#psyclops — Public Fediverse posts

Forbidden are back!

The Bay Area thrash giants have announced their first studio album in 15 years, arriving in October via BLKIIBLK. The band has also released the new single “Psyclops.”

Details: https://metalinsider.net/metal-on-metal/forbidden-announce-self-titled-album-release-psyclops-unveil-fall-north-american-tour

#Forbidden #NewMusic #Psyclops #BLKIIBLK

I'd never heard of Psyclops before listening to this album, and on first listen it makes a strong argument to end up on my favorite albums of the year list.

If you enjoy bands like Between The Buried and Me, Haken, and Leprous, then this is probably right up your alley.

https://psyclopspdx.bandcamp.com/album/bound-to-burn-melody-of-the-martyr-2

#Psyclops #Music #Metal #Progressive

I'd never heard of Psyclops before listening to this album, and on first listen it makes a strong argument to end up on my favorite albums of the year list.

If you enjoy bands like Between The Buried and Me, Haken, and Leprous, then this is probably right up your alley.

https://psyclopspdx.bandcamp.com/album/bound-to-burn-melody-of-the-martyr-2

#Psyclops #Music #Metal #Progressive

So, what’s happening here is Australian symphonic metalers Ana and their debut record, Motivated by Death are set on pioneering a new sub-sub-genre. “Couture metal.” For the blue-jeans-and-band-tees wearers among us, couture fashion is all about expressive, customized statements in clothing, often expensive and always personalized. This is an evident visual influence for Ana, and musically the band cites their style as “a sophisticated, upscale evolution of the craft that prioritizes high-fashion theatricality alongside punishing sonic precision.” Fewer corsets, more spandex. One thing’s for sure, Ana have bought into themselves: they have a series of comics in the works written in tandem with their music,1 as well as a documentary film titled Watch Me as I Rise.2 But what about Motivated by Death? Their album, for their music band? Does it live up to the hoo-ha, or is Ana’s rising star a premature liftoff?

Ana are banking on the power of Y2K nostalgia on Motivated by Death. Early-aughts goth, symphonic, and nü metals comprise the core of Ana’s sound, with choruses sounding like Nightwish taking on Evanescence and Evanescence taking on Powerman 5000. Guitarist Josh Mak’s riffs shift between metalcore chugs, nü/alt-rock power chords, and gallops while drummer Andres Osorio and bassist Cody Lamb keep Motivated by Death consistently groovy and moving. There’s a smörgåsbord of synth sounds at keyboardist Mark Shi’s disposal, and when shredding alongside Mak Ana have a surprising knack for showy solos (“Shadow of Life,” “Papa”). Vocalist Anna Hristenko is, predictably, the crux of Ana’s sound, layering Motivated by Death with sultry, classically-inspired but pop-informed bars. She brings gravity to Ana along with unquestionable showmanship, and when Motivated by Death is kicking it recalls not only this millennium’s early rock/metal scene but a time when pop music was more audacious and bombastic.

But Motivated by Death often feels too overly calculated for its own good. Ana make sure to hit all of the beats of a radio hit on Motivated by Death. There’s the booming opener with “Hate Me” followed by the cyber goth panache of “Shadow of Life,” its one-two punch showing listeners that they got both the riffs and hooks they crave. There are two ballads, one power in “You Loved Me More than I Loved Myself” and one Evanescence’s “My Immortal” in “Sick Love” so radio has a choice in what they want play to death. Ana even outsourced a closer by covering System of a Down’s “Aerials,” safely assuring Motivated by Death ends well (in theory). What makes this mathematical approach especially jarring is that Motivated by Death is a very short album, barely hitting thirty-five minutes. Ana just fly through the motions, the listener’s every emotion carefully road-mapped along the way. Motivated by Death feels like a proof-of-concept for Ana, not their debut.

Motivated by Death is also just messy. Ana’s core symphonic sound is imbued with so many Y2K-era rock stylings that there’s hardly enough time spent on one thing to figure out what Motivated by Death is. Its diversity works against memorability; “Eyes of a Child” features a sitar riff in its bridge, and Hristenko breaks out her operatic chops on “Papa,” and yet I forget these things even happen every time. Hristenko is a powerful singer, but clumsy phrasings in the verses of “Sick Love” and “Aerials” leave them feeling awkward, while her declaration of “Listen up you motha fuckeeeeeers!” in “Following the Wind” isn’t aggressive or cheeky enough to land convincingly. Motivated by Death is not helped by Ana’s insistence on loudness and its radio-made production that makes the drums sound like plastic cans and robs any of the dynamics songs like “You Loved Me More than I Loved Myself” and “Aerials” need.3 Motivated by Death sounds like Ana were throwing things at the wall and seeing what stuck. Not enough stuck, and what did doesn’t work too well together.

