Behold... The Arctopus
Instrumental metal band from Brooklyn, formed 2001.
Behold... The Arctopus is an American instrumental metal band from Brooklyn, New York City, formed in 2001. The group is known for its technical and progressive style, incorporating a 12-string Warr guitar alongside standard electric guitar and drums.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- New York City, U.S.
- Genre
- Instrumental metal
- progressive metal
- technical death metal
- Years active
- Since 2001
- Label
- Black Market Activities
- Current members
- Mike Lerner
- Colin Marston
- Jason Bauers
- Past members
- Charlie Zeleny, Weasel Walter
Facts from the source article.
History
Colin Marston and Mike Lerner, who had been playing guitar together for over a year and a half, formed Behold The Arctopus after finding a drummer. Their demo We Need a Drummer, which used a drum machine, was heard by Charlie Zeleny. Zeleny met the duo and impressed them, and was immediately asked to join. After two EPs and a split, the band released their first full-length album Skullgrid on October 16, 2007. They toured with Genghis Tron and The Dillinger Escape Plan, but the tour was cut short due to an injury of a Dillinger Escape Plan member. Between the Buried and Me then took the band on tour, supported by August Burns Red, to help recoup financial losses. On December 30, 2008, Zeleny announced he was leaving to focus on session work. On November 25, 2009, Weasel Walter announced he was moving to New York City to join on drums and write new, more extreme material. The band confirmed this on December 16, 2009.
Musical style
Behold The Arctopus craft instrumental music that draws from metal and 20th century classical composition. Their sound is both technical and progressive, built around a standard electric guitar and drum kit but anchored by a 12-string Warr guitar—an instrument that spans bass and guitar ranges and is typically played by tapping with one or both hands. Dissonance and polyrhythms are common in their work. Their influences include heavy, progressive, and technical death metal bands like Ulver, Death, and Meshuggah, as well as composers such as Bartók and Schoenberg. According to Marston, songs originally written by one member were scored on paper for the band to learn, with later material increasingly notated in full.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which record labels has Behold... The Arctopus released music on?
Behold... The Arctopus has released music on Black Market Activities.
Who are the current members of Behold... The Arctopus?
The current members of Behold... The Arctopus are listed as Mike Lerner, Colin Marston and Jason Bauers.
More in American Progressive Metal Musical Groups
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