Psyopus

Our Puzzling Encounters Considered

[4.5/5] Psyopus’ 2004 debut, Ideas Of Reference, raised the bar for technical metal with a dizzying, rapid-fire assault that felt like the Dillinger Escape Plan on a meth binge. But with Our Puzzling Encounters Considered, the Rochester, New York, quartet have entered their own league, crafting a fusion of violence and velocity that pushes tech-metal so far beyond anyone else’s abilities to play it, it almost feels like bullying. That’s not to say Encounters doesn’t have precedents: The seizure-inducing “Insects” recalls tech-shred duo Orthrelm, while shades of early Dillinger still color “Whore Meet Liar.” But these comparisons only feel valid because they’re among the few moments on Encounters the brain can easily grasp: Guitarist Chris Arp’s compositional chops have grown so complex, and the band’s blastbeat- and 32nd-note interplay has evolved so aggressively that simple aesthetic observations no longer apply to Psyopus’ music: The best one can do is stand back, gape and try to survive. (METAL BLADE) Aaron Burgess