For me, a good band or record usually boils down to one of two things. It’s either a band that is a master of one thing or it’s a record that scratches a lot of itches. The latter usually means there is something great happening. It means an artist or collective of musicians is putting together a lot of influences and originality in order to make something we haven’t heard before. If Psychonaut doesn’t do that for you, I’m not sure what to say to you to convince you otherwise.
The collective trio from Belgium make some very unique tunes. Looking at the bottom of their Bandcamp page, they’ve tagged themselves with “alternative metal,” “atmospheric,” “post-metal,” “psychedelic,” “sludge,” and “stoner rock.” That pretty much covers the breadth of their sound. It spans everything in a very heady way, often creating a unique amalgamation of tones with the highest quality of songwriting abilities. The tones on their newest record, Unfold the God Man, reflect the album art: a vaguely emerging figure from a spatial tapestry of stars.
What really grabs me the most are the lyrics. There are obviously a lot of high-minded topics being discussed in them, and I’m not afraid to admit that I haven’t a clue exactly what they’re talking about. However, the record is so intensely intriguing that I’m willing to deal with that personal failing just to consume more of their music. And maybe someday when I get over just how musically interesting they are, I’ll come to the enlightenment that is understanding these lyrics. Until such a time, I’ve got 2 other full-length records of theirs to go through. I would suggest all of us do the same. Please help me figure this band out. I HAVE TO KNOW!