Behold… the Arctopus-Skullgrid Metal Blade Records By Greg Majewski

Behold… the Arctopus (henceforth known as BtA) really knows how to build up the hype. After two demos, a promising EP with a downright unruly name (Nano-Nucleonic Cyborg Summoning?) and a split with strange avant-noise duo Orthrelm, the Brooklyn based instrumental tech metal trio has finally released its first full length on the legendary, quarter century old Metal Blade Records. Skullgrid is the perfect cure for those waiting pains, because while the name of the album is more elementary than the band's previous release, the music therein is infinitely more complex, mature, and (strangely) likeable than anything played on the EP.    Economy is the name of the game on Skullgrid; the album itself clocks in at only 33:33. In this brief time limit, BtA manages to jam together heaps of shred mastery, stop-start Warr guitar (a crazy 12 stringed bass/guitar hybrid played mostly by tapping) runs and skizzo-jazz drumming on every mind-bending track.    And while on the stick work, it is important to note that drummer Charlie Zeleny has come into his own with this album, maybe even a little too much. His lightning quick fills and keen sense of rhythm among the chaos steal him the show over his equally talented bandmates. The end of “Canada,” for example, sounds like something Buddy Rich might have played if he had lived long enough to hang out with the guys in the late 80's Florida death metal scene. As for the other two members, they and the two guest musicians (Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess and Mick Barrr, guitarist for the aforementioned Orthrelm) keep up the virtuosity from the album's first burst of energy to the waning moments of the frenetic finale, “Transient Exuberance.”    Skullgrid is easily the most complex and challenging release of the year, and metal fans and musicians alike should take a listen, if only to be humbled by three guys with more musical prowess than a graduating class at Berklee.

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Published on: 2007-10-22 (885 reads)