NANO-NUCLEONIC CYBORG SUMMONING (RE-ISSUE)

"Nano-Nucleonic Cyborg Summoning" is a compilation album release by US technical/progressive metal act Behold... The Arctopus. The compilation was released through Black Market Activities in August 2006. It compiles the two tracks from the 2003 "Arctopocalypse Now... Warmageddon Later" EP, the three tracks from the 2005 "Nano-Nucleonic Cyborg Summoning" EP, and four live tracks which are exclusive to this compilation.

Behold... The Arctopus are the type of act who take the technical aspects of progressive metal and run with them. It´s chaotic sounding, avant-garde, extremely technical in execution, and featuring song structures which are almost impossible to follow. Something new is happening every second of the songs. Let´s just say that you can´t expect to be treated to easily accessible vers/chorus structures. This is incredibly challenging music both in terms of musical performances and the complexity of the compositions. As the music is fully instrumental, there aren´t even any vocal hooks to hold on to.

A mind bending and blistering flurry of fast notes (often dissonant) and technical drumming designed to melt your brain is a way to describe what´s happening on "Nano-Nucleonic Cyborg Summoning", but Behold... The Arctopus actually have a more darkly atmospheric and ambient side to them too, and when those sections occur they work like sci-fi futuristic breathers amidst the otherwise chaotic sounding complexity of the music.

Both the material from the "Arctopocalypse Now... Warmageddon Later" EP and the material from the "Nano-Nucleonic Cyborg Summoning" EP are well produced. Powerful, raw, and detailed sound production suiting the material well. The live tracks are pretty well produced too and it´s interesting to hear that Behold... The Arctopus can perform their insanely technical music in a live environment too. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).