Psychotic Outsider "6" EP Review

   

Galway Based Hardcore/Metal Fusion outfit Psychotic Outsider have been crafting their sound and delivery since 2018 despite a few line up changes they have always shown a willingness to experiment with different genres,combining a raw unfiltered punk attitude all layered on top of an extremely dark and menacing sound roooted in Metal,this slow process shows some of their best material on the excellent new EP aptly titled 6 ,lets explore what's in store from this very interesting offering.

 Straight away they delve into a very visceral,raw and filthy passages with opening track Crazy Little Things instantly you can feel an aggressive punk style delivery with the vocals combining a rawness and excellent structure with the music whichadds a real nasty atmopshere,this one shows no let up from start to finish, continuing with another relentless passage on Till We Decay this really packs a punch and delivers yet more quality riffing and the vocal delivery is a slight bit rawer ,also this has a more punky fell to the way it's structured showing the aforementioned willingness to explore a different approach.

  The experimentation comes to fruition on the dark and foreboding title track 6 the vocals become a bit deranged and we're also treated to a really sludgy appraoch that has a really murky atmopshere with that punky rawness, this is a side of the band i've not heard before so doing something new is something i always like to see bands attempting and i will add it's really refreshing to hear, everything we've heard so far gets combined on the brilliant Drift ,the murky atmoosphere added to the sludginess is mixed seamlessly and with a razor sharp precision.

  The excellent closing track Amen(Featuring Greg "Zielak" Zielinski) is a really killer instrumental track that really explores numerous different soundscapes,the lead guitar throughout this iss brilliantly executed combine those lush sound basslines and slow riffing and you have a really epicly stuructured track that has really memorable passages throughout,it's a more then fitting way to close out this really excellent and interesting opus.

 Not only those this EP show a new an improved element to Psychotic Outsider,they've developed part of the sound that was already prevelent from day one and further explored a more experimental appraoch bringing on a new era were they've really found their true sound,although i have mentioned about the rawness and aggression rooted in societal decline there is an empathetic element to some of the lyrical content that touches on mental health and life struggles making this an passage that covers alot of relatable topic and long may it continue.

RATING: 8/10

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Death Can Wait " Slowly Sinking" EP Review

 

  After a 4 year Hiatus and a few line up changes the excellent Death Can Wait have returned with an absolutely amazing new EP Slowly Sinking , original members David Moorehouse(Guitars) & Patryk Hadrys(Drums) still remain and in come Thea Moylan(Vocals) & Sam Darlington(Bass) to round off the new line-up, also they've went in a slightly different direction musicially from their excellent debut EP Self Portrait but it's still unique and original sounding as they've become known for,let's dissect the finer details to this phenomenal release.

  

  The insane and deranged vocal delivery unleashed on Obscurity really sets the tone for what madness is about to be unravelled, there's a really sick and nasty guitar tone which adds another quality element to the track, the relentless drumming at the beginning of Empty shows the  levels of variation this band display ,then combine that with the intrciate complexities with the Guitar and Vocals and you have a truly memorable track.

  The Only Way Forward is Through(Me) is an absolute riff fest and a proper mid paced headbanger,this also displays plenty of melodic passages combined with sick gutturals that really pack a punch, Slowly Sinking is a more then fitting way to close out this brilliant release,this is full of emotion and plenty of groove laden hooks that will get stuck in your mind, it's also a nice touch to have their previous vocalist Brian Colfer  of Scrawb doing the clean vocals on this track, it feels like a department from the old into the new and rounds off an absolutely brilliant release.

  Slowly Sinking is an absolutely brillaint offering and is a monstrous progession for a band  going though line up changes and various personal issues, also for those not aware this is the first time their new Vocalist Thea Moylan has been in a band and was in a recording studio further evidence this band are going to get even better,in ending this is a strong potential early contender for EP of the year from a truly unique band not afraid to push the boundaries to new extremes.

RATING:8.5/10

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Karpackonaut "Distant Sequence" Album Review

 

   Now do we have something extremely interesting to delve deep into this time, it's not often you get to immerse yourself in something done on improvisation jams,no re-takes all recorded in one take,this is what the really unique Karpackonaut has to offer with absolutely fantastic aplomb on their excellent new album Distant Sequence.

   Straight away you can instantly feel the outworldly atmosphere hit like a tonne of brick on the crushingly heavy Outwards Through Time the vocals add a somewhat visceral appraoch to the atmosphere all while having a truly epic soundscape, Wordless I treats us to some deranged guitar pieces layered over a filthy bass and very rhytmic drumming while the vocals seem to be in synch with guitar while gradually getting more deranged and torturous,the atmosphere on this is extremely dark and disturbing, Sigils gives off a somewhat chilled out atmosphere with the beautiful guitar riff running throughout the track added by the slow hypnotic drumming and throbbing bassline,there's a vocal sequence half way through the track which keeps repeating the same line to push that crushingly heavy element to the fore.

