Vehemency I am not going to even try to listen to every release Njiqahdda puts out almost every week (a slight exaggeration there) through its label EEE Recordings - right now it seems that there are twelve 2010 EPs and albums. Due to its weird nature, Njiqahdda is a band I don’t want to listen to every time but there are also moments when I want to dwell in their psychedelic weirdness. That’s the time I pick up a new Njiqahdda release, this time being an EP named Forr Saantae that includes just one, over 30-minute song.

The song starts with a melancholic, slightly dissonant chord structure that sounds nice with its faintly out-of-tune touch. A few moments later the programmed drums kick in along with the lead guitar melodies that are one of the main features on Forr Saantae throughout. The pace is slow, not much unlike doom metal, and the lead melodies are really reminiscent of Yrg Alms from the samely-titled album from 2009. It is not until 18 minutes or so when this pattern breaks down into a less-rhythmic droney landscape. Drums and metallish guitars reappear around 22 minutes. The pace is still slow, but the rhythm guitars play now more active, palm-muted riffing behind the usual lead melodies. During its last minutes, Forr Saantae returns to its beginning, the only difference being that the drum breat is now played to a crash symbal. The change is subtle but skillfully made.

Forr Saantae suffers from unoriginality in respect to their extensive back-catalogue which makes Forr Saantae sound not enough different from their other releases. It is, however, an enjoyable trip to psychedelic landscapes. I’m not really fond of the programmed drums, surprise surprise, but they’re bearable because the band is an odd bird anyways. Forr Saantae is not for headbangers but for those into soothing states of mind. Functional sleeping music, if nothing else.