Psych rock adventurers PELEGRIN share details about imposing debut album “Al-Mahruqa”, out September 13th on digital. Paris-based heavy psychedelic rock trailblazers PELEGRIN invite you to a long-haul exotic journey with their sumptuous debut album “Al-Mahruqa”, due out September 13th on digital.
The bazaar crowd hails, haggles, ruffles. Life at its most, screeching and hustling. Gradually, the ruckus fades away. In the vacuum that’s created, a bass roars, answers its own call. A guitar string vibrates endlessly. The note hangs on ominously, then slips up. Percussions soar and the engine starts running… The listener’s fate is sealed. No turning back; he is bound for a 42 minutes-long sonic tale. He will follow the footsteps of an ailing war veteran, from the bazaar of Tangier to a millenary temple, carved into the rock at the very end of a desert valley: Al-Maruhqa.
On the way, the listener will encounter mesmerizing ambiances. Melodies soaked with eastern influences. Rock-solid riffs. Unsettling songs, always on the move. References, wink, nods? Of course. But no obvious comparison will jump to mind. If the power trio PELEGRIN (“pilgrim” in ancient French) roams the lands of stoner, prog and heavy psych, it is with the intention of making a few steps into the unknown. What drove François (guitar/vocals/production), Jason (bass) and Antoine (drums) is the will to play the music that they would have liked to hear. To fill a tiny space that seemed vacant in the ever-expanding galaxy of distorted music.
The road to “Al-Maruqha” was long and winding, covering almost five years. The creation of its followup should be a smoother affair… And PELEGRIN is already hard at work on it. Where the three friends are the most comfortable: in their own bubble, away from stages. Where ideas fly, sweet smoke rises, and stories are written.