   Things begin to get all the more epic with the brilliant Immaterial End which creeps and crawls through a devastatingly heavy and torturous atmosphere added by snarling and screaming vocals combined with the crushing vocals giving the atmosphere an altogether nastier feeling, this eventually build to an extremely disturbing crescendo and pushes the atmosphere to another level, it's about to get bleak with the lo-fi atmosphere of The Parellel it becomes noticable that the atmpshere gradually changes throughout the album with the addition of a cleaner vocal style and let's not forget the chants in the background which add a soothing yet impending dread element to proceedings, everything comes to the fore with the sublime title track Distant Sequence there's a nice subtle approach to the atmosphere on this track which makes the outworldly element all that more prevelent more then half through the song the vocals hit like an absolute juggernaut of crushing heaviness then gradually ends with a pace faster then any of the tracks that proceeded it.

   Karpackonaut have unleashed an album full of atmosphere, epic soundscapes, bleakness,dark and disturbing undertones,the further you delve into this the more you feel every essence of it consume your being,the band aren't afraid to mix different styles like Post Metal,Sludge,Atmospheric Doom,the fact that this is all done on improvisation makes it all the more interesting to listen to, this one is a grower folks one listen of this ain't enough you need to let all of it's atmosphere become a part of you to truly realise what a monumentally brilliant album this is.

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3GHjX0LIhCCD91Cb5GMAtm?si=d5hSbAG8Rl6T2ojAr6wB6w

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Organ Blender "Teemu Khan" Album Review

 

 You have finally awoken from some crazy nightmarish dystopian future dream but for some reason you can't decipher whether it's real or not,this is the kind of feeling/atmosphere you might envisage when you listen to the absolutely sublime new Organ Blender album Teemu Khan, following on from their 2020 EP the excellent  Blender Corp. the band have further pushed the boundaries of their post apocalyptic sound on this album by adding equal measure of Brutality infused with Industrial/Electronic sounds and samples,let's not forget the subtle hints of dark humour prevelent throughout the album, if you want a level of understanding what they're all about think Godflesh/Strapping Young Lad meets Aphex Twin.

 Straight from the get go we're treated to the short devastating bursts that are  Will It Blend? and Bear Song with a slight homage to Godflesh, both tracks set the tone for what's about to be unleashed upon your unsuspecting mind,things start to get a bit more Brutal with the extremely Rhythmic/Hypnotic Station,the samples running through this start to reveal the dystopian nightmare that's within the concept of the album.

 We're introduced to some sort of Protaganist in the form of Captain Krunch who seems to have some sort of obsession with control and power over life forms,we get an element of groove running through this song courtesy of the absolutely sublime bassline combined with rhythmic and relentless drumming ,a very hynotic electronic element kicks in about midway through the song before the brutality takes hold with short bursts of blast beats intertwined with Riff heavy breakdowns, Fish Song kicks off with a really groovy riff before unleashing a barrage of electronic beats combined with brief blast beats,this is maintained for the best part of the song then we're given a dose of pure Death Metal madness reminiscent of  Morbid Angel for the last part of the track, Blast Choir goes straight for the juggular with unrelenting speed and a really dark guitar tone,just like Fish Song there's a subtle hint of mid-era Morbid Angel with parts of the riffs eventually some eerie keyboard sound kicks in creating a really ambient atmosphere within the song, King maintains a great mid paced tempo throughout combining a balance of heavy riffs,industrial/electronic sounds with absolutely fantastic drumming.

  Things get even more unnervingly dark with the extremely apocalyptic sounding Meltdown which sounds like some impending nuclear attack is imminent with panic and fear taking its grip on everyone, things get a little eerie and surreal with the Industrial/Electronic meanderings of the excellent Mr. Cool the atmosphere on this reminds of Strapping Young Lad mixed with elements of Aphex Twin, onto the absolutely sublime Teemu Khan the techno intro is absolutely fantastic and creates a brilliant vacuum for the brutality that follows in trademark Organ Blender style which leads to peak 90's era Industrial vibes reminiscent of early Fear Factory, craziness ensues with the absolutely insane Drugz with it's relentless vocal delivery and it's dark and eerie industrial sounds,the further you get into this album the crazier it gets.

 We go deeper down the rabbit hole with the insane atmosphere we're treated to on the last three tracks Voice, Space Rave & The Nasty 90's are nothing more then surreal and darkly humourous insanity which leave you wondering what sort of nightmare have i been dragged through,like you've taken a cocktail of every hallucinogenic known to humankind and have the surreal feeling that this nightmare is neverending.

 Organ Blender are a band on the up and they've created a modern day masterpiece with Teemu Khan, if you like 90's Death Metal in the vein of Morbid Angel and Pungent Stench and Industrial Metal in the vein of Godflesh,Strapping Young Lad and Fear Factory mixed with the Techno/Electronic undertones of Aphex Twin you need to check this album out, i noticed alot of people referenced Blade Runner when the saw the album cover but on further prolonged listen you could easily add the cult comedy series Red Dwarf due to the humourous undertones running throughout the album,you can also tell the band had an awful lot of fun in the writing process in this album, on that note " You Will Surrender To The Blender".

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