Hebephrenique - Non Compos Mentis
Dear Quinton
All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone. what's selfish is to demand another to endure an intolerable existence, just to spare families, friends, and enemies a bit of soul-searching.
I read that somewhere recently and it’s what I’ve been through since Easter. You asked me to send this review in during March, because you had heard that a new release was pending. I’ve been in the hole for two weeks, complete isolation, complete darkness. Allow me to explain, Hebephrenique deserve that at least.
I had a conjugal scheduled with Wanda on Good Friday. So, I take one look at her and say, “baby W, you’ve had implants.” She starts undressing and releases two large Easter eggs from her bra. She snuck in some contraband! You beauty, I think.
Anyway, turns out the eggs were dark chocolate. Yuck! I thought Wanda knew me. So now I’m in it deep. How do I dispose of the contraband without the warden finding out, I think to myself. So I crush the eggs up the day after, along with the foil and stuff them in my pockets. Like that scene from Shawshank Redemption, I gradually release the eggs on the basketball court on Easter Sunday. Then the chocolate starts melting and it’s a fucking chocolate bloodbath Quinton. You know that scene in Trainspotting, when Spud shits the bed. It was like that. My fellow inmates were slipping over everywhere, dragging chocolate back into the cells via their shoes. Skellari the little snitch then rats on me, and i’m in isolation before I can say resurrection. I’m going to have to have words with my Wanda.
So, the 29 minute EP you sent me came out in 2023. I actually did hear it at the time and liked it a lot, but one thing leads to another and I didn’t spend enough time with it. I can tell you that I have absorbed this a lot now, it has slowly made me question my sanity. It feels like a very structured journey towards an asylum, the eventual reasoning, or the ultimate questioning.
Hebephrenique are a mysterious duo from Brisbane, Australia, and I suppose you could categorise this as very unorthodox Death Metal, but with some Blackened edges as well. It is very difficult to create an arc during 29 minutes that expresses emotion, is consistent from start to finish, is ultra aggressive and deranged at the same time. Hebephrenique has done that on Non Compos Mentis, and I am very impressed with it.
“Homicidal Ambivalence” is a rollercoaster for me, it certainly brings me back to the time of my arrest, and then the “Curse of Biology,” so cool in so many ways. These tracks resonate with me so much. “Waking” is a synth like track that is like part of a movie score, waking from a nightmare. What I like is that Hebephrenique has created a mood an atmosphere that is very unsettling, and they do this in different ways, whether it be the vocal delivery, the synthy parts, or the melody. It just works, it is pure class.
Everything leads up to the brilliant closing track, “Non Compos Mentis.” The peaks and troughs here are a wild ride. The anguish in the vocals is real, I even hear a bit of Tom Waits in the back end, and the ending is chilling with the interview part with the psychopath.
A very good EP. It feels like a piece of art and not just an EP or demo from a new band that are smacking together their best 4 songs in their early existence. Hebephrenique are a little different and they show incredible promise.
Thank you Quinton for introducing me to them, and giving me the opportunity to review this. It has not been an easy month, but this has got me through it. Killer stuff!
FROM PHILLIP TURNER
Dear Phillip,
Thanks for taking the time to send this through, and no worries at all about the delay. I understand that you were due for a parole hearing, so I hope your act of Shawshank Redemption has not delayed that.
I agree that this is indeed a killer release. Every second matters, and it is crafted exceptionally well. They use space and dynamics well, better than most, and it just has an edge that most are lacking these days, you believe in Hebephrenique.
Quinton