Review by Rachel Jablonski
Flashes of familiarity like nothing I’ve heard before. Swift flickers of recollection, elements of bands like My Dying Bride or Peccatum perhaps, but not really. Metal riffs twisted with frequently varied beats, smooth synth additions, and lucid vocals are the essence of Norway’s’ Frantic Bleep. Overall it’s the album's innovative sound that governs listening perspective.
The Sense Apparatus is a well put together, melodic, heavy, tempo varying, complex yet not chaotic debut album. The intro song, “A Survey, “ is a brief, approximately one minute long lead into the analogous “The Expulsion.” In these songs each instrument stands alone, not necessarily in synch with the rest of the instruments, but the result is beautifully orchestrated. The contrasting tempos create a sense of awe and easily allow the listener to intimately focus on the sounds.
When listening to the album what clearly comes into view first is the creative guitar playing which is strikingly aggressive and fluent. “But a Memory” has an uplifting riff, a repeated build of notes. The song undergoes many shifts moving from the heavy crunch to a more distant synth and then back again. "A Survey" and "The Expulsion" demonstrate a great guitar riff as well accompanying fast double bass drum and slower vocal melody. Similarly, a solid foundation is provided by the guitars throughout the album.
A difficult album to describe due to the vast variance within, Frantic Bleep’s debut is anything but simplistic. The well composed disc with snippets of remembrance, great guitar work, and enough composure so as not to become chaotic proves a promising start for the Norwegian band.