Album Reviews : The Psyke Project – Apnea

Denmark’s The Psyke Project was formed in 2001 with the aim of mixing the band members favourite elements from bands such as Isis, Neurosis and Converge. And what has been created in their endeavours is a perfect balanced of said aims – the outlet being the bands latest album – ‘Apnea’.

Industrial sounding at times, but with an overall bass intense sound, possibly due to the use of acclaimed producer Tue Madsen (Raunchy, Mnemic), the albums power is hard to deny. As opposed from the more standard song structure of metal, The Psyke Project effectively uses an ‘evolution’ method to develop each song in its own direction. This is evident in the album opener ‘The Voice of Commandment’, where a long emotive semi-acoustic build-up grows into a heavy and powerful post-metal movement as each instrument is introduced.

The vocals on the album aren’t to be overlooked either. While I’m sure many metal fans will be worried when I say the bands vocals are of a hardcore persuasion, I stress that this works amazingly well and any hesitance should be unfounded. They flow seamlessly with the sometimes chaotic nature of this musical movement.

The use of samples throughout also add to the sound scape. But it’s not all epic build-ups and long songs. There is still plenty of pace in this album with the track ‘I Get Paralysed’ making good use of hardcore styled drumming and cymbals work. With a long power ballad closing the album, I’ve been left feeling quite content with the overall experience. And while there are a few passages where the band slowed down too much and for too long, its still an enjoyable album and I will definitely be checking out future releases from The Psyke Project – and I recommend you to aswell! 7.5/10

For fans of: Isis, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Neurosis, Pelican.

Band: The Psyke Project
Album: Apnea
Year: 2008
Genre: Hardcore/Metal
Label: Lifeforce Records
Origin: Denmark
http://www.myspace.com/thepsykeproject

Track Listing:
1. The Voice of Commandment (Reviewers Choice)
2. I Get Paralysed
3. Panic
4. Creating Landscapes
5. Physical Romance
6. Dedication
7. Love Shown In a Handful of Dirt
8. Poems Written By Kings
9. Jugganata
10. Not in My Time