|
By RYAN MAVITY
So I have just finished listening to this album and my mind boggles. I find myself asking the same question I have been asking myself for much of the album’s 12 tracks: What in the fuck is this shit? I still have not a clue. I don’t know whether this is supposed to be serious or funny, good or bad.
I guess the good thing is that it is never boring. But holy dogshit is it tough to listen to. There is no song structure, tempos are played and changed at blinding speeds and the word “fuck” is used like its going out of style. Frontman Adam Frappoli drops so many f-bombs that he makes Fred Durst look conservative by comparison
I suppose I should give Psyopus a break. This is the sort of off the wall stuff that Primus was specializing in back in the day. I guess I’m not really the target audience for this because I didn’t much get Primus either. Nonetheless, I suppose there is a subversive element at work here. The album spits in the face of musical convention by being so chaotic that you’ll find yourself wondering if you are really hearing what you’re hearing. To paraphrase a line from the movie Lethal Weapon, these guys are out on fucking Pluto somewhere. They don’t need a producer, they need Ritalin.
And yet there are some moments to like. The star attraction is guitarist Christopher Arp, who has an innovative style and can play just about any way you want. His work on the instrumental “Siobhan’s Song” is worth a listen. It’s a beautiful solo and marks about the only eight minutes when the band actually slows down and plays something with a melody. I also like the short track “Play Some Skynyrd,” which probably has the funniest lyrics you will hear on a metal album. Let’s just say the sentiment expressed in this song will apply to anyone who has heard endless bar bands cover “Sweet Home Alabama.”
But just what the hell is up with a voice message repeating the word “annoying” over and over again for about 25 minutes (not kidding)? I truly don’t know, and quite frankly, by that point I didn’t really care. I suppose the point is to repeat the word so many times it truly becomes annoying before the band comes back in laughing and joking around. Like I said, I haven’t the foggiest here.
I suppose Psyopus is something you could get into. If you like offbeat, truly odd music or are on some serious psychotropic medications, you really could get into it.
|
