Why do I feel as if I have been put through a meat grinder? My brain has been beaten out of my head and it is lying on the ground in front of me. This can't be right, can it? Is music supposed to have this sort of effect? I have a strong suspicion that if I lift up my shirt (don't worry, I won't) my ribs will be covered in discolored bruises. Psyopus deliver an uncompromising sonic beatdown of epic proportions. Once it has begun I am not sure it is possible to escape. In some cases this would be considered a good thing. With regards to Odd Senses I am not so sure it is a good thing.
Psyopus is mathcore/tech metal/grindcore or some combination thereof. At first I thought I was going to be in for an experience similar to when I was introduced to Cephalic Carnage. Unfortunately, aside from some surface similarities, the two experiences have nothing in common. Odd Senses just goes one step beyond. That one step is a rather large leap away from the insane stuff Cephalic Carnage does and lands in the world of near complete abstraction.
I find it pretty much impossible to put these songs into any sort of relatable context. The "music" is all over the place. There are moments where it feels like a song is about to break out, but these guys are sure to put a stop to that quickly. I feel pretty safe in saying I derived very little enjoyment from this collection of sounds. I think calling them songs may be giving them too much credit. There are sounds being made and there are instruments involved; however the sounds that are emitted do not have much to do with each other. In short, the notes that are not friends, they don't know each other and they are angry. Whether they are angry at the other notes and sounds for not playing along or for forgetting to bring along relatives, I am not sure. What I am sure about is that these sounds want absolutely nothing to do with each other.
As disconcerting and aggravating as the music is, there is one thing that I do like about it. Psyopus has but one founding member left, guitar player Christopher Arp, and he alone is the reason to spend any time with this at all. Just be aware that in order to experience what he has to offer you will be wading into the deep end of shark-infested waters without any real means of survival. Simply put, you are on your own — no one can rescue you.
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