Still, none of this appears to have choked the Canberra quintet's ambition in the slightest, for _Tripsis_ remains every bit as complex and gloriously multi-faceted as its predecessor. It's plenty heavy too -- more so than _Austral Alien_ ever was -- and that's not a negative at all, particularly with "Wrapped in a Guilt" opening proceedings on a distinctly stark and assured note. "Tongues & Knives" likewise opts for speed and aggression, impelled in no small measure by Rodney Holder's visceral drumming. "Nothing in No Time" follows suit, laying a foundation of pitch-perfect atmosphere before unremittingly roaring to life.

But, as with every Alchemist record, God is in the detail, and there's plenty of that on offer here. From the psychedelic tint simmering through "Anticipation of a High" through to the electrifying collision of ethnic samples, industrial rhythms and good old-fashioned heavy metal on "Grasp at Air", _Tripsis_ is a record that requires repeat listening. In fact, it demands it with the sort of effortless charisma usually reserved for genuine classics. The only question you need to ask yourself is whether you want to discover it now or in twenty years' time.