Permatrip - 25 years

Permatrip

25 years
self-released; 2014

3.4 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

If you are into instrumental metal that rarely deviates from distorted guitar and drums then you will want to pick up 25 Eyes from Permatrip. The album is an almost half an hour of straight intense guitar and drums that doesn’t let loose till its over. The constant onslaught is a bit intense even for accepting metalheads who enjoy technical mastery over a hook. If you need a lyric or even a repetitive melody to sing in the shower than 25 Eyes isn’t for you.

This album unfolds with a constant high energy that doesn’t let you rest. If you are going to try and enjoy this album I suggest you go all the way. I would ingest a stimulant or some kind like two shots of espresso, make sure your neighbors are at work and then press play and turn it up loud.

The production is about average. There were a couple of things that could have been improved. The bass drum could have been more pronounced. It lays predominantly in the lower frequencies. It doesn't snap through the mix - a boost around 1 khz may have helped. The guitars sounded good although there was a bit too much high end and not enough warmth. A bit of filtering above 10 khz may have been effective here. Overall, these are rather minor but also what separates professional sounding recording from good recordings. 

The album opens with “Twenty Five I’s,” which is more or less an intro. It revolves around a vocal snippet that talks about robots becoming slaves. The music combines inventive guitar picking and several synths. If you enjoyed “Twenty Five I’s” then you’ll have to listen to it on repeat, as there is nothing else on the album that sounds like it. 

There is little necessity to delve into other songs as they all for better or worse sound like a continuation of the same theme. That being said there are some moments where these guys rip it up. Whether you like the music or not there is no denying their technical ability is pretty sick.

I’m thinking this album could have been one long track and I think it may have been more effective that way. If I’m going to enjoy this album again I would skip to track number two and strap in till its over. I suggest you do the same. 

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