The Octopus - Amplifier
2011 - Armcorp(UK) 2CD: Digipak
- Sel Balamir / guitars, vocals
- Neil Mahoney / bass
- Matt Brobin / drums
CD1
1. The Runner
2. Minion's Song
3. Interglacial Song
4. The Wave
5. The Octopus
6. Planet Of Insects
7. White Horses At Sea/Utopian Daydream
8. Trading Dark Matter On The Stock Exchange
CD2
1. The Sick Rose
2. Interstellar
3. The Emperor
4. Golden Ratio
5. Fall Of The Empire
6. Bloodtest
7. Oscar Night/Embryo
8. Forever More
Immense. Encompassing and intelligently entangled. Massive ebbs and floods of moods and atmospheres.
'The Octopus' is a deviated dweller descending into murky depths ambitiously undaunted delivering a distorted metal ambience derived of Tool, the subsonic of Soundgarden, the abyssal of Alice In Chains with the subtle currents of dynmaic textures of Oceansize (also from Manchester, England) and pugnaciously plods and preys on the sludge/stoner of Mastodon and Monster Magnet. Tactically, the other tentacles transcend and cosmically converge and crystalloid Floydian space-echo effects propelled by bursts of heavy psych riffs time travelling from Hawkwind's satellites, The First Band From Outerspace and Oresund Space Collective as the instruments and vocals steer majestic celestial melody and harmony gravitational of Porcupine Tree and Anathema.
This endeavour is a monolithic of rock. It has the elements and forces of being clever and devious, subliminal power, ever-resonating voltage with clouds of euphoria as it hovers with grand gestures and bombastic booms. Leader Sel Balamir throws out a multi-layered waves of guitars laced with etheral effects, drowning distortions, heavy hipnotic riffs and meloncholic passages with delicate and radiant melodies sphering grunge, doom, psych, prog and modern alternative art rock.
The band's label put the squeeze and scurry on Sel Balamir to release 'The Octopus', so he, sick of the siphoning and swindling of their salary cut off the commerce tentacle as then he cavernously calculated and conjured his artistic ambitions and after three years of adversity (financial and emotional), accomplished, published and delivered on his own terms this two-CD set (eight tracks on each side) released on their own label, Armcorp. The UK trio tightly twists and turns technically and elegantly with might and muscle as the compositions are skillfully and structured synthesis of the simplicity of only guitars, bass and drums with assisted appearences of a piano, trumpet and backing harmony vocals. No extravagancies of excessive electronic equipment (keys, synths, Melloton, etc.).
A trip (running time of two hours) that travels at the speed of the sound. The past, the present and the future.
Stellar.
Rating: 5/5
