinking way. The album overall has a cinematic feel, feeling like some avante garde score to a BBC documentary of the origins of man, or the story of a street performer named Latka. Imitation Of Faith would work beautifully in either narrative.
Belial Pelegrim’s newest album is a quick listen, and one that will compel you to keep hitting play after each sit down with it. Imitation Of Faith is a microcosm of noise, mood, emotional complexity, and Lynchian weirdness in the best way possible.
7.6 out of 10
Complex Distractions 