Psychonaut are on the brink of something special here, hurtling through the earth’s atmosphere like an asteroid on a collision course with mother earth, and with the release of Violate Consensus Reality, that scorching sphere of fury has gorged the earth’s crust and set it alight! Have no doubt in your mind, this album will be huge, and deservedly so.
Psychonaut were always on The Smashing Skull Sessions radar. Their album, Unfold The God Man was ablaze with endless potential, as were their previous releases for that matter. Raucous, psychedelic flair and gut-wrenching riffs are the cornerstone of their sound. However, decorate that with rich harmonies and vicious vocal acrobatics and you have a phonic fireball of near biblical proportions. Psychonaut are on the brink of something special here, hurtling through the earth’s atmosphere like an asteroid on a collision course with mother earth, and with the release of Violate Consensus Reality, that scorching sphere of fury has gorged the earth’s crust and set it alight! Have no doubt in your mind, this album will be huge, and deservedly so.
A Storm Approaching is a very fitting title for the opening track, with its groovy bass lines and its scaling lead guitars leading the charge, followed by some super-sized drums and some dirty, fuzzy rhythm guitars. Harmony and melody mixed with obese heft and burliness give way to primal screams clashing against smooth, eurythmic singing. A superb piece of music that has everything to whet the appetite for what is to come.
It's hard not to feel the Mastodon, Amenra and Tool influences creep into the next two tracks, All Your Gods Have Gone and Age Of Separation. Both tracks are drenched in power and melody, heavy in atmosphere and dynamism. Psychonaut have found that very fragile balance of measured aggression and swashbuckling swagger, and I gotta say it’s so exciting and refreshing.
Now, lets talk about the title track, Violate Consensus Reality……. opening with the haunting vocals of Stefanie Mannaerts (Brutus) the track has you immediately transfixed, with soaring vocals drowning over rich layers of guitars and percussions. The hooks of the track’s melody pierce the skin deep, amidst a cluster of weaving hammer-ons and elevating pull-offs, never standing still, flashing through tempos and vocal tirades. Colin H. van Eeckhout (Amenra) also features on the track, leaving his trade-mark stamp all over the final flourishes, heightening the tension and the potency to another level. A beast of a track, and one that stays with you long after you listen to it.
Tracks like Hope, showcase Psychonaut in another light, a dimly lit one at that, overshadowed with dark sombre silhouettes that create a deeply atmospheric and distinctive sound. Violins, softly sung vocals, and chant like choruses wash over the piano keys, reminiscent of bands like Katatonia and Opeth. Interbeing on the other hand has the coolest and most addictive intro with those Tool vibes latching onto your soul like blood thirsty leeches. More dynamic tempo changes and deeply harmonised vocals really set this track aside from a lot of other progressive/post-metal tracks you will hear.
A Pacifists Guide To Violence is a vicious and bloodthirsty track that simply pulverises you without mercy. Those murderous vocals rip and sever the larynx, stretching those vocal cords to their limit while manic drum patterns and mind-bending guitar chords blister and batter your ears right to the death. This leaves the closing track Towards The Edge with the task of picking up the pieces, and reassembling your body parts, setting you up for one final assault. Melodic and euphonic vocals comfort and soothe, even under such heavy, chunky riffs. The track momentarily breaks down to a lonesome drum before erupting once more with a surge of fiery energy power, all helped by the mastered intricacies of every component within the band. Sign off with the celestial voice of Stephanie Mannaerts one final time, and you have reached the end of this enormous album.
After writing this review while listening to the album again, it only re-iterates and re-affirms what I said in my opening paragraph really. Psychonaut are on an upward trajectory with the afterburners engaged and ablaze, scorching the sky behind them. Violate Consensus Reality is a beast of an album. It has everything your mind and body wants from heavy music. October 28th is fast approaching, so be sure to have that stereo and headphones serviced and ready for an assault of the senses. Superb!
https://psychonautband.bandcamp.com/album/violate-consensus-reality