Frantic Bleep reviews

Review from KREPUSKULUM:

FRANTIC BLEEP - The Sense Apparatus (CD - The End Records). To me, it is the most original band comes from the Norway's metal scene in last years. THE END RECORDS is a really great label, because they don't need fear to produce new metal tendencies, investing in experimental acts like this. FRANTIC BLEEP's sound is very intense, creative and deep, but is impossible to define the band's style, of course, it is metal, but echoes of progressive metal, doom, death, black, atmospheric, post-rock, dark ambient, EBM and gothic rock can be listen here. Don't think that the band's music is only a raw mix of styles, because these guys have the power to create good music with legitimate feeling and metallic spirit, as the wonderful 'Sins of Omission' and the deepest 'But a Memory' (with a memorable riff) and the beautiful 'Nebulous Termini'.
 
Review from REVIEW4U:

Metal, as hard as it is to believe, has started to become more and more generic as time has moved on. Truthfully, if it weren't for bands like Frantic Bleep coming into the picture to spice up the pot now and then, then it would be a sure thing that the genre would nod off and eventually die. Operatic, dreamy, heavy, melodic, original and genius, are all words that describe the sound that Frantic Bleep have more than perfected on this their second works: The Sense Apperatus. Metal hasn't sounded this fresh since it's start, which is why Frantic Bleep are opening a world of possibility with their music. Possibility being the possible link to attract fans of other genres to the table to feast on some heavy metal. The great part about this album is it outlives its play value! One could play this record countless times and still pick out new and exciting things with every listen. The album floats very well on it's 9 track journey and the band never drags out a song or becomes repetative. The most imprssive thing about the album is the vocals. When people hear of low key groups such as this, they think of constant growling, throat grinding screams, all of which deliver satanic lyrics. Not FB! It's hard to tell what they're talking about at any given time other than they give outlooks of the future, but the best is the fact that the band sings clean, low/monotone vocals for a good 80% of the album, only to follow with screams at their appropriate time. Ranging from black metal to doom metal all the way to industrial and math metal, The Sense Apperatus is an album not to be missed by metal lovers and music lovers alike!

-Kiel Burwell
 
Review from Transcending the Mundane.

Frantic Bleep - The Sense Apparatus
Country: Norway Genre: Alternative/Indie Rock, Black Metal, Gothic Metal, Progressive Metal

Patrick Seantlebury (guitars, keyboards), Eywin Sundstrom (guitars), and Karl Arthur Renstrom (drums) formed Frantic Bleep in late 2001. Their 2002 demo, Fluctadmission, garned much acclaim. Vocalist/ bassist Paul Mozart Bjorke joined and Frantic Bleep signed with The End Records in 2003. Sten Erik Svendheim replaced Renstrom and the Norwegian band began recording The Sense Apparatus in late 2003. It took about a year to complete but listening to the complexity and originality of this disc, you can hear it was time well spent.

The End Records have developed a reputation for releasing the avantgarde; Arcturus, Ulver, Winds, Age Of Silence- to name but a few, and Frantic Bleep are another indescribable entity. If there was one band which most often comes to mind when listening to The Sense Apparatus, it's S.U.P. "The Expulsion" is an excellent example of this band's creativity. The emotions range from the quiet ("Mausolos"), to the esoteric ("Mandaughter"), to the hypnotic ("Curtainraiser"). Doom plays a prominent role during "Cone" and the haunting "Mandaughter." Madder Mortem frontwoman Agnete Kirkevaag guests, as do vocalists Kjetil Fosseid and Daniel Sotheim.

I preferred Age Of Silence but the more diverse Frantic Bleep is also very impressive. Frantic Bleep have a more mature sound here compared to Fluctadmission but fans of the demo should not be disappointed as The Sense Apparatus is no less avantgarde.

Album Score: 9 out of 10
Reviewed by: Brett VanPut
 
From Exclaim:

Though seemingly announcing itself as gothic rock with its opening chords, Frantic Bleep?s The Sense Apparatus quickly deconstructs that false impression and begins to fracture into slivers of melodic and rhythmic experimentation. Frantic Bleep is a fairly new addition to the Norwegian metal scene; The Sense Apparatus is their debut, and provides further evidence for their home country?s disproportionate concentration of musical creativity. Vaguely psychedelic, nearly new wave-ish, a whispering of industrial, and appropriating classical, the album spins an eerie web of fantasy, donning shrouds of subtle atmosphere as often as it threatens to erupt into chaos. Somewhere between progressive and the avant-garde, Frantic Bleep?s unpredictability is offset by a nod to tradition, grounded in fairytale realms and human experience.
 
Cool Fan Review posted at Uranium Music:

http://uraniummusic.com/fans/index.php#635


Frantic Bleep - The Sense Apparatus
by Jason "ApocH" Weiss - Posted March 13, 2005, 10:23 pm

(10/10) The Sense Apparatus, the debut album by FRANTIC BLEEP definately looks odd from the artwork. However, the cover depicts exactly what it is. The album is a very impressive technologically influenced progressive metal release.


If you aren't really into progressive metal, you aren't going to like most of the tracks on this album, as many of them are different then what one might hear on a metal college radio show. But if you can actually give it a chance, you will find that The Sense Apparatus is actually better then how many people would lead on.


