I always say this but: it’s been too damn long since I’ve done a METAL MONDAY post. Today I want to share with you a little bit of insanity from Brooklyn, New York: Behold The Arctopus. The band was formerly “Behold…The Arctopus” but are now operating with a different line-up, and have thus decided to drop the “…” in their name.
Behold The Arctopus’ Arctopus!!!
Regardless of what you call them, their bat-dung crazy sound has been described as “schizophrenic” and “radical.” According to the band, they’re influenced by metal and…classical music? Upon reading this I was intrigued, so I checked out their latest song “Disintegore” which is off their to-be-released album HORRORSCENSION, which come out at the end of next month (just in time for Halloween).
The band’s sound is experimental and prog-influenced. The first few seconds of “Disintegore” reminded me a bit of Rush’s “YYZ,” for instance. I‘m always keen to hear new and interesting sounds, and Behold The Arctopus seem to do nothing but generate those. I dug a little bit into their back catalogue after stumbling upon them, and think their track “You Are Number Six” off their 2007 album SKULLGRID is the bees knees!
Even though I could see how many reading this might think all of this is a lot of bullshit noise, there has been a lot of work and thought put into these tunes. Seriously, I know a lot of you don’t like/aren’t into metal, but give this band a listen: these guys are serious guitar heroes. My finger tips ache just hearing some of the stuff they do. And I’m not talking about guitar antics like that Steve Vai wank-off does either, this stuff has a real heart to it. Take a listen to “Exospacial Psionic Aura” if you don’t believe me:
Now, I’m sure a lot of metalheads are gonna tell me this isn’t “metal” because some Junior College-reject* isn’t screaming or Cookie-Monster growling over the music. To those people I say: grow-up. Sometimes I just wanna stroke my beard and listen to some awesome (and challenging) music without any of the childish metal-tropes/antics**.
Definitely check this band out if you’re into freak-outs, sonic assaults, proggy riffage, and intellectual vandalism.
Don’t be a snob, these guys are legit.
*Full disclosure: I attended two Junior Colleges.
**Although those can be fun.
