Psyclon Nine – Less To Heaven (Album – Metropolis Records)
Genre/Influences: Industrial-Metal, Cinematic.
Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.
Background/Info: The last Psyclon Nine-albums haven’t been released on a regular basis so we had to wait another four years to welcome this new opus. Meantime head of the band Nero Bellum however released two solo-albums while setting up together with Tim Skold the project Not My God.
Content: The work takes off with a dark and hell-sounding track moving crescendo till a heavy outburst. Bombastic guitar playing alternated by metal riffs are progressively joining in although the main evolution -and difference with previous work, is the explicit Cinematic format of the songs. The vocals are still expressing the usual rage.
+ + + : The least I can say is that Psyclon Nine don’t repeat themselves. The band already went through several evolutions in style and is now mixing their Industrial-Metal basis together with an obscure and doom-driven Cinematic experiment. It feels like a Soundtrack for hell. The album sounds however varied but the ‘fans’ will be pleased discovering songs like “X’s On Her Eyes” and the already known single “Money And Sex And Death” which are the hardest parts of the work. Because of its Cinematic format the work has a visual appeal so the imagery will be for sure essential during the upcoming live tour.
– – – : I don’t know if the work is less accessible but it’s definitely taking me by surprise. I’m missing the hard side by the menacing guitar riffs and heavy rhythms.
Conclusion: “Less To Heaven” sounds as a requiem for the modern world we’re living in.
Best songs: “X’s On Her Eyes”, “Money And Sex And Death”, “Catastrophic”.
Rate: 7½.
Artist: www.facebook.com/psyclonnineofficial
Label: www.metropolis-records.com / www.facebook.com/MetropolisRecords
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