I fear that Motivated by Death isn’t the statement Ana were hoping for. Ana are a talented, driven bunch, and there’s no doubt there’s a market for what they do. It’s not all bad—”Shadow of Life” slaps and “Sick Love” can be pretty moving at times4—but both playing it safe and half-baking your album is a bad combo. Despite its truncated runtime Motivated by Death proves a slog to get through. I could see a world where I stick up for Ana, one where they’re more bold-faced and adventurous, and I’m getting wedgied for liking “couture metal.” Right now, that’s not this one.

Rating: Bad
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps MP3
Label: Eclipse Records
Websites: anaband.com.au | facebook.com/ana.band.0fficial
Releases Worldwide: May 29th, 2026

So, what’s happening here is Australian symphonic metalers Ana and their debut record, Motivated by Death are set on pioneering a new sub-sub-genre. “Couture metal.” For the blue-jeans-and-band-tees wearers among us, couture fashion is all about expressive, customized statements in clothing, often expensive and always personalized. This is an evident visual influence for Ana, and musically the band cites their style as “a sophisticated, upscale evolution of the craft that prioritizes high-fashion theatricality alongside punishing sonic precision.” Fewer corsets, more spandex. One thing’s for sure, Ana have bought into themselves: they have a series of comics in the works written in tandem with their music,1 as well as a documentary film titled Watch Me as I Rise.2 But what about Motivated by Death? Their album, for their music band? Does it live up to the hoo-ha, or is Ana’s rising star a premature liftoff?

Ana are banking on the power of Y2K nostalgia on Motivated by Death. Early-aughts goth, symphonic, and nü metals comprise the core of Ana’s sound, with choruses sounding like Nightwish taking on Evanescence and Evanescence taking on Powerman 5000. Guitarist Josh Mak’s riffs shift between metalcore chugs, nü/alt-rock power chords, and gallops while drummer Andres Osorio and bassist Cody Lamb keep Motivated by Death consistently groovy and moving. There’s a smörgåsbord of synth sounds at keyboardist Mark Shi’s disposal, and when shredding alongside Mak Ana have a surprising knack for showy solos (“Shadow of Life,” “Papa”). Vocalist Anna Hristenko is, predictably, the crux of Ana’s sound, layering Motivated by Death with sultry, classically-inspired but pop-informed bars. She brings gravity to Ana along with unquestionable showmanship, and when Motivated by Death is kicking it recalls not only this millennium’s early rock/metal scene but a time when pop music was more audacious and bombastic.

But Motivated by Death often feels too overly calculated for its own good. Ana make sure to hit all of the beats of a radio hit on Motivated by Death. There’s the booming opener with “Hate Me” followed by the cyber goth panache of “Shadow of Life,” its one-two punch showing listeners that they got both the riffs and hooks they crave. There are two ballads, one power in “You Loved Me More than I Loved Myself” and one Evanescence’s “My Immortal” in “Sick Love” so radio has a choice in what they want play to death. Ana even outsourced a closer by covering System of a Down’s “Aerials,” safely assuring Motivated by Death ends well (in theory). What makes this mathematical approach especially jarring is that Motivated by Death is a very short album, barely hitting thirty-five minutes. Ana just fly through the motions, the listener’s every emotion carefully road-mapped along the way. Motivated by Death feels like a proof-of-concept for Ana, not their debut.

Motivated by Death is also just messy. Ana’s core symphonic sound is imbued with so many Y2K-era rock stylings that there’s hardly enough time spent on one thing to figure out what Motivated by Death is. Its diversity works against memorability; “Eyes of a Child” features a sitar riff in its bridge, and Hristenko breaks out her operatic chops on “Papa,” and yet I forget these things even happen every time. Hristenko is a powerful singer, but clumsy phrasings in the verses of “Sick Love” and “Aerials” leave them feeling awkward, while her declaration of “Listen up you motha fuckeeeeeers!” in “Following the Wind” isn’t aggressive or cheeky enough to land convincingly. Motivated by Death is not helped by Ana’s insistence on loudness and its radio-made production that makes the drums sound like plastic cans and robs any of the dynamics songs like “You Loved Me More than I Loved Myself” and “Aerials” need.3 Motivated by Death sounds like Ana were throwing things at the wall and seeing what stuck. Not enough stuck, and what did doesn’t work too well together.

I fear that Motivated by Death isn’t the statement Ana were hoping for. Ana are a talented, driven bunch, and there’s no doubt there’s a market for what they do. It’s not all bad—”Shadow of Life” slaps and “Sick Love” can be pretty moving at times4—but both playing it safe and half-baking your album is a bad combo. Despite its truncated runtime Motivated by Death proves a slog to get through. I could see a world where I stick up for Ana, one where they’re more bold-faced and adventurous, and I’m getting wedgied for liking “couture metal.” Right now, that’s not this one.

