Psykkle - Rock Bottom Paradise

Evan Collingwood has been floating around for a while, having two previous releases. The first of which 'The Parthian Shot' carries the proud accomplishment of being one of the few releases with a title which intrigued me so much that I googled it, and learned something rather interesting.

Once you all return from Wikipedia, you'll be happily listening to it. This CD is even better. Following on from an earlier EP, this album appears to detail the destruction of;and reveals the hyperbole of the theoretical 'paradise'. The sarcastic 'Welcome to Paradise' is a slow, IDM inspired track with spoken word Female vocals. It's worth mentioning, while on the subject, that said vocalist Sabine Tharani is responsible for the lyrics on this CD. I have no idea if she is a full time member or not, but I guess Evan will clarify that later.

'Fake' is a hostile Dark Electro track, which has lyrical contribution by agr1ippa from Australian act 'Bitch Brigade'. She also features later on track 5, 'Massacre of the Loved'.

It's difficult to pigeonhole Psykkle into a style or sound, as it sounds very similar to many of its peers, yet carries an elusive sense of independence. There's definately examples of each main sub-genre of Industrial. Consider the variety the main reason why I never get fed up of listening to this CD - at 17 tracks, it's the only move that Evan could have possibly made.

'Lukankasi' is a pretty unorthodox track, Psykkle fans have a tendency to glow when you mention the name to them. To be honest, there are bands out there in the same vein that are signed, that I like less. Evan and Sabine are talented, and they're doing something more intelligent then the usual 'oontz army' The cover art is beautiful, and at nearly 70 minutes long, it's supreme value for money. I tried to shortlist 5 tracks, but found nearly 9 I liked enough to repeat over and over.

In all fairness, the band has had a rough time in remaining unsigned. Admittedly, the band name is a bit cliche, and many may not like it, but there's enough under the coating to get you hooked. A bit like a truffle, but less sickly, and more cynical.

Bandcamp has streaming, and the album is available on the link above.
With time, marketing, and luck, this act will break the Psykkle (I am sorry), and go on to better things. Dec 27 2011