After a couple of minutes after I pressed the play button, I started telling myself why on Earth did I asked about the new ABORYM album. I started to think that "Psychogrotesque" is a crap album. But giving the album more than one chance, I found out how wrong I was.

The trio, originating from Italy, is in the music industry since 1992. Having released three demos and five (counting this year's "Psychogrotesque") full length albums, is, in my eyes and ears, a love-it-or-hate-it kind of band. Their Black Metal, gone though mechanical and industrial filters, is not easy listening to the traditional Black Metal fan or the typical Metal one, since sometimes it tends to sound more like EBM rather than Metal. Not to mention the progressive/avant garde sections in some of the compositions.

Those progressive elements were the ones that made me think this album is not good. But after the third listening session, I found out that everything is here for a reason.. The album deals with asylum aspects of life and I have to say that the cover really gives you a hint about that. The music itself is like a paranoia, going form traditional Black to EBM, industrial and then to melodies from a saxophone and claustrophobic moments like in "IV" with the samples, keys and the steady, monotonous recitation in their native language. The variety in the music and the vocals helps the album to come to life, but that's also it's main disadvantage: You have to listen to it from the start to the end. It is difficult to bypass a track and on the other hand, just from the music perspective, this album is not that 'Metal' for metalheads while it has many blastbeats and Black Metal riffs for the industrial fans.

"Psychogrotesque" is a difficult album that needs to be listened under the proper atmosphere. This is not an album that you will listen while driving or drinking beers with your friends. This album is for you and only you. If you can stand the differential variety in the music from track to track, believe me, you won't regret listening to this CD.