Behold the Arctopus - _Arctopocalypse Now... Warmageddon Later_
by: Brian Meloon (4.5 out of 5)
This NYC three-piece (formerly known as "We Need a Drummer" on mp3.com)
play an innovative brand of jazzy metal/rock. You should have some
idea of what to expect just from looking at the instruments they play:
"lead drums", "lead guitar", and "12-string super guitar" (which I suppose
is something similar to a Warr Guitar or Chapman Stick). It's hard to
pin down exactly who they sound like, but their sound is syncopative,
technical, and completely instrumental. They blend elements of jazz and
fusion with metal, while incorporating influences from guitar spankoff,
progrock, and probably other genres that I'm not so familiar with.
I noticed some elements of Voivod, Primus, Richie Kotzen, Greg Howe,
Spastic Ink, and a few others represented in their music. But these
influences are the minority of their sound, as their style seems
mostly original.They seem to prefer individual-note guitar lines
(using both dissonant and consonant harmonies), but they use a fair
amount of (dissonant and power) chords as well. Much of the variety
in their music stems from their use of different rhythms and tempos,
which change quite rapidly at times. Yet the band doesn't change
things too quickly; they usually take the time to develop each section
a little before moving on to the next one. Still, the longer of the two
songs here, "You Will Be Reincarnated as an Imperial Attack Spaceturtle
(Part 1)", clocks in at over eight minutes, and does seem to lose a
little bit of focus at times. As you would expect, there are a lot
of solos and other show-off sections sprinkled through their songs.
These are generally well done, and the playing is excellent from all
of the members. Their tightness is especially impressive given the
technicality of the material. The production is a little noisy, but
doesn't really detract from the music; in fact, it gives them a more
raw and chaotic feel. Ultimately, this is a promising demo from a very
talented and original band. It should be enjoyed by fans of technical
metal and math-rock as well as fans of the more avantgarde.
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