PSYGNOSIS make a distinctly progressive type of extreme metal. Sure, the French band has two guitarists who grind out plenty of crunching, distorted riffs, and their drummer is by no means shy when it comes to hammering out blast beats. But this extreme metal band doesn’t have a vocalist. Instead, they’ve got a cellist.
Of course, this peculiar configuration didn’t align overnight. Psygnosis started in 2009, as a way for Rémi Vanhove to meld his love for atmospheric extreme metal with touches of electronica. It wasn’t until 2015 that the band decided to ditch singing all together in favor of adding Raphaël Verguin, whose swooping cello whisked fans all the way to the ends of the solar system on their last album.
Now, Psygnosis are setting off once again for a faraway galaxy with ‘Mercury’, their first album since signing with Season of Mist. And while lead single “Öpik-Oort” shoots past the 10-minute mark, it’s not a slow burn by any means. Riffs and cymbals collide like meteors, falling away beneath twinkling synths and strings that swirl with the same gravitational pull as the rings of Saturn.
Watch the video for “Öpik-Oort” HERE.
‘Mercury’ is out September 15 on Season of Mist.
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