http://www.sinister.com.au/_reviews/music/franticbleep/franticbleep.php?PHPSESSID=8236bc4990236154bce1b72c1b724110
The End Records are known to sign up those bands that are doing something that sets them apart. Frantic Bleep were listed on their roster as Experimental Metal. Pretty vague, but I gave it a shot. Im not sure if this is experimental hell, it seems that any band that uses a few effects/samples these days is called experimental. After listening to it, I suspect that The End Records couldnt come up with anything better not because they dont know what theyre on about, but because The Sense Apparatus defies simple classification. Which isnt to say that its all over the place. Whilst one can detect a wide variety of styles, theyve all been assimilated into a unified compositional technique. The result sounds very fresh, very Norwegian, and very unique.
So what exactly do Frantic Bleep sound like? The instrumentation isnt anything out of the ordinary: twin guitars, bass, drums. The vocals are mainly a breathey croon (think Winds), but theres also the odd bit of black metal screeching. There is significant use of keyboards and effects, but this isnt really from where the album derives its unique character. Frantic Bleep, like all bands who truly defy easy genre classification, have built their style from the ground up. The guitar riffing is the most varied Ive heard apart from eccentrics like Enslaved and Root. But its not so much the variety per se that is significant, so much as the manner in which it is used to articulate a singularly dark mood in many ways. The harmony is tonal, but quite chromatic: somewhere in between Evergrey and Death. It is manipulated with particular skill, varying degrees of dissonance are used to shift intensity with keen discrimination.
Whilst its fairly accurate to say that the keyboards and effects are mainly used only to accent, support, expand, and develop the expression that is created by the guitar riffing and vocals, its still a simplification. Again, this is due to the way Frantic Bleep have built their style bottom up. It doesnt sound as though the keyboards and effects have been tacked on after all the other writing has been done. Whilst the guitars and vocals are undoubtedly the focus, the keyboards and effects occupy a much more fundamental space in the compositional structure than just being atmospheric (whatever that means, anyway). Its a style which integrates all its diverse elements into a tightly controlled and unified whole.
As was alluded to above, the mood is almost invariably dark and oppressive. But its articulated and developed in a variety of ways. Each song contains a multitude of musical elements, each of which provide a different slant on Frantic Bleeps unique brand of dark progressive metal. Its by turns foreboding, menacing, exotic, mystical, ethereal, discordant, unsettling, aggressive, lyrical, melancholic, heroic, apocalyptic, ponderous, cathartic, and desolate.
The only major beef Ive got with the album are the larger scale formal structures, which are a mixed bag. There are plenty of abrupt changes between sections. Some of these work, but others sound like the band ran out of ideas or didnt have the skill to write a better segue. Its also quite a challenging album to listen to, due to its use of many recognisable metal elements, but refusal to use them in an orthodox manner. Of course, for musical elitists like me, the more inaccessible the better (usually). Ill keep digging until I find something to hang my hat on. What makes The Sense Apparatus so rewarding is that each new layer you shovel away reveals something even more beautiful. Thisll be up there amongst the best albums for the year. Very highly recommended. - 8.5/10
The End Records are known to sign up those bands that are doing something that sets them apart. Frantic Bleep were listed on their roster as Experimental Metal. Pretty vague, but I gave it a shot. Im not sure if this is experimental hell, it seems that any band that uses a few effects/samples these days is called experimental. After listening to it, I suspect that The End Records couldnt come up with anything better not because they dont know what theyre on about, but because The Sense Apparatus defies simple classification. Which isnt to say that its all over the place. Whilst one can detect a wide variety of styles, theyve all been assimilated into a unified compositional technique. The result sounds very fresh, very Norwegian, and very unique.
So what exactly do Frantic Bleep sound like? The instrumentation isnt anything out of the ordinary: twin guitars, bass, drums. The vocals are mainly a breathey croon (think Winds), but theres also the odd bit of black metal screeching. There is significant use of keyboards and effects, but this isnt really from where the album derives its unique character. Frantic Bleep, like all bands who truly defy easy genre classification, have built their style from the ground up. The guitar riffing is the most varied Ive heard apart from eccentrics like Enslaved and Root. But its not so much the variety per se that is significant, so much as the manner in which it is used to articulate a singularly dark mood in many ways. The harmony is tonal, but quite chromatic: somewhere in between Evergrey and Death. It is manipulated with particular skill, varying degrees of dissonance are used to shift intensity with keen discrimination.
Whilst its fairly accurate to say that the keyboards and effects are mainly used only to accent, support, expand, and develop the expression that is created by the guitar riffing and vocals, its still a simplification. Again, this is due to the way Frantic Bleep have built their style bottom up. It doesnt sound as though the keyboards and effects have been tacked on after all the other writing has been done. Whilst the guitars and vocals are undoubtedly the focus, the keyboards and effects occupy a much more fundamental space in the compositional structure than just being atmospheric (whatever that means, anyway). Its a style which integrates all its diverse elements into a tightly controlled and unified whole.
As was alluded to above, the mood is almost invariably dark and oppressive. But its articulated and developed in a variety of ways. Each song contains a multitude of musical elements, each of which provide a different slant on Frantic Bleeps unique brand of dark progressive metal. Its by turns foreboding, menacing, exotic, mystical, ethereal, discordant, unsettling, aggressive, lyrical, melancholic, heroic, apocalyptic, ponderous, cathartic, and desolate.
The only major beef Ive got with the album are the larger scale formal structures, which are a mixed bag. There are plenty of abrupt changes between sections. Some of these work, but others sound like the band ran out of ideas or didnt have the skill to write a better segue. Its also quite a challenging album to listen to, due to its use of many recognisable metal elements, but refusal to use them in an orthodox manner. Of course, for musical elitists like me, the more inaccessible the better (usually). Ill keep digging until I find something to hang my hat on. What makes The Sense Apparatus so rewarding is that each new layer you shovel away reveals something even more beautiful. Thisll be up there amongst the best albums for the year. Very highly recommended. - 8.5/10
