Wednesday, July 13, 2016

EP Review: "Chapter 1: Hysterics" by Gus McArthur

Chapter 1: Hysterics
Recently we traveled to Joliet, IL from our home in St. Louis, MO.

Sadly, my attempt to ride the train was thwarted. There was a possibility of not being able to arrive on time, but it all basically worked out.

Which left us with the tried and true: ROAD TRIP!

Before leaving, combos and sodas were acquired, because those are the essential foods for such a journey.

As we moved along Interstate 55, a road coma began to take over me, thankfully, as I sat in the passenger seat.

Then all of a sudden, a semi truck started to merge into our lane and we were then nearly rear ended by an SUV behind us who didn't see the semi. The coma was gone.

Gus McArthur
Gus McArthur, be it a him or a they, has an entire mythos.

It's always nice when a band chooses to give you a bit of an insight into their plans and such.

Yes, it's crazy.

Their music is also crazy. It's definitely for those of us who appreciate high quality musicianship, but there's no lacking in the songcraft department either.

It's not uncommon for bands who can really play to overplay the detriment of the song, but Gus McArthur never does that.

There are beautifully arranged arpeggio segments, lurching metal runs, and more changes than a cross country trip on the Amtrak.

This EP has all of the subtlety of a car crash. Many times you'll jump at the abruptness of the changes. They flip and flop like a lower tier World Cup Team. Their ability to seamlessly juxtapose these styles of music is truly awe inspiring.

It clocks in at about 1 Reign In Blood, but there's enough music on this disc to fill out two or three full on 2112 styled epics.

Release: 7/22/16
Genre: Progressive Metal
Label: DIY
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