Dimenzion Psychosphere: Collapse

Most bands, quite rightly, shy away from "genre tags", instead, simply hoping for a wide base of people to hear their sounds and like them. However for reviewers looking to try and "explain" what something sounds like, there's no denying that throwing out tags like Melodic Death Jazz free-form Hip Hop Ambient Metal, is often unavoidable and even from time to time genuinely helpful. Record labels do it too, hence Norway's Crime Records have described Collapse, from their countrymen Dimenzion Psychosphere, as Industrial Metal. Now fair play to whoever put the press release together, for I can't deny that this album does contain Industrial elements and yet if you're now thinking Collapse sounds like Ministry, early Nine Inch Nails, or on the opposite end of the spectrum, Fear Factory, then think again. Why? Well because these madmen – who are called things like The Architect, The Engineer, The Meatball Sandwich Maker (okay, I made the last one up, but you get the idea...) and wear night goggles and masks (no, I've never heard of Slipknot either...), cover so many bases that simply pigeon holing them into one scene does them a disservice.

Riffs pound forth in an, admittedly, Industrial sense, repetitive and relentless, yet you can feel a hit of Slayer like intensity in places and there's no denying the monotonously singular pace from start to finish on this album takes Doom into account. Comparisons are difficult, a less experimental Strapping Young Lad on downers possibly careening into Rammstein without the theatrical bent coming close. Yet that doesn't cover it either.

Take a rush into "Void" where the juddering guitars are hammered into place by a steady smack of drums and clamour of cymbals. Add in harsh but not quite Extreme vocals that are as much part of the music as they are focal point and you'll get a handle on where Dimenzion Psychosphere are coming from. Variance from track to track (I'm reluctant to call these expulsions of anger songs) isn't high on the agenda, and in truth, if you stick Collapse on at low volume, then it is a little too easy to forget that you're listening to it at all and yet, crank that dial up and a whole host of furious hammer blows rein down on you. "Epistemophobia" (which is a fear of knowledge, by the way) with it stabs of synths, multi-layered vocals and jagged guitar solo stuns you into submission, as the uncompromising "Slaves" leaves you in no doubt of where this band think the world is heading (down the tubes basically – it's hard to argue...).

Collapse is the second full length effort from Dimenzion Psychosphere and first since they signed to a label, although they have been releasing EPs under their own steam since 2000. I have to say that with this single minded set of songs, they really do make one hell of an impression and an impressively individual one at that.

Track Listing
1. The Machine
2. Fury
3. Void
4. Epistemophobia
5. Slaves
6. Psychodorm
7. Collapse

Added: December 27th 2014
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Dimenzion Psychosphere on facebook
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Language: english

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