Sure, on first listen, it would be easy to lump Polish trio Hesperus Dimension into the faceless mass of speed and death metal groups that have cropped up over the last couple of decades. They provide the requisite growling, howling, screaming vocals and programmed hyper-speed guitar and drum tracks. The sinister-sounding lyrics, though written and performed in English, make little sense even when read straight from the liner notes. What makes The Cyclothymic Panopticon stand out, though, is something that can not easily be defined. Somewhere under the cyclone of programmed sounds that could never be played live by any human hand, between the haunting sound clips and cryptic lyrics of isolation and alienation, there lives a sense of humor and the heart of a true music lover. It is obvious from the beginning of the first track, "The Axis of Diagram," as a jazzy free form saxophone solo leads into a speeding drum and guitar riff that could inspire a Metalocalypse episode. Battered eardrums and racing pulses are granted a brief respite during the spoken word title track, as the voice of a maniacal sadist recites enigmatic words backed by a chorus of whistles, cries, and laughs. Then, after another machinegun attack on the ears, "23 Hands" completely changes the formula again by slowing down just a bit and reminding the listener of Cleanse Fold and Manipulate era Skinny Puppy.

So, is Hesperus Dimension a speed metal, death metal, or industrial band? Are their over the top, darkly atmospheric lyrics as sincere as they seem or are they a tongue-in-cheek commentary on cliché themes? In either case, there is something inexplicably magnetic about The Cyclothymic Panopticon. It will be very interesting to see where these guys choose to go next.

Charity VanDeberg