REVIEW FROM DIGITAL METAL
Psyopus
Ideas of Reference
Black Market Activities
Why has this review taken so long to write? Because I am a simple man, I have simple tastes; I like beer, meat and potatoes. I like chugging death metal and hardcore with breakdowns. I need to be in a certain mindset to review something like this, because ladies and gentleman, Psyopus is not simple, its the farthest from simple as it can possibly be, Psyopus is to simple as Anna Nicole Smith is to intellectual. Treading the same tech/math tinged hardcore realms as obvious influence Dillenger Escape Plan and The End, Psyopus are a sonic headache of atonal business and stuttering percussion that confuses, amazes and sometimes to be honest, bores. The problem with this style of note heavy math core is that while the talent and skill is undeniable, the songs often just rely of blinding you with their intricate delivery rather than sound memorable song writing. As with most albums of this style, while absorbing each convoluted note, Im often bewildered by the immediacy of the bands skill, but as soon as the album ends, I could not even begin to recall single note that I was just pummeled with. The chaotic overtones far more deliberate and less drawn out than say Forever is Forgotten, but not as visceral as The End due to a fairly light production and weightless vocals, but those who gorge on overindulgent fret play should seek this out, especially is you simply cant wait for the new DEP album. Vocalist Adam Frapolli is the weak link as his non descript hardcore scream doesnt match the intensity and delivery of the music, namely Fred Decostes incredible bass work which borders on Obscura like wackiness, even if the slightly underwhelming production negates his presence. As to be expected with these kinds of bands, the odd tangents arise that further cloud the experience as seen on the slight Flamenco intro to Death, I
and the instrumental Imogens Puzzle, that only serve to further drag the album into the realms of the unnecessary and unlistenable for long periods. However, when Psyopus tread the fine line between sentient technicality and fervent chaos such as the first few bars of Anomaly and Bones to Dust, Psyopus can be astounding, but they dont deliver that perfect mix on a consistent basis, instead relying on overplaying and over complexity. To be honest, even when bracing for this kind of undeniably skillful style, I find myself extremely bored quickly, I want to be entertained, not have my head hurt, and Psyopus require far too much attention for me to enjoy on a straightforward base level that I prefer. Constant staccato twiddling and screaming has its limits for me, despite a talent level I can only dream of. Still, for those that enjoy this over the top mathcore, algebra metal or whatever its called, this is for you.
[Erik Thomas]
Seriously, the songs I've heard from this band have lots of awesome moments, and Long Road to the 4th Dimension rips my head off.
