The End Records quickly scooped up Frantic Bleep after hearing the “Fluctuadmission Demo,” which was released back in 2002. Honestly, I was less than stoked when I heard about the full-length record, because I found “Fluctuadmission” (the song) to be disjointed. In short, I hadn’t been impressed. But, “The Sense Apparatus” is arguably a definitive work of progression, and now I’m more than hooked.

“A Survey” is an introduction that features some solid, clean vocalizations along with double-bass, ambient guitars, and an overall dreamy soundscape. “The Expulsion,” however, jumpstarts the pace only to delve back into subtlety. The vocals are great, but they aren’t as unique as, say, Warrell Dane’s (Nevermore). No complaints here, though. The song, which is never content to ride the same wave, does transition from heavy to soft, and back and forth with distorted vox thrown in for good measure. On the whole, “The Sense Apparatus” has an unsettling eeriness about it that is reminiscent of “The Wall”-era Pink Floyd; the aforementioned is overtly displayed in the underlying parts of “Sins of Omission” and “Mausolos.” However, “…But a Memory” is perhaps the most friendly: odd beats twist about while the main melody reverberates within the crevices of your mind. Frantic Bleep has to keep moving as evidenced by the post-black metal “Mandaughter,” and the doom-like “Cone.”

“The Sense Apparatus” isn’t so much arrogant as it is jaw dropping. The band has triumphantly released what will be one of the remembrances of 2005, for those of you that don’t mind a barrage of different styles all melded into one body. Now, I suppose it’s time to heartily embrace the term “avant-garde.”

[This review was first published on the now defunct scandinavianmetal.info webzine]