Unfold the God Man
Unfold the God Man gives Psychonaut plenty of room to show what they can do. The Belgian trio move between heavy post-metal, progressive guitar writing and quieter psychedelic passages, with clean and harsh vocals adding further contrasts. First released independently in 2018, the debut feels ambitious without losing sight of the songs inside its long arrangements.
“All I Saw as a Huge Monkey” opens with throat singing and a mostly instrumental introduction to the band’s sound. The guitar parts keep changing, giving the record an active start, although the opening could make its point more quickly. “The Story of Your Enslavement” then brings the vocals into focus, using sharper screams and cleaner singing to give the heavy playing another dimension.
The movement between those approaches is one of the album’s main strengths. The riffs can be forceful, but the band also allow the music to open up and change direction. The arrangements on “The Fall of Consciousness” show that the songs have more to offer than a simple alternation between loud and quiet sections.
“Halls of Amenti” benefits from particularly strong vocal harmonies towards its ending. They give the song a clear emotional centre without taking away its weight. The much longer closing track, “Nothing is Consciousless”, expands the range further, moving through different heavy styles before a saxophone adds an unexpected colour near the end.
The album also shows the risks of giving every idea so much space. Some stretches of “Sananda” and “Nexus” take longer to develop than their strongest moments need. The closer can feel similarly extended, even though its changing sections give it enough character to remain interesting. More selective editing would make the contrasts hit harder.
For a debut, the level of control is impressive. The instruments and voices connect well, and the quieter parts usually help the heavier sections mean more. Unfold the God Man asks for time and attention, but the variety has a clear musical purpose. Its best songs make Psychonaut sound like a band with plenty of ideas and a strong understanding of how to bring them together.