Rating: Bad
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps MP3
Label: Eclipse Records
Websites: anaband.com.au | facebook.com/ana.band.0fficial
Releases Worldwide: May 29th, 2026

Psyclops—Portland, Oregon’s progressive metal genre-benders—have some nerve coming my way. I know in my heart of hearts that in writing “their” new record, Bound to Burn: Melody of the Martyr, they committed psychic plagiarism against me and stole the progressive death metal concept album I outlined years ago. A sun-baked Earth struggling to survive? My set-up! A wanderer searching for hope and imbued with religious allusion? My protagonist! A chance encounter with a water deity that brings them to a wellspring of pure, untouched water? More or less my idea! Psyclops just cut out my cannibal gangs and digs against Elon Musk, the hacks. Admittedly, they commissioned a comic book to coincide with Bound to Burn, which I didn’t think of…but very well could’ve!1 I was just waiting to get good at music before recording it, you bastards!2 But in this egregious act of unmitigated gall, does Psyclops’ Bound to Burn rip me off effectively and enjoyably, at least?

Psyclops just make prog look easy on Bound to Burn: Melody of the Martyr. Taking a page from the Rush playbook, Psyclops play technically demanding and rhythmically dense progressive music in the vein of Between the Buried and Me and Opeth while keeping their songs mostly immediate and accessible. The three-song “Consequences” segue sees Psyclops bouncing between odd, frantic rhythms while sounding as natural as if it were all 4/4, while the “Manifest” trilogy showcases Bound to Burn’s most diverse guitarwork that dazzles without devolving into wankery. “Presence from Beyond” and “Clarity” see awkward vocal intervals and off-kilter riffing, respectively, that make for effortless earworms, and “Begin Anew”‘s guitar arpeggios sound symphonic in a very understated way while rocking out in an uncomplicated fashion. Further, Psyclops swing with some heft with juiced-up, low-end heavy riffing and punchy drums highlighted on the “Indomitable” segue and a crushing death vocal presence established in opener “The Explorer-Errant.” Heavy and catchy, technical and immediate, Bound to Burn is bound to please most any prog fan.

Psyclops’ knack for lean, diverse songwriting brings home the bacon. At thirty-three minutes, Bound to Burn has a story to tell and Psyclops hustle between movements and songs without wasting time on interludes or masturbatory noodling. Crystalline, clean, and plodding doom guitars on “The Explorer-Errant” give way to jagged, Xoth-like riffs and solos on “Consequences I. The Instinct to Survive,” while “Manifest I. Seeing Is Believing” opens the segue with Devin Townsend-like harmonies and progression, only to close out with “Manifest III. The Ouroboros Chorus”‘s Thank You Scientist swinging prog goofiness. The spirit of Mastodon haunts a lot of Bound to Burn as well, particularly in the moody, Crack the Skye-like trippiness of “Presence from Beyond” and the Emperor of Sandesque rock soloing closing out “Manifest II. Warranted Transgression.” Psyclops package all of these influences, moods, and approaches in a way that feels totally cohesive and trimmed of all excess. Bound to Burn is here for a good time, not a long one.

With Bound to Burn: Melody of the Martyr, Psyclops constructed the Anti-Playlist Album. Singled out, individual tracks on Bound to Burn don’t hold up, bearing truncated runtimes and rarely sounding whole alone. But taken altogether, Psyclop’s singular vision comes through. Bound to Burn establishes character motivation quickly and effectively with “The Explorer-Errant,” conflict soon after with “Consequences II” and “III,” and a call to action with “Clarity” that carries Bound to Burn’s plot smoothly right to the end. “Manifest III” and “Begin Anew” feel somewhat rushed in closing the album, and Psyclops could’ve spent more time in those songs to drive it home, but that’s Bound to Burn’s only pacing hiccup. Song transitions are completely seamless on Bound to Burn; with how natural every movement flows into the next, Psyclops could have designated the whole thing as one song, à la Crimson or Winter’s Gate. Simply, Bound to Burn cannot be appreciated or enjoyed fully without being taken in as a whole, and Psyclops facilitates that fact with perfect narrative flow and sequencing.

