Behold... the Arctopus

The Profile

American instrumental progressive/avant-garde metal trio formed in New York City in 2001 by Colin Marston and Mike Lerner. Known for ultra-technical compositions, odd meters, and Warr guitar/bass textures. Key releases include Skullgrid (2007), Horrorscension (2012), Cognitive Emancipation (2016), and Hapeleptic Overtrove (2020).

New York-based instrumental trio featuring guitar, drums, and 16‑string Warr guitar; early EP Nano-Nucleonic Cyborg Summoning was reissued in 2006 with bonus demo and live tracks; music emphasizes extreme technicality, syncopation, odd time signatures, and avant/jazz elements.

Three DeBaser reviews tackle the band’s EP-era chaos: two praise the frantic, avant, jazz-tinged barrage; one dismisses it as deconstruction and cacophony. New York-based, fully instrumental, and heavy on Warr guitar heroics. Expect syncopation, odd meters, and brief flashes of melody amid dense complexity.