San Francisco’s Cyborg Octopus found a happy home with this sponge way back in 2018. Debut full-length Learning to Breathe floored me with a fearless application of kitchen-sink, genre-bending exuberance, all filtered through a tech-death/metalcore lens. It’s difficult to craft music like this in a way that doesn’t feel disjointed, but Cyborg Octopus skillfully arranged their kaleidoscopic writing to form a cohesive sound and thereby ensured my rapt attention once follow-up triumph Between Light and Air was released in 2022. Once again, these Bay Area musicians successfully subverted my expectations of what metal can do with distinctly non-metal styles while still boasting a uniquely Cyborg Octopus voice. It’s a letdown, therefore, to hear their newest record, Bottom Feeder, sacrifice so much of what made me fall in love with them.
Bottom Feeder differs greatly from its predecessors both in quality and in format. Tech death and metalcore still engage in a passionate, aggressive dance. However, many of the extracurricular activities (funk, disco, chiptune, grind, spaghetti western, surf, you name it) that flavored Learning to Breathe and Between Light and Air so deeply are absent for much of this record’s tight forty minutes. Instead of the legitimate riffs and addicting grooves of the past, mindless chugs, monotonous breakdowns, and rote scales inform a majority of the metallic content comprising Bottom Feeder. There are brief detours from that trend—delightful melodies and light-footed rhythms perking my ears in “Dreamkiller,” “Cyborg Octopus,” “Midas,” and “Gabriel’s Last Meal,” for example—but such moments are short-lived and lack the same brilliance as the previous records’ vibrant explorations of style and sound.
Bottom Feeder by Cyborg Octopus
While a clear divide exists between Cyborg Octopus’ latest material and that of their past catalog, talent and skill nonetheless abound. Bobby Carrol showcases immense creativity on his guitar even within the limited metalcore mold implemented on Bottom Feeder. When he isn’t relying on chugging beatdowns, his fantastical and vivid lead work still alights my imagination much like it always has (“Dreamkiller,” “Cyborg Octopus,” “Midas,” “Defective Immediately”). Meanwhile, drummer Josh Mathis is a jack of all trades, seamlessly working in rhythms and patterns from inside and outside the metalverse with an uncanny ease that makes his performance a joy to behold even inside mediocre writing (“Dreamkiller,” “Defective Immediately”). Lead vocalist Ian Forsythe showcased great versatility in previous records, able to swap in and out of any metallic style on a whim. On Bottom Feeder, he restrains himself more often to a hardcore scream I’ll probably never love, in conjunction with theatrical cleans that I’ve learned to like (“The Righteous Waves,” “Afterburner”). Regardless, his consistent, unwavering performance showcases practiced and proper technique (“Cyborg Octopus”). Patrick Corona aquits himself quite well on the keys, saxophone, and additional vocals, complementing Carrol’s guitar melodies as effortlessly as he coalesces with Forsythe’s vocal vitriol (“The Righteous Waves,” “Afterburner,” “The Trench”). Last but not least, bassist Max Coley burbles and chugs in concert with Mathis’ percussion with great aplomb (“Gabriel’s Last Meal”). However, I pine for the adventurous counterpoint he offered on past efforts, as it is sorely lacking here.
Despite Cyborg Octopus’ obvious collective skill level, very little could save Bottom Feeder’s relatively substandard songwriting. Aside from the occasional novel idea scattered here and there, this material reeks of cookie-cutter tropes and tired stereotypes. In the context of Cyborg Octopus’ discography, this poses a significant issue. Knowing how capable they are as a creative force in a genre desperate for innovation, to hear such homogenized music creates an unpleasant wave of disappointment entirely unfamiliar to me after spinning a new Cyborg Octopus record. I’ve watched these musicians flourish as performers and songwriters across their career, and I’ve seen clear evidence that they love what they do. And yet, Bottom Feeder is so unmemorable for ninety percent of its runtime that even the small sections of the record I like serve only to remind me of past outings, rather than standing out on their own merits.
I don’t relish the thought of negatively comparing a band’s current output with that of their past, as artists are by nature constantly evolving and changing. However, Cyborg Octopus took a regrettable step back with Bottom Feeder, and it’s impossible to ignore its place beneath the triumphs of their back catalog. My hope is that this is an anomaly, a mere road bump in Cyborg Octopus’ journey towards greatness. With this in mind, I return to those vivid soundscapes conjured in Learning to Breathe and Between Light and Air, and anxiously await what new exciting adventures lie in store for Cyborg Octopus.
Rating: Disappointing
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Silent Pendulum Records
Websites: cyborgoctopus.bandcamp.com| facebook.com/CyborgOctopus
Releases Worldwide: September 27th, 2024
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