Behold... The Arctopus
Arctopocalpyse Now..Warmageddon Later

THE REVIEW

genre: Jazz metal

Madness, frenzy, schizophrenia. 'Behold... The Arctopus' play this, and they do it even better.

The instrumental trio—guitar, drums, and Warr guitar (a monstrous 16-string instrument, from the lowest bass notes to the highest guitar notes)—is dedicated to dizzying experimentation that travels between extreme metal, jazz, improvisation, classical music (the latter meant in a compositional sense, not sound!).

In a sense, they may remind one of the latest 'Ephel Duath', especially in the continual search for new compositional and rhythmic solutions. Indeed, the rhythmic patterns are beastly—in this, they recall Meshuggah—while the guitar probably has forgotten what a "trivial" scale is, allowing itself to indulge in phrasings that calling schizophrenic would be an understatement.
To some, this EP might seem really too short (2 songs for 11:13), but in the de-opinion of the de-reviewer who is de-scribing, the formula chosen by the trio is the most appropriate. Why?

Mainly because such a short duration effectively nullifies what constitutes the major flaw of jazz-metal (or tech-metal, if you will): monotony, especially from an emotional standpoint. Instead, in the brief span of the two songs offered, the music is very entertaining, like a kind of quick and very tasty snack.

Recommended for those who love madness in music.