Not only do the tracks vary musically, ranging from heavy and fast to slow and calming, but there are little tricks in them that aren't normally in progressive releases.In the track "Mausolos", roughly three and a half minutes into it, the song fades out, and it seems as tough a whole new song starts up. Which then bleeds into the track Curtainraiser which starts off extremely fast, but unwittingly slows down a little into the track.


Tracks like "The Expulsion", "Mandaughter", and the beginning of "Curtainraiser" work well enough to capture any metal heads obsession. The album also has that tendency to grow on you after repeat listenings due to the fact that there are many aspects one might not catch the first time around.


The Sense Apparatus is also strong lyrically. With many songs ranging from regular topics, but mostly regarding to surmounting to technology in some way, the album gives a really depressive look and feel the whole way through. And the lyrics also reflect the mood of the music, whether being intense and evil, or just chaotic and dark for the slower songs.


As the album progresses, the music seems to change as well. Almost every track on the album sounds either a bit calmer or darker then the last. It also helps out that the songs do not closely sound like each other, and that one moment it's sheer insanity, and the next it's just depressing, definately something many of the bands in the style today lack.


But, quite possibly the best track on the album is the longest. "Nebolous Termini" quickly jets in and out of heavy music to slow and depressing, while have a dark feeling to it from the start, mixing singing with rough edged vocals to give it a feel all it's own, just before it hits the final track. "Cone" will leave you breathless with it's sheer depressing feel, giving you a completely different feeling inside then you had at the start of the album.


The Sense Apparatus is possibly one of the best progressive albums out there right now. The band doesn't rely much on instruments outside of guitars, a bass, and a drum kit (though some haunting elements are sometimes added in, such as in the track "Cone") to create their songs, which many bands are fond of lately. If you want something origin in it's simplicity and creativity, then The Sense Apparatus is definately for you.


By the way, we're kicking ass on american college radio right now:

http://charts.mediaguide.com/genre/College_Metal_release.html

#19 this week, #16 last week.
 
Great review from Pyromusic:

http://pyromusic.net/index.php?p=reviews/review&r=308
8,5/10

The End Records have quite a track record as far as releasing material that slips either under or over the mainstream radar by retaining a unique sound and really high level of artistic integrity. All too often this can lead to meagre sales for a band, but knowing that they?ve created music that <i>they</i> love is surely reward enough ? even if it won?t feed the kids. Frantic Bleep are at type of band I don?t expect everyone is going to ?get? but those that do will really find something special in their music. They?ve taken the fundamental structure of progressive metal and squeezed in a twist of their own style, ultimately creating something that sets them apart from a lot of other bands. This is dark, heavy, technical, moody progressive metal like no other.

The interestingly named Frantic Bleep are relative newcomers to the metal scene having only previously released a demo in 2002 (which got them this record deal). For such a fresh and young band, their sound of professionalism is far beyond their years as a band, and as people. It?s as if the band took all the best elements of their favourite bands and genres and managed to successfully incorporate them into this album. Clean vocals are predominantly used but at times, when the music lends itself to them, Paul Mozart Bjørke (psst! I think his middle name is some kind of special sign) lets rips with some very dark black metal vocals. As far as a progressive album goes, there?s a lot of variety in the music of ?The Sense Apparatus?. From sophisticated and technical music to deep, punchy guitar riffs though to elegant harmonies to intense drumming back to tranquil melodies and then into heavy death-like moments with a brooding atmosphere. It?s all here and executed brilliantly. Paul has a fantastic range of vocal styles that are married harmoniously with the varied musical elements.

It took a number of listens for me to truly appreciate the intricacies of each track on and in some cases to really even get into some songs on a whole but what a grower this album is. Listen after listen it just gets better and better. While the unique artwork/free poster is as likely to be as lost on some as the music itself, I really suggest checking ?The Sense Apparatus? out and keeping a close eye on Frantic Bleep in the future. ?The Sense Apparatus? is an extremely impressive debut and on of the first few great albums of 2005.
- Pyro

I should also mention that we got a crappy (2/6) review in Scream Magazine(Norways so called Metal bible), but that's really a complement. Most original albums get bad reviews in that mag. Bands like Ulver and The Gathering, Madder Mortem etc, always get crap in that mag.
 
Cool review from concrete web:

FRANTIC BLEEP: The Sense Apparatus (Earache Records Rough Trade)
Before anyone dares to accuse these boys as Opeth wannabees, I have to say I haven't heard such a thrilling ambient techno metal act in a long time. In my view there aren't even that many techno metal bands worthy of mention and surely not all the Dream Theater types. Where Opeth will surely have influenced them, I feel a conjugating aura of Voi Vod, Spiral Architects and Borknagar surrounding them. These finger-triggering talents swirl around the fret board in such a mesmerizing manner that it's inconceivable for the mind at first. The good thing about this band is that alongside the technical wizardry they have created a perfect dark and ambient atmosphere that is compelling. While the electric axes continue to morph around and try new things, the rhythm section just adds the right balance to round the songs off perfectly. The vocals are jagged between common prog metal historicism and mysterious dark wave with a touch of gothic sadness. Where some fragments of the songs breed despair others spearhead into different desolate feelings, which are all expressed with immaculate dramatic expression. Frantic are a constant experience and this album is a journey through the tunnels of their overbearing minds.

This is a true revelation that must be explored. 90/100

http://concreteweb.be/reviews/reviews_2005/reviews_09_02_2005/CD/frantic/cdfrantic.htm
 
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