Psyclops are on my ever-expanding shit list, not because they stole my album but because they did it better than me. Way better. Bound to Burn: Melody of the Martyr is an adventurous, refreshing, and forward-thinking work of music and fiction sure to please prog fans of every stripe. Psyclops hit quick, hit hard, and left me wanting more in the end. Bound to Burn isn’t perfect, but there’s very little to complain about either. But the sequel better have some cannibal gangs.3

Rating: Great
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: WAV
Label: Self-Release
Websites: psyclopsmusic.com | psyclopspdx.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/psyclopspdx
Releases Worldwide: May 22nd, 2026

Psyclops—Portland, Oregon’s progressive metal genre-benders—have some nerve coming my way. I know in my heart of hearts that in writing “their” new record, Bound to Burn: Melody of the Martyr, they committed psychic plagiarism against me and stole the progressive death metal concept album I outlined years ago. A sun-baked Earth struggling to survive? My set-up! A wanderer searching for hope and imbued with religious allusion? My protagonist! A chance encounter with a water deity that brings them to a wellspring of pure, untouched water? More or less my idea! Psyclops just cut out my cannibal gangs and digs against Elon Musk, the hacks. Admittedly, they commissioned a comic book to coincide with Bound to Burn, which I didn’t think of…but very well could’ve!1 I was just waiting to get good at music before recording it, you bastards!2 But in this egregious act of unmitigated gall, does Psyclops’ Bound to Burn rip me off effectively and enjoyably, at least?

Psyclops just make prog look easy on Bound to Burn: Melody of the Martyr. Taking a page from the Rush playbook, Psyclops play technically demanding and rhythmically dense progressive music in the vein of Between the Buried and Me and Opeth while keeping their songs mostly immediate and accessible. The three-song “Consequences” segue sees Psyclops bouncing between odd, frantic rhythms while sounding as natural as if it were all 4/4, while the “Manifest” trilogy showcases Bound to Burn’s most diverse guitarwork that dazzles without devolving into wankery. “Presence from Beyond” and “Clarity” see awkward vocal intervals and off-kilter riffing, respectively, that make for effortless earworms, and “Begin Anew”‘s guitar arpeggios sound symphonic in a very understated way while rocking out in an uncomplicated fashion. Further, Psyclops swing with some heft with juiced-up, low-end heavy riffing and punchy drums highlighted on the “Indomitable” segue and a crushing death vocal presence established in opener “The Explorer-Errant.” Heavy and catchy, technical and immediate, Bound to Burn is bound to please most any prog fan.

Psyclops’ knack for lean, diverse songwriting brings home the bacon. At thirty-three minutes, Bound to Burn has a story to tell and Psyclops hustle between movements and songs without wasting time on interludes or masturbatory noodling. Crystalline, clean, and plodding doom guitars on “The Explorer-Errant” give way to jagged, Xoth-like riffs and solos on “Consequences I. The Instinct to Survive,” while “Manifest I. Seeing Is Believing” opens the segue with Devin Townsend-like harmonies and progression, only to close out with “Manifest III. The Ouroboros Chorus”‘s Thank You Scientist swinging prog goofiness. The spirit of Mastodon haunts a lot of Bound to Burn as well, particularly in the moody, Crack the Skye-like trippiness of “Presence from Beyond” and the Emperor of Sandesque rock soloing closing out “Manifest II. Warranted Transgression.” Psyclops package all of these influences, moods, and approaches in a way that feels totally cohesive and trimmed of all excess. Bound to Burn is here for a good time, not a long one.

With Bound to Burn: Melody of the Martyr, Psyclops constructed the Anti-Playlist Album. Singled out, individual tracks on Bound to Burn don’t hold up, bearing truncated runtimes and rarely sounding whole alone. But taken altogether, Psyclop’s singular vision comes through. Bound to Burn establishes character motivation quickly and effectively with “The Explorer-Errant,” conflict soon after with “Consequences II” and “III,” and a call to action with “Clarity” that carries Bound to Burn’s plot smoothly right to the end. “Manifest III” and “Begin Anew” feel somewhat rushed in closing the album, and Psyclops could’ve spent more time in those songs to drive it home, but that’s Bound to Burn’s only pacing hiccup. Song transitions are completely seamless on Bound to Burn; with how natural every movement flows into the next, Psyclops could have designated the whole thing as one song, à la Crimson or Winter’s Gate. Simply, Bound to Burn cannot be appreciated or enjoyed fully without being taken in as a whole, and Psyclops facilitates that fact with perfect narrative flow and sequencing.

Psyclops are on my ever-expanding shit list, not because they stole my album but because they did it better than me. Way better. Bound to Burn: Melody of the Martyr is an adventurous, refreshing, and forward-thinking work of music and fiction sure to please prog fans of every stripe. Psyclops hit quick, hit hard, and left me wanting more in the end. Bound to Burn isn’t perfect, but there’s very little to complain about either. But the sequel better have some cannibal gangs.3

Rating: Great
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: WAV
Label: Self-Release
Websites: psyclopsmusic.com | psyclopspdx.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/psyclopspdx
Releases Worldwide: May 22nd, 2026