### Psychoparalysis: Forest of ignorance

#### 24/03/11 || revenant

The first thing I did after loading this demo into my iPod was load up the ace iPod game “Flight Control” for a quickie. I’m pretty good at this game, and don’t mind boasting it. Top 10% in the world, fuckers! Anyway, for those readers who don’t have this app, the in-game music is fucking ghastly and I hate it. Thankfully the game allows you to play whatever music you have, so Psychoparalysis became the soundtrack for my endeavors. With a few planes safely landed and a break in the action, my attention was suddenly drawn to the music. “Wow, this is fucken good”, I said to myself, seconds before a mid-air collision ended my game. Not that I fucken cared anymore, I was too into the music to give two shits. Wow. Seriously, if all the demos sent to Global Domination were as good at this us writers would have nothing to bitch about.

“Dynamic Death Metal” was the tag this one arrived with. I’m not so sure that’s an official sub-genre, but I’ll let it slide. Progressive death metal is the category this one clearly sits under. Alternating between snappy, catchy riffs and longer, winding passages, the three songs presented here have both instant hooks and lasting appeal. The song-writing is brilliant, both in their ability to write great riffs and in forming the song as a whole. There are breathtaking passages in each song, and it is hard to believe this is a demo from a band just starting out and not the EP of seasoned veterans.

The playing is tight, particularly when the band changes gears. Check out the second track, where after the mid-paced intro (with an epic guitar solo) the band suddenly hits warp speed before shifting back down again to a catchier riff. Utterly masterful. The production, too, is damn good on this demo, further enhancing the feel that this is not just some obscure band’s demo but the work of someone more. But wait, it is an unknown, obscure band from Finland. What the fuck? Surely someone’s playing a prank on me here.

It’s fair to say I’ve had my arse handed to me by this band. This is easily the best demo I’ve heard in my time at GD and possibly ever. Yeah, I said it, I’m not afraid to make the big calls. From having never heard of these guys before, this band is well and truly on my radar now, and it should be on yours too. If this was just a taster of what this band can achieve, I eagerly await what is to follow.

- Information
- Released: 2010
- Label: Self-released
- Website: Psychoparalysis MySpace
- Band
- Anssi Kantola: vocals, guitars
- Bhaadi Partanen: guitars
- Otto Trygg: bass
- Mika Sallamaa: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Truth Altered
- 02. Display of Ash (Yellowstone Caldera)
- 03. Forest of Ignorance