NANO-NUCLEONIC CYBORG SUMMONING (RE-ISSUE)

Behold...The Arctopus

Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

3.93 | 36 ratings

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Syzygy
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator

It's fast, it's furious and it promises great things, but this slice of progressive metal is stronger on technique than content.

The sound is pretty much what you'd expect from a tech metal power trio, with guitars in overdrive and insanely fast yet absolutely precise drumming. The WARR guitar has a 5 octave range, so you get either earth pounding bass lines or synchronised twin axe shredding as required, and there are plenty of sudden shifts of tempo and time signature. There are a few reference points outside Tech metal; at times the guitar interplay recalls King Crimson circa Thrak (possibly because of the WARR guitar) while the drumming will be appreciated by fans of Yoshida Tatsuya (Ruins). The compositions recall RIO/Zeuhl power trios like Korekyojin or Ahleuchatistas with their labyrinthine twists and turns, but this is where Behold... don't quite realise their potential. Although they have a formidable grasp of dynamics and chops to match, the have a tendency to descend into self indulgent shredding and to drag things out for longer than necessary. This is particularly apparent on the two longest compositions, Exospacial Psionic Aura and You Will Be Reincarnated..., both of which have exhausted their possibilities well before they actually finish. The three shorter pieces are all much more effective, and the contrast between the drawn out drone introduction and the lightspeed finale of Estrogen/Pathogen is extremely effective.

This is enjoyable stuff if you like the manic intensity of Ruins or Korekyojinn, and if they tighten up their compositions Behold... the Arctopus could become magnificent. Cautiously recommended to fans of noisy RIO, Zeuhl and avant prog.

Syzygy | 3/5 | 2008-11-15

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